These pages contain answers to questions that are often asked about tracing Welsh family history. My thanks to the many contibutors who have given permission for me to pass on their expertise through these pages.
The questions and answers are classified under the subject areas listed in the left hand column. Some items may appear in more than one subject area.
Choose a subject area (left) or a specific question from the list (below), then study the answer(s) displayed.
Click on the daffodil to return to my Welsh Family History Archive Homepage.


Parishes and Counties
Q. What is a parish?
Q. Can you explain the old and new county names in Wales?
Q. What are the Chapman County Codes?

Religion in Wales
Q. Are the terms Independent and Congregational interchangeable?

Welsh Naming Practices
Q. What are patronymic surnames?
Q. What are the most common surnames encountered in Wales?

Maps of Wales
Q. How can I get hold of 19th century maps of Wales?
Q. What are tithe maps, and how useful are they?

Research Methods
Q. I don't live in Wales, so how can I research my Welsh ancestors?
Q. I'm hoping to visit Wales soon to research my family history. How can I make the best use of my limited time?
Q. How can I study my ancestor's will?

Record Repositories
Q. What is it like to visit the UK Family Records Centre (General Register Office) at Myddleton Place in London?
Q. Where can I find records of ships passenger lists which might show the emigration of my Welsh ancestor to the USA?
Q. What genealogy records are available to me?
Q. What does the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) charge for doing research?

Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates
Q. Explain the problems arising after the introduction of Civil Registration of Births in 1837
Q. What are the "St Cath's or "GRO" Indexes"?
Q. Can I get baptism, death, and marriage certficates from local record offices?
Q. What are the problems in getting Marriage Certificates from a local register office?
Q. What's the best way to get a birth or death certificate?

Census Records
Q. How can I get access to UK census records?
Q. How do I look up my great great grandparents (Abraham and Mary ROBERTS) and their young children in the indexed 1881 census?
Q. On what dates were the UK censuses taken?
Q. Where is it possible to get access to the 1901 census records?
Q. Are the census records fully indexed?

Maritime Records
Q. What information can you get from the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen?

Military Records
Q. How can I trace a soldier ancestor who survived the Great War of 1914-1918?

Payment and Postage
Q. I live in the US - how can I obtain cheques/checks made out in British currency?
Q. I don't live in the UK. How can I send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (SAE) to a contact in Britain so they can reply to me?
Q. I live in the UK. Where can I get stamps to cover return postage on an enquiry I'm sending overseas?

Miscellaneous
Q. What is the parish of Eglwysilan, Glamorgan, like?
Q. How can I locate someone buried in Treorchy Cemetery?

Parishes and Counties
Q - What is a parish?
A - Civil administration in England and Wales is based on the parish system.
Since medieval times an ecclesiastical parish has been that area in the charge of the clergyman at the parish church. Until the early 19th century there were about 11,000 Anglican parishes in England and Wales. These parishes are often called ancient parishes to distinguish them from the many new parishes created since about 1830.
Administration of the parish was undertaken by a council known as the vestry, and by officials such as church wardens and overseers. In the 16th and 17th centuries many administrative functions such as highway repairs, were transferred from manorial courts to the parish which also became responsible for the care of the sick and the poor.
During the 19th century responsibility for most secular matters was passed from parishes to central government, or to county or borough councils.
In the 19th century, the growth and change in population led to the building of many new Anglican churches and the creation of new parishes by dividing up some ancient parishes.

The ecclesiastical parish should be distinguished from a township or civil parish as it became known, which is also medieval in origin.

The modern day civil parish was confirmed in 1889 as the lowest level of local secular government and is largely based on the original ecclesiastical parish boundaries.

That's how it evolved but as far as the here and now is concerned, I'll best illustrate the modern day structure by reference to where I live in Devon, England.
I live in the village of Yelverton, in the parish of Buckland Monachorum, is in the borough council of West Devon, in the county of Devon. Apart from the village concept, each of the others has an elected council with administrative functions ranging from the purely local to the county level. The borough council is responsible for the raising of taxes, called council tax, based on property values.

