Gareth's Help Page

 

 

 

CONTENTS

Site Map/Search Site

Technical

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 up

 

 

Contents

 

Abbreviations

Archives in S/W Wales

Beginners start here

Census dates   &   Census Returns

Computer matters

Crematoria

Crime and Punishment

Emigration/Immigration

Family History Societies 

Finding people

GENUKI

Getting Certificates

Graveyard/History Book Welsh

GRO/Civil Registration Index

History books  

House history/tracing

Indexing Project

LDS   &    IGI

LDS FH centres in S/W Wales

Libraries in S/W Wales

Lookup Exchanges

Mailing Lists

Maps & gazetteers

Names

National Library of Wales

Netiquette

Newspapers/Journals

Not everyone knows this......

Occupations

Pot Pourri

PRO & FRC

Research Books

Registration Districts

Timeline

Welsh Counties, then and now

Welsh language

Welsh nationality

Welsh proverbs

Wills/probate records

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginners start here

up

 

 

 

Advice sites on how to start/carry out your research

Professional researchers.

Lookup Exchange

up

 

 

 

Here is the gateway page to the Wales Lookup Exchange which has separate sections for;

 

Getting certificates [GRO/ONS]

up

 

 

 

There is a lot of authoritative information about UK birth, marriage and death certificates and how to obtain them, including details of registration districts, addresses of offices, fees, etc.  on  GENUKI

And there is a specific short introduction on civil registration in Wales at: GENUKI

Or you can read all about it on John Ball's excellent site  WFHA, then follow the BDM certificates link.

Or there is Mark Howells's site  http://www.oz.net/~markhow/ukbirths.htm

 

Ordering certs from the ONS online

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/  Use credit/debit cards.

 

Ordering certs from the ONS  by post , fax or  Email

See also Registration Districts

This response below from the ONS was copied to the Glamlist on 7 Oct 2000 and should be taken as the then current definitive guide to ordering BMD certs..

"This is an automatic response that contains information about the records this office holds and the ways you can purchase birth, death and marriage certificates.

NO FURTHER ACTION WILL NOW BE TAKEN ON YOUR MAIL. PLEASE RESUBMIT YOUR REQUEST INSERTING THE APPROPRIATE CODE FROM THE LIST BELOW INTO THE SUBJECT HEADING OF YOUR MAIL.

To avoid receiving this reply each time you mail us, please insert one of the following codes in the subject of any future e-mails:

QR For applications when you are supplying the GRO index reference.

STD For applications when you are not supplying the GRO index reference.

RFD When you have a query about a refund that we have issued

RDR When you are enquiring about an order you have placed but not yet received.

GQ When you have another question not covered by any of the above.

PLEASE NOTE - THE CODE SHOULD BE ENTERED AS A SINGLE WORD IN THE SUBJECT LINE, SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE SUBJECT BY SPACES.

The records of this office relate mainly to births, deaths and marriages registered in England and Wales since 1 July 1837. The records are not linked so we are unable to compile family trees or pedigrees or trace people. The only information that we can supply is in the form of birth, death and marriage certificates.

Our records are not computerised or available for searching on the Internet. Our website contains general information about our services and can be visited at http://www.statistics.gov.uk

If you would like us to do the search, you should complete the relevant application form(s). You must, however, supply full particulars about each event as we do not undertake searches of an indefinite or protracted nature. For the fees quoted we do a three consecutive year search but need you to tell us which three years to look through. Please be as accurate as you can, as no alterations or amendments are possible once an order has been placed.

If you wish to order by post please send your application to,

The General Register Office, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 2JD

Payment for your order may be made by sterling cheque (made payable to'ONS') or by quoting your credit/debit card details, including expiry date and issue number (if there is one). Alternatively you can fax your order to 01704 550013 or telephone 0870 243 7788, quoting your credit or debit card details. We do not currently have a secure site and do not encourage customers to place orders via email. If you are paying by credit card, your account will not be debited until the result of the search is known.

If you would like to look at copies of our indexes yourself please tell us whereabouts in the world you are and we will be able to let you know if there is a public body such as a library near you that has purchased our microfiche indexes.

If you wish to order a certificate using our priority service, please email priority.certificates@ons.gov.uk

Alternatively you can fax orders on 01704 568315 or telephone 0151 471 4572. If you are posting a priority order please mark the outside of the envelope 'PRIORITY' to ensure that it is dealt with immediately. Due to the 48 hour turnaround priority service if you do not receive an acknowledgement please refrain from re-faxing, re-emailing or telephoning to check on the status of your order as it causes duplication of work and can lead to delays.

