Seminar presented at the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Festival, 5 October 2013. Beginner level information about discovering Welsh family history and heritage.

1. Digging Deeper into Welsh Genealogy

2. MAPS

3. Jurisdictions
Diocese & Parish are critical

6. Excellent topographical map

9. Key Dates in Welsh Genealogy
• 1538 christening, marriage and burial records begin
• 1597 Bishop’s transcripts begin
• 1754 pre-printed forms for marriages
• 1813 pre-printed forms used for christenings & burials
• 1837 civil registration
• 1841 census records begin, done every ten years

10. CENSUS RECORDS

14. NONCONFORMITY

18. PARISH REGISTERS

20. Pre 1813 burial (1750)

21. Post 1813 burial

22. Marriages

23. Start with a marriage index
• Marriages indexes serve as a good finding tool
• FindMyPast has many Welsh parish registers at
https://www.findmypast.com/
• Use FindMyPast for free at a FamilySearch Center

24. Marriages pre 1754

25. Details to watch for 1754-1837

26. Post 1836 Parish Register

27. Christenings
Christenings often show:
• child’s given name
• Father’s name
• Mother’s name
Sometimes included:
• Family residence such
as the village, street or
farm name
• Father’s occupation

28. Post 1812 parish register christening

29. Bishop’s Transcript

31. CIVIL REGISTRATION

32. David Thomas Howell Death Notice
On the 11th inst., aged 75 years, Mr.
David Thomas Howell, landlord of the
Star Public house, Llanguicke. He was
for many years a consistent member of
the Independents, and was highly
esteemed and beloved by all who
knew him.

39. PROBATE RECORDS

50. RECORD SUPPLEMENTS /
SUBSTITUTES

51. Monumental
Inscriptions
Use with other records

52. Local Histories
There was another poet living in
the district known as Howell
Gellilwca, who was grandfather to
Evan Evans, superindendent of
police in Neath at this time, but
who was born and brought up in
Betting Ganol.

53. Manuscript Pedigrees

56. Strategies for Success
• Kill off your ancestor
• Find your ancestor in every census
• Always search both the Parish
Registers and Bishop’s Transcripts

57. Strategies for Success
• Use indexes
• Don’t trust indexes
• Watch for patronymics:
David Thomas Howell is a clue

58. Digging Deeper into Welsh Genealogy