In practical family history research it is mainly the historic ecclesiastical parish that is relevant. The book "Parish Registers of Wales" lists all the separate parishes in each county and shows how and when the modern ones came about, and where the extant parish records are held.

I haven't mentioned the related terms "Hundred" and "Diocese", but information on these is available on my Help Page at http://home.clara.net/tirbach/hicks.html
(Contributor - Gareth Hicks)

Q - Can you explain the old and new county names in Wales?
A - There have been two major upheavals in local government organisation in recent times - one in 1974, and another in 1996.
Until 1974, the county structures in Wales had remained unchanged for several centuries - the county names were Flintshire, Denbighshire, Caernarfonshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, Cardiganshire, Radnorshire, Breconshire, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, and Monmouthshire (see county map).
Then, in 1974, new "monster" counties were created (well - monster by our standards!).
This was achieved by merging various of the pre-1974 counties - but when they merged, they didn't necessarily keep within the old county boundaries.
The post-1974 counties were: And, for 22 years, that was that.
Interest in family history grew dramatically during that time, and Family History Societies (FHSs) were established, based on the administrative areas of these new counties - e.g. Clwyd FHS, Powys FHS, Gwynedd FHS, etc. Over the years, other FHSs have been established - the Montgomery Genealogical Society, Glamorgan FHS, and the Cardigan FHS - but based on the pre-1974 counties of those names.
Then, in 1996, the counties were re-organised yet again. Some of the old county names (e.g. Flintshire and Denbighshire) re-appeared, but they don't follow the boundaries of the pre-1974 counties of the same name. Many new counties, with new names, were created, particularly in South Wales. Just to add to the confusion, Powys, which had campaigned loud and long to be allowed to revert to its pre-1974 structure, was the only one not to be restructured!
We are told that, strictly speaking, these new administrative units aren't "counties" - they are "unitary authorities"; e.g. Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and Bro Taff, all in the former county of Glamorgan.
For family history purposes, we think in terms of the pre-1974 counties. It's the only logical way to approach the problem!
The GENUKI web page covers this in some detail, at: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Regions/Wales.html
(Contributor - Vic Roberts)

Q - What are the Chapman County Codes??
A - Chapman County Codes are in common use as abbreviations on census indexes, members' interest directories etc.

Wales (WLS)
AGY Anglesey
BRE Brecknockshire
CAE Caernarvonshire
CGN Cardiganshire
CMN Carmarthenshire
DEN Denbighshire
FLN Flintshire
GLA Glamorgan
MER Merionethshire
MON Monmouthshire
MGY Montgomeryshire
PEM Pembrokeshire
RAD Radnorshire

England (ENG)
BDF Bedfordshire
BRK Berkshire
BKM Buckinghamshire
CAM Cambridgeshire
CHS Cheshire
CON Cornwall
CUL Cumberland
DBY Derbyshire
DEV Devonshire
DOR Dorset
DUR Durham
ESS Essex
GLS Gloucestershire
HAM Hampshire
HEF Herefordshire
HRT Hertfordshire
HUN Huntingdonshire
KEN Kent
LAN Lancashire
LEI Leicestershire
LIN Lincolnshire
LND London
MDX Middlesex
NFK Norfolk
NTH Northamptonshire
NBL Northumberland
NTT Nottinghamshire
OXF Oxfordshire
RUT Rutland
SAL Shropshire
SOM Somerset
STS Staffordshire
SFK Suffolk
SRY Surrey
SSX Sussex
WAR Warwickshire
WES Westmorland
WIL Wiltshire
WOR Worcestershire
YKS Yorkshire
ERY East Riding of Yorkshire
NRY North Riding of Yorkshire
WRY West Riding of Yorkshire
IOW Isle of Wight
IOM Isle of Man