All certificates are sent by first class post. However, if you live overseas and would like your order to be delivered by "Swift Air", this service costs £3.84 (3.84GBP). The "Swift Air" facility takes the same length of time as air mail but has a bar-coded tracking facility. If you would like us to send your order using "Swift Air" please let us know when you place your order.

Providing you know full details and the area in which the event was registered, it is often possible to make an application direct to the local register office. Certificates ordered in this way cost £6.50 (6.50GBP), but the length of time they take depends on the work load of the particular office. If you know the district concerned we can give you the telephone number and address of the relevant local office.

Replies to this message must be addressed to certificate.services@ons.gov.uk  "

[End of ONS response.]

 

Family History Societies

In South/West & Mid-Wales which are affiliated to the FFHS

up

 

 

 

 

Census Dates

up

 

 

 

To prevent  double counting, people were listed  at the addresses where they were on census night, or to which they intended to return the following day after a night's work or travel. It is simplest to refer to the separate censuses by the dates either side of the midnight of census night.

 

Census Returns

up

 

 

 

For an in-depth reading on the background of this subject I recommend   Making Sense of the Census Revisited  by Edward Higgs. University of London School of Advance Study/Inst. of Historical Research/TNA, 2005. 232p.   ISBN 1 905165 00 5.   Available from TNA   (The National Archives)

Brief overview

A census of the population of England & Wales was first taken in 1801, followed by others every 10 years except for 1941 when the country was again at war.
When decennial census taking was first mooted in 1800, the country was at war with France and was suffering bad harvests and food shortages - it would not be surprising if government wished  to find out more about the makeup of the population at large. The range of questions asked were added to as the century progressed and social and medical scientists came to the fore.
After each census an official  Census Report was issued including all manner of statistics and commentary.

Apart from 1841 the censuses were held in the spring to avoid distortions caused by seasonal movement of agricultural workers in the summer months - see Census dates above

1801-31

These were taken for statistical purposes and contained no individual names as such (with some local exceptions).
They were organised by one John Rickman who worked for the House of Commons,the parish based data collection  being  devolved to the officials of the Poor Law system and the established church.

Although there were differences between the 4 returns, the questions broadly revolved around ;

The clergy were also required to provide data on baptisms, marriages and burials for a range of dates over the previous century.
An additional question in 1830 was the number of illegitimate children born in a parish.

1841      (The TNA reference is HO 107)

Following the establishment of a civil registration system, responsibility for census taking was taken over by the GRO in 1840. The census was also based on the new registration districts, themselves modelled on the older Poor Law unions which sometimes overlapped 2 or more counties - this latter fact should be kept in mind if having difficulty finding a particular place in what may seem to be the obvious enumeration district. See this British-Genealogy site for further comment

All that remained was for the registrars to divide their sub-districts into smaller enumeration districts (maximum 200 inhabited houses), and appoint an enumerator for each one.

Enumerators had to be able to read and write, be temperate, orderly and respectable - as an example, my gg grandfather, Benjamin Evans, schoolmaster, seems to have been the enumerator for Llanybyther in Carmarthenshire for the 1851 census.

See here for the detailed Instructions to the Enumerators from the 1841 Census

The census was held on a single night of the year (to avoid double counting), the idea being that they would include every person at a house "that night" - one apparent omission (in 1841 only) was not to give clear guidance to include night workers who would be returning to that residence next day, another was how to deal with lodgers and boarders.
Household schedules (with instructions) were to be issued to each household ahead of  census night, to be completed by the householder and collected by the enumerator the day after census night. A Welsh translation of the schedule was available from 1841 onwards but the data provided had to be written in English.
Should the householder have difficulties with completing the schedule the enumerator was required to assist and no doubt ended up completing some entirely - for example, it is recorded that in 1871, in Anglesey, the enumerator completed the majority.
The schedules were then to be copied into printed books - it is digital copies of these enumerators' books that are now used for searching/transcribing/indexing.

This first  'named' census could be seen as something of a 'suck it and see' affair, it was designed to be as simple as possible -  the principal difference between it and those that followed is the absence of relationships shown between the residents; the requirement that ages were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5, unless under 15; and that the place of birth question was only to say whether born in "the same county or not" (also whether born in Scotland, Ireland or Foreign parts).
All factors which we genealogists now gripe about !

