R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Wales
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Welsh Search Strategies
     Step 1. Identify What You Know About Your Family
     Step 2. Decide What You Want To Learn
     Step 3. Select A Record To Search
     Step 4. Find And Search The Record
     Step 5. Use The Information
The Family History Library Catalog
     Map: Wales Pre - 1974 County Structure
     Map: Wales 1974 - 1966 County Structure
     Map: Wales Post-1966 County Structure
Archives And Libraries
     National Archives And Libraries
     County Record Offices
     Public And Academic Libraries
     Family And Local History Society Libraries
     Special Archives
     Locating Web Sites For Record Offices And Libraries
     Inventories, Registers, Catalogs, And Schedules
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
     National Census
     Understanding The Census
     Searching Census Records
     Locating Census Records
     Census Records At The Family History Library
     Census Indexes
Church Directories
Church History
Church Records
Civil Registration
     General Historical Background
     Information Recorded In Civil Registers
     Locating Civil Registration Records
     Indexes To Civil Registration Records
     Searching Civil Registration Records And Indexes
     Records At The Family History Library
     Miscellaneous Indexes
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
     Major Collections And Databases
     Family Histories
     Genealogical Collections
     Research Coordination
Historical Geography
History
Land And Property
     Estate Records
     Availability Of Estate Records
     Manorial Records
Language And Languages
Maps
Merchant Marine
Military Records
     History And Background
     Twentieth Century Records
     Understanding Military Records
     Locating Military And Naval Records
     Records At The Family History Library
     Search Strategies
     Handbooks For Military Records
Names, Personal
     Patronymic Names In Wales
     Other Types Of Surnames
     Adopting A Surname
Newspapers
Nobility
Occupations
Periodicals
Probate Records
     Types Of Probate Records
     Laws And Customs
     Guardianship
     Probating A Will
     Pre-1858 Probate Courts
     Post-1857 Probate Courts
     Estate Duty Wills And Administrations
     Locating Probate Records
     Determining The Court
     Indexes
     Probate Records At The Family History Library
     Records Not At The Family History Library
     Difficulties In Locating A Pre-1858 Record
Schools
Societies
     Family History Societies
     Association Of Family History Societies Of Wales
     The Federation Of Family History Societies
     Local History Societies
     One-name Groups
     Locating Records At The Family History Library
Taxation
Other Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions


INTRODUCTION

This outline introduces you to records you can use to discover your Welsh ancestors. It describes the content, use, and availability of major genealogical records.

Usually, you will need to know the specific parish or town in Wales where your ancestor was born before beginning your Welsh research.

Using This Outline

This outline will help you evaluate the content, reliability, availability, ease of use, time period covered, and the likelihood that your ancestor will be listed in these records.

The “Welsh Search Strategies” section of this outline, which follows, explains the steps to effective research.

The “Records Selection TableLook this term up in the glossary.” helps you select records to search. The “Family History Library Catalog” section of this outline explains how to use the library’s catalog to find specific records in the collection.

This outline also discusses in alphabetical order the major topics used for Welsh research, such as “Archives and Libraries” and “Church Records.” The names of these sections are the same as the subject headings used in the Family History Library Catalog.

At the end of this outline you will find a list of additional subject headings under “Other Records” and a short bibliography of sources under “For Further Reading.”

Because Wales has been incorporated into the United Kingdom since the thirteenth century, many Welsh people are mentioned in English records. Many of these records are discussed more fully in the England Research Outline (34037).


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WELSH SEARCH STRATEGIES


Step 1. Identify What You Know about Your Family

Begin your research at home. Look for names, dates, and places in certificates, family BiblesLook this term up in the glossary., letters, obituariesLook this term up in the glossary., diariesLook this term up in the glossary., and similar sources. Ask relatives for any information they may have. Record the information you find on pedigree charts and family group record forms.


Step 2. Decide What You Want to Learn

Choose an ancestor born in Wales for whom you know at least a name, the town or parish where he or she lived in Wales, and an approximate date when he or she lived there. Knowing the religion and names of other family members born there also helps.

Decide what you want to learn about that ancestor. You may want to ask an experienced researcher or a librarian to help you choose a goal.

It is usually best to begin by verifying information about the ancestor you know the most about. You will be more successful when you know more than just the country of birth or marriage.


Step 3. Select a Record to Search

Effective researchers first find background information. Then they survey compiled sources and finally they search original records.

Background Information Sources. You must have some geographical and historical information. This will help to focus your research in the correct place and time period.