(Contributor - Sue Mackay sue.mackay@virgin.net)

Religion in Wales
Q - Are the terms Independent and Congregational interchangeable?
A - Effectively yes. Congregationalism was a denomination which began to emerge in Britain in the late 16th century. It was persecuted by the state in its early years. Their adherents were variously known as Congregationalists, Independents, Separatists and Brownists. In England and the U.S.A. they eventually came to be known as Congregationalists whereas in Wales they are still known as Independents (In the Welsh language they are known as Annibynwyr - this comes from "a" meaning "not", and "dibynnu" "to depend").
Most Independent chapels in Wales belong to "The Union of Welsh Independents". This denomination was historically strongest in Glamorgan and Carmarthenshire although it is present in most areas of Wales. Some English speaking chapels in Wales decided to join the English Congregational Church instead. The English Congregationalist and Welsh Independent denominations were completely autonomous and separate bodies although their doctrine etc was much the same. To complicate the picture further the Welsh who moved to Liverpool, London and other English cities formed Independent chapels in their new homes. Many of these continued to use the Welsh language and adhered to the Welsh denomination.
In 1972 the English Congregationalist church merged with the English Presbyterians to form the United Reform church. A minority of the former refused to join and formed a new body called the Congregationalist Federation.
The distinguishing feature of Congregationalism is that each congregation is autonomous and not subject to any higher body. Most Congregationalist churches are , however, part of a larger body to which they voluntarily adhere. The church is run on thoroughly democratic lines - the members of each church select their deacons and ministers. Baptists have a similar system of church government but unlike Congregationalist/ Independents will only baptise adults.
Calvinistic Methodism, the largest nonconformist denomination in Wales had a system of government which was a compromise between local autonomy and centralised control. Each church belonged to a Presbytery ("Henaduriaeth" in Welsh) which had a Monthly meeting ("Cyfarfod Misol") and Presbyteries in turn belonged to a Synod ("Cymdeithasfa"). For example, deacons and elders were elected by the membership of each church but had to be confirmed by the Monthly meeting before they could take office. Each church selected its own minster but a minister needed to be approved by the National body to be recognised. Each church could expel or excommunicate a member but such a person could appeal against the expulsion to the Monthly meeting of the Presbytery and then to the Quarterly meeting of the Synod. Wesleyan Methodists had a very similar system of church government to Calvinstic Methodists but they disagreed over the doctrine of predestination.Wesleyan and Calvinistic Methodist belong to completely separate denominations.
(Contributor - Alan Dolben adolben@globalnet.co.uk)

Welsh Naming Practices
Q - What are patronymic surnames?
A - Patronymics is the practice, once common in Wales, of each child using the father's forename as his/her surname. Some times 'ap' (son of) or 'verch' (daughter of) was added. As a result, surnames were not fixed but changed with each generation. In the patronymic system, John, son of William Thomas, would be John ap William. John's son Rees would be Rees ap John. Rees's son David would be David ap Rees. David's son Morgan would be Morgan ap Rees. However, if Morgan then decided to adopt a fixed surname, his son Edward would not be Edward ap Morgan but Edward Rees... and as this family were using 'ap', the name would become Prees.
All future generations would use Prees or one of its various spellings (e.g. Preece, Price, etc).
Three things to remember about patronymics:
  1. There was no fixed time for the changeover from patronymic naming to fixed surnames. It varied from family to family and area to area. People in towns tended to abandon patronymics earlier than people in the countryside. The more an area was influenced by the English, the earlier the patronymic system was abandoned. The International Genealogical Index (IGI) takes 1813 as the cut-off date and assumes all baptisms prior to 1813 were patronymic. However some families continued to use patronymics after this while others had dropped them a long time before. My own families seem to abandon them in the early 1700s and by 1750-1770 most of my ancestors were in their first generation of fixed surnames.
  2. Some priests continued to use patronymics for everyone when recording marriages, baptisms and burials even though the individuals themselves had abandoned patronymics. I have found two examples of this. So, if you cannot find the record under the surname, double check it under the patronymic name.
  3. People decided to abandon patronymics at different times in their own lives. You may find a marriage under patronymic names but the baptisms under surnames. You may find early children in a family used patronymics but later ones in the same family used surnames. You may find one brother in a family deciding to adopt surnames but another choosing to use patronymics for another generation.
The most difficult thing about patronymics is this transition period when you aren't sure whether or not your ancestors had switched to fixed surnames, and worse still, the village priest is determined to use patronymics in his registers! Once you have got over this hurdle it is relatively straightforward. Just remember to always double check both forename and surname!
(Contributor - Helen Jones)