No named account was made of the crews/passengers of merchant vessels for this census, unless they were ashore of course. A head count was carried out.
Neither was any count  taken of those aboard fishing vessels in this census, likewise itinerants/travellers which was unfortunate given the census was taken in June when annual movements were well under way.

Royal Navy personnel ashore on census night were fully enumerated as households or institutions. The position with those on board ship isn't  clear, a head count was carried out - if they existed no named returns seem to survive for 1841/51.

Soldiers serving abroad were never fully enumerated until 1911, those living in barracks within the UK were.

On this page on Ancestry.com (scroll down, down) there are details of 'known problems with the 1841 census'  for Wales (work back to find the England page)

1851     (HO 107)

This census was a considerable improvement on 1841 - "relation to head" being introduced, also  marital status, and "where born" to include county and parish/town in that order.  A straight forward "Age" question replaced the convoluted rounding down  of 1841. The number of a house in a street was now to be included although that assumed that 'proper addresses' existed at all at this time in most places.

The first medical question appeared - householders were now asked to indicate if anyone was deaf, dumb or blind.

The position with the merchant marine, fishing vessels, inland navigation vessels, itinerants & travellers from 1851 onwards is too complex to describe here -  the book mentioned above has chapter and verse.

See here for Census instructions for 1851

1861    (RG 9)

The storage of the 1861 returns in particular could be described as haphazard in the extreme and they didn't get into the safe hands of the PRO until the 1960s, unfortunately sections are permanently missing.

From 1861 commanding officers of Royal Navy ships, either in home of foreign waters, were required to fully enumerate their officers and crews.

On this page on Ancestry.com (scroll down, down) there are details of 'known problems with 1861 piece numbers' for Wales (work back to find the England page)

1871    (RG 10)

The medical question was  expanded to include those who were 'imbeciles, idiots or lunatics'

1881     (RG 11)

This return has been indexed/transcribed for the whole of the UK, a combined undertaking by the Genealogical Society of Utah [Mormons] and the FFHS, it is available on Cd from the LDS as well as online on their own site. 

See 1881 census place name index for details of 1881 census Registration District overlaps  for All Wales/Mon and a place name index for the Dyfed and Glamorgan counties only. 

1891     (RG 12)

In 1891 & 1901 an extra question was introduced in Wales only to ascertain whether people spoke only Welsh, only English, or both.

Additional questions were introduced, namely boxes headed Employer/Employed/Neither

1901      (RG 13)

See  www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk  for a fully searchable index online .

See the Genuki page Directions to Enumerators on the completion of 1901 Census Enumeration Books, and Genuki for other census related odds and ends

1911

The position with this census, (its release date, system for early one off requests etc ) is described on  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/1911census/

 

General research notes and guidance

The Census Returns become available for public inspection after 100 years.
The 1931 returns were destroyed by fire in WWII. 
The 1941 census was not taken because of the war.

See the British-Genealogy site for an explanation of census return pieces, folios etc.
Next time you look at the 1881 census cd make note of the way in which the TNA/PRO reference is displayed e.g
<PRO Ref RG11    Piece 5383    Folio 36    Page 8 

See  Abbreviations for Relationships to heads of household on census returns

There is an extensive list of places and parishes within the Dyfed counties with their respective hundreds  and census registration  districts on  the Dyfed FHS website.

For Glamorgan , there is a  Class List produced by the PRO of places included in each part of each census on this site under Glamorgan  

Genuki has an index to the place names in the censuses and this covers Wales, England and the Isle of Man . For each place listed is shown the county and registration district in which they were situated during the years 1837-1930.

See also Genuki

There are a number of commercial organisations, as well as Family History Societies such as Glamorgan FHS, who sell Cds, or online access, of/to various UK censuses. Some are name-indexed with transcriptions, others are only the digital images of the enumerators' books, mostly with some sort of street index etc.

 

Crematoria

[Or crematoriums].

up

 

 

 

Private cremations were first recorded in the UK in the 1870s and were thought to be probably illegal initially with the prosecution of a man in Cardiff  in 1883 for burning his 5 month old illegitimate child.

The first legal cremation in UK was probably in Woking in 1885 at a crematorium built by the Cremation Society of England, other crematoria followed at Golders Green,London in 1902 and the City of London Cemetary in 1905.

