Are you researching your Welsh family history? If so, you have probably bumped into one or more of the challenges of Welsh genealogy. But there are ways to overcome them. And they can even provide opportunities not available to other nations. All in all, discovering you have Welsh roots can open the door to a rich cultural and historical landscape. So what are the main differences?
How is researching your Welsh family history different from English?
If you are researching your Welsh ancestors, there are some key differences you might want to consider. This introduces a series of blog posts that examines each one in turn.
The 5 challenges of Welsh genealogy
Here is what most of us find when we start searching for our Welsh heritage. I will explore each one in depth in it’s own post. We will look at what each means for Welsh genealogy research and what can be done to overcome the challenges.
- Surnames – why so many John Jones and Mary Davies?
- Welsh language – beautiful or impenetrable? Does it matter whether you speak Welsh or not?
- Chapel or church – were they non-conformist? If so, what does this mean for your research?
- Where have all the records gone? Exploring what you are unlikely to find in Welsh records.
- Special Welsh collections – some of our favourite sources to help find your Welsh ancestors
Surnames - why so many John Jones?
Did your heart sink when you discovered your ancestor was a John Jones from Wales? The dominance of a narrow range of surnames is probably the biggest challenge in tracing your Welsh family history. Which John Jones or Mary Davies was your ancestor? Why are there so many John Joneses? What do I do about this?
The Welsh Language
Do you need to speak Welsh to find and and understand the records of your Welsh ancestors? The short answer is ‘no’ … but…. ! We explore how the practical hurdles to overcome are more about pronouncing place names.
Chapel or church
By 1851 almost 80% of Welsh people were members of a non-conformist religion rather than the established church. This is significantly more than in England. What does this mean for your research?
Where have all the records gone?
You can waste a lot of time searching for records that do not exist. Coverage of some records in Wales is much lower than in England, for a number of reasons.
Special Welsh collections
It’s not all bad news. Wales has some great family history resources to help you find your ancestors’ stories. And most are free. In this blog we explore some of the best.
If you want to know more or want some help researching your Welsh ancestors please get in touch.