Q - What are the most common surnames encountered in Wales?
A - Remember, many Welsh surnames were of patronymic origin (i.e. formed from forenames).
John and Sheila Rowlands state:
"By the fifteenth century, the profile of names in use is different from that of earlier centuries. Forenames in use in fifteenth century pedigrees.....were (with the commonest forms of resultant modern surname in brackets): Dafydd/David 11% (Davies); Edward 2% (Edwards); Gruffudd 6% (Griffiths), Huw 5% (Hughes, Pugh), Hywel 5% (Howells, Powell), Ieuan 8% (Evans, Bevan), Jenkin 2% (Jenkins), John 12% (Johns, Jones), Lewys 2% (Lewis), Llywelyn 3% (Llewelyn), Morgan 3% (Morgan), Morus 2% (Morris), Owain 2% (Owen, Bowen), Rhys 5% (Rees, Price), Richard 3% (Richards, Pritchard), Robert 3% (Roberts, Probert), Thomas 8% (Thomas), William/Gwilym 6% (Williams).
These forenames attained 1% of all Wales at the same period: Harry/Henry (Harries, Pary), James (James), Madog (Maddocks), Maredudd (Meredith), Philip (Phillips), Rhydderch (Roderick, Prothero), Roger (Rogers), Tudur (Tudor), Watkin (Watkins).

The few common names mentioned in the previous section (John, Thomas, William, David, etc.) and a handful of others dominated the parish registers of the eighteenth century. It hardly mattered that bearers of these names were usually addressed as Sion, Gwilym, Dafydd, Tomos, etc., for it was the anglicised version which was written down. A parallel may be drawn with pet-names in English: though most family historians can cite examples of individuals known as Betty, Molly or Nancy, or Tom, Dick or Harry, they were normally written down in registers as Elizabeth, Mary or Ann, Thomas, Richard or Henry. It has been suggested that in Wales the mass of the population might have been restricted to a list of conventional names (for instance, avoiding the older and traditional Welsh names) but it seems more probable that - like modern parents - people followed fashion in the names they used for children at key periods for the formation of surnames."
(Source - "The Surnames of Wales", by John and Sheila Rowlands)

Maps of Wales
Q - How can I get hold of 19th century maps of Wales?
A - Reprints are available of the first edition of the Ordnance Survey maps to a scale of 1 inch = 1 mile. They were published by: David and Charles (Publishers) Ltd., Brunel House, Newton Abbot, Devon, England.
David and Charles published a series of 97 maps covering the whole of England and Wales and the Isle of Man. Wales (including Monmouthshire) is covered by 16 maps. The maps are based on surveys undertaken in the first quarter of the 19th century, but have had later features (e.g. railway lines) added in the second half of the 19th century.
The prints are in black and white (with contour shading) from the original engravings. Some of the place-names are quite difficult to identify.
See here for further details of maps and suppliers.
(Contributor - John Ball)