Crematoria must all keep registers in a standard format, the headings are;

The medical papers for the deceased are not available for inspection unless you are one of a select band, namely chiefs of Police, a medical referee appointed by the Home Office, etc

 

Maps and gazetteers

up

 

 

Here are some tips on using a range of maps & gazetteers available online that I use personally, there may be others

I won't explain who owns what, or repeat the detailed descriptions and advice which each site should have in it's own Help section - unless some clarification is needed

For an overview of maps, including an explanation of OS grid references, then see John Ball's WFHA site

 See Wales Genuki for more on maps in general

Most map sites require your browser to have javascipt enabled

 

Maps

Old-maps.co.uk

The attraction  of this site is its historical mapping from Ordnance Survey’s County Series at 1:2500 & 1:10 560 scales dating from 1840 to 1948., the exact data range varies with the area, the default scale is 1:10,560, some options at 1:2500

Click on Maps, if you know the x,y co-ordinates (as in 275000:195500) for the place then use them.
If it's a village/hamlet/town then type in the name, if each phase seems to take a time with nothing obvious happening, get used to it
If you are presented with an option of places,  highlight the right one .... and wait.
With village etc place names you can also click the Gazetteer (GAZ) button, then county, then village etc.

Searching on Cwmgors in Llangiwg, GLA (but near CMN border) produced 11 map options as follows; 1891 CMN; 1883 GLA; 1878 CMN at 2,500; 1907 CMN; 1901 GLA; 1906 CMN at 2500; 1898 GLA 2500; 1921 CMN; 1921 GLA; 1918 CMN 2500; 1953 CMN.

The zoom in/out control is on the left, the top level being the largest but the one below it being the most useful.
You can pan by using the arrows on the sides of the map -  they don't get you very far each click

A black area means a missing map but a white one means a county border and you can try the adjacent county for it.
The red and blue edged rectangles on maps are only relevant to the area of Decorative Maps which can be purchased.

This site gets very busy, if page refreshes are taking longer than about 20 secs (on broadband) then give up and try another time/day.

 

Coflein

These modern OS style maps are very detailed - down to individual field level for instance, with named roads

Click on the Mapping option which takes you to a map of Wales, then change the map size to Large.
From here I prefer to use the Zoom-to tool in the tool bar, the Z, which opens up the  search dialogue options
You can either search on a village name etc (using the built in drop down gazetteer), or on a postcode or OS grid ref (as in TQ200700)
Now use the zoom-in tool which you can take down to a detailed large scale map.
Click the pan button and then move the cursor on the map to get around, the OS grid reference is shown at the bottom of the browser window (IE7) and changes with movements of the cursor.
The blue dots indicate items of potential interest, if you use the Selection tool (far right in tool bar) to create a smaller section this will bring up a Report page showing all the items within such section. These entries then have links to the relevant page in the Coflein text database  e.g chapels, churches, ancient structures
Some of the latter have links to photographs e.g Carmarthen, St Peter's Church

This site also gets very busy, or at least slows down for whatever reason

 

Multimap (new version)

A modern road type map with aerial view option, you can search by street name/town or post code (NOT by grid references of any sort)

The control for panning and zooming is in the top right corner of the map, top left are options to switch to aerial/hybrid views, the latter allows panning using a mouse left click and has zoom options with a right click.
In the bottom right of the map is a small overview map - another panning tool (left click rectangle and move about)

There is an option to switch to OS maps at zoom levels 13-15 - which are roughly three quarters of the way up the zoom bar
To see if they are available hover cursor over the Map button in top left corner, if small OS map appears then click on it.

There appear to be no grid references of any kind indicated

U.K Street Map   (new version)

A modern road type map

You can search by Street, Telephone area code, OS grid reference (x,y), Post code, Landranger (as in TQ200700), place name, Latitude/Longitude (see their Hints page for explanation)

An useful facility on this site is to be able to convert co-ordinates to a OS grid ref or postcode (right at bottom of a map view)

Pan and re-centre the map with a mouse left click, or use arrows at sides

Zoom tool bottom right, if you click on the + sign this should switch to a view with street names.

 

Ordnance Survey (Get a Map)

A modern OS map - you need to make sure you can see ALL the page by switching to full view in your browser

Click on 'I want to Get a Map now' - search on place name, postcode or grid reference  (as in TQ200700) to bring up an OS map of the place

Zoom/Navigation tools on the left, including re-centre, default appears to be 1:50000, zooms down to 1:25000.