  • Find the parishLook this term up in the glossary. or town of residence. Use maps, gazetteers, histories, and other place-finding aids to learn about each place where your ancestors lived. Identify governmental and ecclesiastical jurisdictions and nearby parishes, cities, counties, and other geographical features.
  • Review local history. Welsh history was made by your ancestors and affected the records about them (see the “Gazetteers,” “Church History,” and “History” sections of this outline).
  • Learn about Welsh jurisdictionsLook this term up in the glossary.. You will need to know about Welsh civil and church boundaries. See the “Gazetteers” section of this outline for more information.
  • Use language helpsLook this term up in the glossary.. Welsh records are usually in English, although some are in Welsh. Pre-1733 records may be in Latin (see the “Language and Languages” section of this outline).

Compiled RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.. Surveying research already done by others can save time and reveal valuable information. Check the following:

These records are described in the “Biography,” “Genealogy,” and “Societies” sections of this outline. Remember, information in compiled records may have some inaccuracies, and the information in them should be verified.

Original RecordsLook this term up in the glossary.. After surveying previous research, you can begin searching original documents, which are often handwritten and copied on microfilm or microfiche. Original documents provide first-hand information recorded at or near the time of an event by a reliable witness. To do thorough research, you should search records of:

  • Your ancestor’s religious denomination.
  • The jurisdictionsLook this term up in the glossary. that may have kept records about your ancestor.

Most researchers begin with civil registration, census records, church records, or probate records.


Step 4. Find and Search the Record

Suggestions for Obtaining Records. You may be able to get the records you need in the following ways:

  • Family History LibraryLook this term up in the glossary.. The Family History Library is open to the public and charges no fees for using the records. For more information, contact the library at:

Family History Library
35 North West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
  • Family History CentersLook this term up in the glossary.. The Family History Library can loan copies of most records on microfilm thousands of Family History Centers worldwide. There is a small duplication and postage fee for this service.
  • Local archivesLook this term up in the glossary. and churches. Although the Family History Library has many records on microfilm or microfiche, others are available only at local or national archives. See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for more information.
  • Libraries and interlibrary loanLook this term up in the glossary.. Public, academic, and other research libraries may have some published sources for Welsh research. Many provide interlibrary loan services that allow you to borrow records from other libraries.
  • Look-up Exchange. There are lists of people on the Internet who volunteer to search various types of records for certain areas free of charge. You can locate these lists through the GENUKI Web site at:

www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/#counties
From the above site
Click [County of your choice ]
Click Genealogy
Click Look-up Exchange
  • Professional researchersLook this term up in the glossary.. You can hire a researcher. Many researchers specialize in British records. Others specialize in Welsh records. Lists of qualified professional researchers are available from the Family History Library. Welsh archives or family history societies may also provide lists of people who can do research for you. You may get help by sending a letter for publication in the relevant Welsh family history society’s journal, especially if you become a member of the society.
  • PhotocopiesLook this term up in the glossary.. The Family History Library and some other libraries offer limited photoduplication services for a small fee. You must specify the exact pages you need. Books protected by copyright cannot be copied in their entirety. However, a few pages can usually be copied for personal research. The library does not copy large portions of a microfilm. To get a copy of a major portion of a film, write to the archive where the original material is stored.

To contact libraries or professional researchers or any other family historian, write a brief, specific letter. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped, long envelope when writing within your own country. When writing to a foreign country, enclose three international reply coupons (available from your post office). You will usually need to pay in advance for photocopy or search services.

Suggestions for Searching the Records. Follow these principles as you search the records for your ancestor:

  • Search for one generation at a time. Do not try to connect your family to others who have the same surname if they lived more than a generation earlier than your proven ancestor.
  • Search for your ancestor’s entire family. Records may contain clues for identifying other family members. Search other record types and in other localities to find a missing family member.
  • Search each source thoroughly. A small piece of information in a record may be a needed clue.
  • Search a broad time period. Dates in some sources may not be accurate. Look several years before and after the date you think an event occurred.
  • Look for indexes. Though not every record has been indexed, many have been. Look for an index that includes the time period, event, and place you need. Many indexes only include some of the people mentioned in the record. Make sure you check the original records after consulting an index.
  • Watch for patronymicsLook this term up in the glossary.. Surnames in the same family frequently changed with every generation during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For more information, see the “Names, Personal” section of this outline.
  • Watch for spelling variationsLook this term up in the glossary.. Spelling was not standardized until the late nineteenth century, and names were often written phonetically.


Step 5. Use the Information

Evaluate the Information You Find. Decide whether the information you find is complete and accurate. Ask yourself the following questions:

Record Your Searches and Findings. Copy the information you find and keep notes about each record you search. Note where and by whom the records were made, even those that provided no information.

Share Your Information with Others. Your family history can become a source of enjoyment and education for yourself and your family. You may want to compile your family history and share it with family members, the Family History Library, and other archives. To contribute your genealogical information to Ancestral File, see the publication, Contributing Information to Ancestral File (34029).