Q - What are tithe maps, and how useful are they?
A - Enclosure and tithe maps were first drawn up in the 18th century to try to settle disputes of the payment of tithes by landowners and property owners (tithes were rather like council tax - payments made to the local parish by all landowners).
The purpose of tithe maps was to provide an definitive record of the size, location and ownership of every parcel of land and property.
Enclosure maps predate tithe maps. Most of the tithe maps were completed between the 1830s and 1850s. Each map covers only a small area, but to a large scale so that all the necessary details can be included. Each field or area of land is drawn in, its boundaries shown and an identification number allocated. Tithe maps contain, or are accompanied by, a schedule giving a list of names (corresponding to the ID numbers on the map), which identify who owns each piece of land or building. The schedule also gives the area of each piece of land, and its description or name (if it has one).
Note that tithe maps do not tell you who was living in the buildings - only who *owned* the buildings. Even if your ancestors didn't own land or property, you should still check out the tithe maps for the area where they lived. They'll give you a really good idea of what the area was like in the first half of the 19th century - and you may find out who owned the buildings they lived in, and therefore who they had to pay rent to!!
(See further details about tithe maps here)
(Contributor - John Ball)

Research Methods
Q - I don't live in Wales, so how can I research my Welsh ancestors?
A - Much useful work can be done by using Latter Day Saints (LDS) resources at your nearest Family History Centre (FHC) library, after learning how to use their indexes to order the appropriate microfilms and/or microfiche. The amount of UK material they've filmed is phenomenal.
But many people walk into the LDS FHC naively believing they'll walk out that afternoon with ancestors, and are disappointed to find they have to do a lot of "digging" on their own, or they're put off because their ancestors are not listed in the International Genealogical Index (many Welsh ancestors are not listed in the IGI).
There are also many people who think they'll be able to come up with their ancestry solely from on-line sources, which is also unrealistic.
A lot of hard work is inevitable, and the LDS Family History Centres can save you a lot of running around to various record offices, libraries, and/or writing to those places for information that you can obtain from the LDS films yourself.
(Contributor - Julie Preston)

Q - I'm hoping to visit Wales soon to research my family history. How can I make the best use of my limited time?
A - Julie Preston is an experienced genealogist with Welsh ancestry, and lives in Michigan, USA. Julie advises:
I travel to Wales annually and stay for a month at a time. I do most of my research at my local Latter Day Saints (LDS) Family History Centre (FHC) here in the US, so I use my trips to Wales to visit the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) to study original parish registers and other records not available in the USA, as well as to visit graveyards and ancestral homes. By the time I get to Wales, I've already done most of my homework, which saves me a great deal of time while I'm there.
When I'm in Wales, I try to attend at least one meeting of the local family history society. I think it's absolutely essential to join the local family history society for the area in Wales that you're researching. The articles in their journals are invaluable and many members with years of accumulated research are not online - one of those members may be researching your line!
I've also found the Ordnance Survey large-scale maps to be extremely helpful in pinpointing the location of an ancestor's cottage or village. I've always purchased the Pathfinder series, but these are gradually being replaced by the Explorer series (see here for further details of maps and suppliers).
(Contributor - Julie Preston)