The grid ref at the map centre is given at the bottom of the page

The viewable map is quite small without using the zoom up facility in your browser (IE7)

 

Magic map

"The first web-based interactive map to bring together geographic information on key environmental schemes and designations in one place "

This site has a good set of search options  but  is a bit slow whenever I've used it (and sometimes completely static)  - yet the OS style maps are really very detailed and it's worth persevering.
Use the Interactive maps, and search on Great Britain in Step 1 (the Administrative areas option excludes Wales)

One feature is that map coordinates/grid refs etc are given at the bottom in line with moving the cursor

I recommend a good read of the comprehensive on-site tutorial

Apart from being slow, its next most annoying feature is a reluctance to allow you to leave the site using the browser's back button.

 

Google maps

 A modern road style map, with satellite/hybrid options

Zoom/pan tool top left and overview map  bottom right - latter allows panning. Zooms down to named street level

You can right click to centre the map and zoom.

 

A Vision of Britain through Time

One attraction of this site  is that it has parish based maps with the boundaries marked on them  - although the C19th map options don't have anything like the detail of Old-maps (above)

If you want to see parish boundaries then ignore the Historical Mapping button as these don't have them.
For the record, those maps are the 1806 Smiths New Map of the UK,  and the 1904 OS 10 mile to the inch version

So, for parish boundaries, in Step One (Select a location) - search by place name or post code, I find it most useful to search on parish names.
On the parish page, scroll down to Administrative Units, under Unit click on parish name AC/CP.
Scroll down to Historic Boundaries, click on that.
You now have  a choice of maps, C20th and C19th OS first series looking the most useful.
Zoom in to required level and then use browser (IE7) to enlarge the whole page and keep in focus.

 

British History Online

Has the OS C19th  County series of 1:10,560 scale maps.

Search on place name or post code

The Zoom control has Min/Low/High/Max options, Min is not that useful - unless it's just my eyesight.
Pan by left clicking with mouse to recentre.

 

Gazetteers

Genuki

Others

 

The Public Record Office [ PRO] and FRC

up

 

 

 

Now renamed the National Archives, the principal Record Office for England & Wales.
Their database contains digital images of original registers, entry books and indexes, you can search the database for free and view images from as little as 20 UK pence (approx 32 US cents) and save and print copies. As at December 2003 the material online includes the following with more being added;

At the  Documents Online site you can search (free) an index of the entire collection of wills proved at the PCC between 1384 and 1858 (over 1 million wills). Digital images of wills found can be downloaded, there is a charge.

See http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ for 1901 census online access.

For lists of Glamorgan Nonconformist Registers held here check out  INDEX

The PRO Catalogue is on http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.asp .There are descriptions of over 8 million documents in the Record Classes of the PRO. The scope and content of the Record Classes are described along with a link to Class List and further links to descriptions of the individual Class Listings.  Here is the index of PRO information leaflets

It is located at Ruskin Avenue, Kew , Richmond, Surrey  TW9 4DU [ Tel no 0181 876 3444 ]. It is open Mondays-Saturday from 9.30 [10 am on Tuesdays] to 5 pm [ 7pm Tuesdays & Thursdays].

It was established in 1838 to preserve the government's and law courts' records and other national archives , contains a wealth of information for family historians.

The records previously held at the PRO's old building in Chancery Lane, London  have been moved to Kew except for microfilm copies of the census, some wills and administrations up to 1858, death duty registers and non-conformist registers, which are all now held at the ......

Family Records Centre;

Family Records Centre       http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk

This is situated at 1 Myddleton St, London, EC1R 1UW. The telephone number for the PRO searchroom is 0181 392 5300.

The Family Records Centre holds the following records;

Indexes of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales since 1837

Indexes of legal adoptions in England and Wales since 1927

Indexes of births, marriages and deaths of some British citizens abroad from 1761, including deaths in the two World Wars

Certificates can be purchased of any entry in the above indexes.

Microform copies of Census [of Population]  returns, 1841-1891, a full surname index of the 1881 census.

Microfilms of Estate Duty Office death duty registers from 1796-1858, with indexes from 1796-1903

Microfilms of registered copies of wills and administrations for 1383 to 1858 from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury

Non-parochial  [non conformist]registers from 1567-1837

Indexes

Births and deaths at sea since 1837 on any UK registered ship

Deaths in the Boer War, 1899-1902

Deaths of English and Welsh servicemen in World Wars 1 & 2

Registrar General's miscellaneous returns of births, marriages and deaths of Britons at sea or abroad, 1627-1960

Births and deaths in UK registered aircraft since 1949

Births and deaths aboard British registered hovercraft or on off-shore installations

Births, marriages and deaths of British subjects in foreign and Commonwealth countries, registered by Consuls or High Commissioners

Indexes to Somerset House wills from 1858 to 1943 on fiche.