If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsLook this term up in the glossary., be sure to submit information about your deceased family members so you can provide temple ordinancesLook this term up in the glossary. for them. Your ward family history consultant or a library staff member can help you.


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THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOGLook this term up in the glossary.

The key to finding a record in the Family History Library’s collection is the Family History Library Catalog. The catalog describes each of the library’s records and provides the call numbers. The catalog is available on microfiche and on compact disc as part of FamilySearch™. It is at the Family History Library and at each Family History Center.

The Family History Library Catalog on microfiche is divided into four major sections:

The Family History Library Catalog on compact disc has four types of searches:

To find the call numbers of the records described in this outline, you will most often use the Locality Search on microfiche or the Locality Search on compact disc. The section headings in this outline that describe types of records, such as “Church Records,” are the same as the subjects used in the microfiche edition of the Family History Library Catalog and the topics used in the compact disc edition.

The catalog generally uses the same language that the records are written in to describe the records. The description includes a brief English summary of the content, if the record is in another language.

The Locality Search lists records according to the area they cover. Records relating to the entire country, such as passenger lists, are listed under WALES. Most records are listed under a specific county or parish.

For example, in the Locality search look for:

  • First geographic level for a place where an ancestor lived, such as:
great britain (kingdom)
wales (country)
wales, flint (country, county)
wales, flint, whitford (country, county, parish)

You may need to look at each geographic level to find all record types for the area of interest.

  • Then the record type you want, such as:
GREAT BRITAIN - MILITARY RECORDSWALES - GENEALOGYWALES, FLINT - PROBATE RECORDSWALES, FLINT, WHITFORD - CHURCH RECORDS
The catalog is based on the county structure in:

Richards, Melville. Welsh Administrative and Territorial Units. See the “Gazetteers” section of this outline for more information.

Call numbers in this outline are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library.

RECORDS SELECTION TABLE: WALES
This table can help you decide which records to search. It is most helpful for research from 1800 to the present.1. In column 1 find the goal you selected; then in column 2 find the types of records most likely to have the information you need.2. Read the sections in the outline about those types of records.3. Look for those types of records in the Family History Library Catalog.4. Search the records.5. If you do not find the information you need, return to column 3 and try those records.Note: Records of previous research (Genealogy, Biography, History, Periodicals, and Societies) are useful for most goals, but they are not listed unless they are especially helpful.
1. If You Need 2. Look First In 3. Then Search
Age Census, Civil Registration, Church Records Cemeteries, Occupations, Military Records
Birth date Civil Registration, Church Records Cemeteries, Newspapers, Biography
Birth place Census, Civil Registration, Church Records Cemeteries, Biography
Boundaries and origins Gazetteers, Maps History, Historical Geography
Children Census, Church Records, Probate Records Newspapers. Biography
City or parish of foreign birth Census, Newspapers Military Records, Cemeteries
Coat of arms Heraldry Nobility
Country of foreign birth Census, Newspapers Military Records, Cemeteries
Death information Cemeteries, Civil Registration, Church Records Probate Records, Court Records, Land and Property, Biography
Divorce Civil Registration Court Records, Newspapers
Emigration information Emigration and Immigration, Periodicals Newspapers, Church Records
Historical background History, Church History Periodicals, Historical Geography
Immigration date Emigration and Immigration, Periodicals Newspapers, Church Records
Language helps Language and Languages Archives and Libraries, Societies
Living relatives Societies, Directories Newspapers
Maiden name Civil Registration, Church Records Newspapers, Cemeteries, Biography
Marriage information Civil Registration, Church Records, Newspapers, Cemeteries, Biography
Naming customs Names, Personal Periodicals
Naturalization Court Records Naturalization and Citizenship
Noble families Nobility Genealogy
Occupations Census, Probate Records, Civil Registration, Church Records Directories, Court Records, Biography
Other family members Census, Probate Records Land and Property, Court Records, Biography
Parents Church Records, Civil Registration, Census Cemeteries, Newspapers, Biography
Physical description Military Records, Court Records Occupations
Place-finding aids Gazetteers, Maps History, Directories
Places of residence Census, Probate Records, Church Records Schools, Directories, Taxation
Place of residence when you know only the county Genealogy, Civil Registration Probate Records
Previous research Genealogy Biography, Societies
Record-finding aids Archives and Libraries Societies, Periodicals
Religion Church History History, Church Records
Social activities History, Social Life and Customs Newspapers
Language terms Language and Languages


Map: Wales Pre - 1974 County Structure

(This graphic may take a while to download.)


Map: Wales 1974 - 1966 County Structure

(This graphic may take a while to download.)


Map: Wales Post-1966 County Structure

(This graphic may take a while to download.)

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