A recent set of electoral registers

Access to the Scottish indexes of births, baptisms and marriages from 1553, deaths from 1855 to date, divorces from 1984 onwards, and to the censuses for 1881 and 1891.

For Northern Ireland there is an index of births from 1922 to 1993.

The IGI is held, also a range of supplementary indexes and publications

Certificates of Births, Marriages, Deaths and Adoptions

 

Registration Districts

up

 

 

 

In order to know which is the correct regional Register Office to address a request for  BMD certificates  you need to know the composition of the civil registration districts which commenced 1st July 1837 , and of course exactly where the registers are now.

The name of a registration district may not be familiar, or even seem to relate to an adjoining  county, this is because registration districts took the name of the local Poor Law Unions, which did sometimes span county lines .

The Genuki site  is a good place to check out which district  individual towns fall under.

The Dyfed Family History Society site has a list of places  in CMN,CGN & PEM showing which parish and hundred they fall under.

For details of which indexes are  held at some Glamorgan Register Offices, see Not everyone knows this..

Also check out Registration District details and county overlaps on the 1881 census place names indexes

There are links to the individual county pages on Genuki  On each county page you will find a list of parishes contained within each of the Registration Districts in that county.

To purchase certificates from the ONS at Southport , see Getting certificates [GRO/ONS]

Below you will find the contact details of   regional Register Offices in each county in South/West Wales, there are also offices in some sub districts which aren't listed here.

Here is a description of what local Register Offices have to offer to personal visitors

Glamorgan;

Carmarthenshire

Cardiganshire

Pembrokeshire

Monmouthshire

See Not everyone knows this..

 

Welsh Counties, then and now

up

 

 

 

The boundaries and names of many counties in England and Wales changed both in 1974 and again in 1996. This can make it difficult to locate parishes and records.

This is an outline summary of the boundary and name changes in Wales in 1974 and 1996. In 1996 some new County Boroughs were also formed in some urban areas. However be aware that those counties which reverted to their pre-1974 name in 1996 may not have reverted to exactly the same geographical boundaries.

The changes may also be seen in map format by clicking the  links below  

                                                        PRE 1974                                                                  1974-1996                                                                  1996

Anglesey / Ynys Mon

Gwynedd

Anglesey

Breconshire/Brecknock

Powys

Powys

Caernarfonshire

Gwynedd

Gwynedd

Cardiganshire

Dyfed

Ceredigion

Carmarthenshire

Dyfed

Carmarthenshire

Denbighshire

Clwyd

Denbighshire

Wrexham County Borough

Flintshire

Clwyd

Flintshire

Conwy County Borough

Glamorgan

South Glamorgan

Mid Glamorgan

West Glamorgan

Bridgend

Caerphilly

Cardiff

Merthyr Tydfil

Neath Port Talbot

Rhondda Cynon Taff

Vale of Glamorgan

County of Swansea

Merionethshire/Merionydd

Gwynedd

Gwynedd

Monmouthshire

Gwent (included a small part of Glamorgan)

Monmouthshire, Newport, Blaenau Gwent,Torfaen

Montgomeryshire

Powys

Powys

Pembrokeshire

Dyfed

Pembrokeshire

Radnorshire

Powys

Powys

The recent changes in the county boundaries and names mean that some records have also been moved causing problems for Family Historians, therefore recommended reading for anyone researching in Wales is:

" RESEARCHING FAMILY HISTORY IN WALES" by Jean Istance and E.E.Cann., Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd. 1996. ISBN 1-86006-030-7.

This book provides the following information:

 

Research books

up

 

 

 

These are mainly books I have personally, there are many others available.

Listed in no particular order

The following have been recommended by other researchers;

 

Newspapers/Journals

up

 

 

 

Newsplan Cymru  Search here on a place name and it will report on which newspapers cover the area and where extant copies are held

The British Library Newspaper Library   http://www.bl.uk/collections/newspapers.html  holds the national archive collections in the United Kingdom of British and overseas newspapers. They are the only large, integrated national newspaper service in the world, combining facilities for the collection, preservation, and use of newspapers all on one site. Their collections, which also include popular magazines and periodicals, are made available in hard copy, in microform, and on CD-ROM in The Newspaper Library Reading Rooms in Colindale, north west London. Subject to restrictions, facilities are available for the photocopying, microfilming, and photographic and film reproduction of items from the collections in our care. The site also contains a History of British Newspapers section and much more.

The Cambrian was the first English language newspaper to be published in Wales running from 1804 - 1930. Swansea Library Service has a computerised index to the contents freely available to search online

Welsh Newspapers Welsh Library, University of Wales, Bangor   "Newspapers are a priceless source, and one which is used extensively for all types of research, academic or otherwise, for subjects such as local and family history, social history, advertising and sport. The collection of the Welsh Library at Bangor is one of the most comprehensive in Wales"

Online Newspapers Wales - provides links to Welsh newspaper web sites.

ABYZ News - links to Welsh newspaper web sites

Western Telegraph, Old Hakin Road, Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1XF; tel editorial 01437 763133.  

Tivy-Side Advertiser  http://thisistivyside.net      Email; tivy_newsdesk@gwent-wales.co.uk

South Wales Argus

South Wales Evening Post    Has an email button on site for the Letters page..

Western Mail & Echo  Not entirely obvious whose site it is ! Lots of information. Their email address for letters to be published is readers@wme.co.uk  and for feedback feedback@total.wales.com

The Cambrian News group have local sites which do have an email button to submit letters for publication;    
Email;     edit@cambrian-news.co.uk
http://www.cardigan-today.co.uk/ITW/index2.cfm - This one is for Cardigan, has menu to take you to any of the other local sites of the Cambrian News group

Newspaper email addresses only;

The Mercury, 92 Charles Street, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, SA73 2HE; tel 01646 698971; fax 01646 693941 e-mail Readers@Mercury.Prestel.co.uk

 

And USA based Welsh  subject newspapers ;

Y Drych    EMail: ydrych@minn.net  Welsh newspaper for North America

 

Internet Library of Early Journals ; A digital library of 18th and 19th Century journals which currently include;

History of the United Kingdom -- Primary Documents  Various online transcripts including some newspapers and periodicals eg London Gazette, Penny Magazine.

 

Genuki, a route map

up

 

 

 

What is Genuki ?

The aim of Genuki is to serve as a large virtual reference library of genealogical information that is of particular relevance to the UK and Ireland. It is a free service using computer resources that are kindly provided by various universities and individuals.

Its front page can be accessed at Genuki with an useful Frequently Asked Questions page on FAQ.  
Or go direct to the Wales page .
There are separate county Surname Lists reached via Welsh genealogy, these are for you to post your own interests, and check out the names other people are researching.

David Hawgood has written a book on Genuki and it is also available online in its entirety on http://www.hawgood.co.uk/

See also  Getting certificates [GRO]

See also  Registration Districts

 

GRO [St Caths Index]

up

 

 

 

Otherwise known as the General Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages or the G.R.O . Here is the GRO's own site for Births, Deaths and  Marriages.

By Act of Parliament , civil registration of births, deaths and marriages was begun on 1 July 1837. For the first time these events were entered in a single register in England & Wales. In 1851 there were 623 registration districts, registration was compulsary but at first there was no penalty(until 1874)  for non-observance and some parents failed to register their children's births .

The registers are bound in quarterly indexes, they were at one time  held at St Catherine's House, London, hence the name still used by some "oldies"  like me, St Caths Index.  Copies of the indexes are held at  the FRC and local Registry Offices and also on fiche at county Records Offices, but not all.

The Free BMD project has a list of where copies of  any part of the civil registration indexes are held  in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and  New Zealand .

Free BMD,   http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/  a database being actively developed and standing at over 80 million entries in mid 2004

Findmypast   http://www.findmypast.com/HomeServlet  - the complete BMD indexes for the GRO. There is a charge for viewing the images of the indexes.

Copy certificates may be obtained from either the GRO or the local ROs, the latter are cheaper, see Getting certificates [GRO/ONS] and  Registration Districts.

For information on ordering certs from abroad see Mark Howell's web page on http://www.oz.net/~markhow/ukbirths.htm

The records held at the GRO are COPIES of the original registers, which were sent by the Superintendent Registrars to the GRO on loose forms.

Until 1852 each quarter's marriage records were arranged in 27 volumes, and after that date in 33 volumes.

Within volumes 26 [XXVI] and 27 [XXVII] ( until 1852) - the area DYFED listers are interested in - the Superintendent Registrars' areas are in this order:

Within volumes 11a and 11b ( after 1852) - the area   DYFED listers are interested in - the Superintendent Registrars' areas are in this order:

And for Glamorgan  listers;

Pre 1852

Vol XXVI-Bridgend,Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, and Swansea

1852 onwards

Vol 11a-Cardiff,  Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend, Neath and Swansea

 

IGI

up

 

 

 

The International Genealogical Index is a database containing well over 100 million names , mainly baptismal entries from parish and non-parochial registers all over England & Wales, together with a smaller number of marriages. Neither deaths or burials are included.
The Index has been compiled and computerised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.[See LDS   ].
It is arranged under counties, the entries are listed in alphabetical order of surnames grouped under spelling variations as decided on by the compilers.
The surnames themselves are arranged in alpha order of forenames and then chronologically.
Marriages are indexed under the names of both parties.
The coverage of any given parish is not necessarily complete.
In Wales the LDS has not been allowed to microfilm or index the parish registers so the Welsh IGI contains only a small number of entire registers. But this is less serious than it seems as they have been able to use the BTs instead.

The IGI can be a most useful resource but should be used as a finding aid only, indexed entries should be checked to the actual register etc.
There is a problem peculiar to Welsh research in that the method adopted to cope with the patronymic system,when registers pre 1813 also contained no surname column , assumed incorrectly  that in all cases a son took his father's christian name as his surname.
For example, a 1783 bapt for William son of John Thomas would be indexed under John, not Thomas in the Surname Index.
It gets worse, if there are more than 2 father's names, the rest are discarded completely, so the actual surname may not appear at all never mind in the wrong place.
There is also a Given Name index, where, for example, all the Williams are grouped together.

The IGI is available on fiche  for searching at many Records Offices, and some FHS centres, as well as the LDS FHCs where name extracts  are increasingly downloadable to CD for taking away with you.  [see also Patronymic)

 

The LDS

up

 

 

 

LDS refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormon Church - see their home page on  http://lds.org/welcome/0,5373,1,00.html .
They place great importance on finding members of their families, so as to have them baptized in their church, and rejoin them in heaven. To assist this function they have set up Family History Centres which can be used by anyone of any faith or none. These centres have libraries of film, books and CDs devoted to genealogical records. They will also allow requests of material listed in their catalogue from their main library at Salt Lake City.There is a small charge for ordering material which is not already at the particular Family History Centre.
The LDS produced the IGI

For information about LDS Family History Centres in South Wales go to  LDS S/W Wales

Their main website on   LDS, but see below for IGI etc

The 1881 census is online

Their online catalogue is on http://www.familysearch.org/Search/searchcatalog.asp

IGI and Familysearch is a searchable database.

IGI Batch Numbers-British Isles

Manually typing the batch numbers into the IGI search screen can be tedious. Hugh Wallis  has made an exhaustive search of the likely ranges of batch numbers and created a database of those numbers and the source records that they apply to. A very powerful feature included is a hotlink from each batch number to the actual search engine provided at the Family Search site, including the ability to enter the surname you are looking for. This makes it very easy to search all the batches for a particular geographic location using just the last name you are searching for - something that is not possible directly from the LDS site without doing a lot of typing.
Hugh Wallis's site is on  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hughwallis/IGIBatchNumbers.htm#Page

 

  Welsh language

up

 

 

 

 

Some sites with links to many other Welsh language sites;

http://www.anoeth.demon.co.uk/cyfall.html#CADG  "Cymraeg, a Dysgu'r Gymraeg" (Welsh, and learning Welsh)

http://www.gwybodiadur.co.uk/   "These pages are designed to help you find books, tapes, CD-ROMs and online resources to do with the Welsh language, focusing particularly on Welsh dictionaries. They are aimed mainly at Welsh learners and therefore written in English. You won't find much here about Welsh literature, music, history, politics, genealogy, tourism, mythology, recipes, Celtic jewellery or whatever, although some of the links will still be useful to you........."

http://pcfcij.dbs.aber.ac.uk/cymraeg/welsh.html  Twll - the Welsh Learners' Links

Welsh/English and English /Welsh online dictionary (Univ of Wales, Lampeter)

 

What local Register Offices have to offer visitors

up

 

 

 

These notes are based on responses made to specific enquiries of certain Register Offices in March 2005

Cardiff RO

Swansea RO

up  

Technical

up

 

These comments apply to Gareth's Help Pages AND the Cwmgors a'r Waun sites