Q - How can I study my ancestor's will?
A - The probate (wills and administrations) indexes from 1858 to circa 1955 are available through the LDS Family History Centres.
Microfilm copies of wills are available from 1858 through 1925 from the LDS Family History Centres, but the administrations are not available on microfilm. The microfilm numbers are listed in the Family History Library Catalogue, in the Locality Search under the heading of Great Britain - Probate Records - Indexes and Great Britain - Probate Records.
The post-1858 probate indexes are an excellent research tool, especially for Welsh research. When you search the civil registration death indexes you may find several entries for the death of John Jones in a district, year, and quarter. It is nearly impossible to determine which one is the correct entry for your search. The probate indexes provide enough information about the deceased for you to determine if you are connected. Not everyone had a probate document but the search for one should still be made.
Normally, the post-1858 probate index will provide: the name of the deceased, place of residence, occupation, exact date of death, place where the probate was proved, name of the executor/executrix and possibly their relationship to the deceased, and the value of the estate.
If you are able to find an entry in the probate indexes you may be tempted to stop there and not bother to get the will/administration or the death certificate. It is advisable to obtain every document available about an ancestor because of the chance of gathering additional clues that may not show up in one of the other documents. Check the post-1858 probate indexes at your local LDS Family History Centre and see if you can make it work for you.
Case study
I found that the probate index showed that there is an administration for Howell Williams of Efail Isaf, Llantwit Fardre whose wife was named as Mary Williams. The administration document named Howell's wife Mary, Howell's brother John, and their sister Hannah, also Hannah Williams who lived at Penrhiw, Ystradgynlais, Breconshire. Administrations usually give less information than a will but they can still be helpful. The death certificate added to the information already gathered by naming the informant of the death as Edmund Williams, nephew of Howell Williams.
By using the post-1858 probate indexes in conjunction with the civil registration indexes I felt sure that I had ordered the correct death certificate. By obtaining each available document, I was able to go into the census records and sort out the research problems associated with a man who had a fairly common surname and who migrated the 27 miles from Llangyfelach to Llantwit Fardre. Success in researching Welsh families is affected by many factors. By using a variety of sources and combining the bits and pieces of information together, the puzzle of our Welsh family history can be unravelled.
(Contributor - Darris Williams DarrisWil@aol.com)

Record Repositories
Q - What is it like to visit the UK Family Records Centre (General Register Office) at Myddleton Place in London?
A - Researcher Maureen Jenkins from South Wales who visited in December 1998 describes her experiences:

I thought some of you might like to hear about my recent trip to the GRO in London. Everything has changed since my last visit for research some years ago.

I travelled to London by coach from South Wales, and got off the coach at Marble Arch. Within five minutes, a taxi was hailed and I was on my way to Myddleton Place. The taxi driver was a talker so he had a willing participant. I was able to inform him about the change from St Catherine's House and Somerset House to Myddleton Place. He said he had wondered what Myddleton Place was, because he had dropped someone off there in the summer.
During the conversation he told me that some time ago, a young girl was making a commotion in his taxi and he wondered what was going on. When he stopped to find out, he discovered that she had given birth, but was so drugged up that she hadn't realised what had happened. So much for my re-introduction to London.

We reached Myddleton Place, dominated by one massive modern building. So folks, you can't miss it! I said my goodbyes to the taxi driver and we actually waved each other off. The taxi journey cost me nine British pounds together with the tip. I had to laugh because the 170 mile trip on the coach from South Wales had only cost me 13 British pounds. A trip across London had cost me just four pounds less!

The first notice I found on arriving in the Reception at the Family Records Centre was that all bags must be inspected. Boy, am I glad I had tranferred just what I needed into a bag that hadn't been used before. With a wide grin, I plonked it down in front of two security men sat at a desk. I had to open up the zips myself. Apparently, they are not allowed to touch them. I had spread my belongs in several zipped compartments for safety so went about happily unzipping each one in turn. When I came to the one holding my cigs and lighter, one of the guards pointed outside to where smoking was allowed. I was given a very pleasant talk about the facilities on offer.

In the foyer, there is a multitude of helpful guidebooks on offer and a desk where you can make your purchases. I bought the 1999 Family History Diary for 4.50 pounds.

The room for births, marriages and deaths is huge, well-lit, and best of all has very comfortable upholstered seats for resting when you are tired or need thinking time. The bookshelves are well-spaced with plenty of room for placing the indexed books. There is a separate kiosk, well-staffed with very helpful people. The queuing place for purchasing your certificates is also well designed for long queues. There are boxes placed along the aisle at
intervals with a good supply of birth, marriage and death forms which need filling for the certificates.

I did not find the marriage for James Davies and Margaret Jones which I badly wanted, but found some near misses. For instance, Margaret Jones was born in Newcastle Emlyn and had her first child in Merthyr in 1839. There was a reference for a James Davies in the December quarter of 1839 at Newcastle Emlyn 26 955 but Margaret Jones in Newcastle Emlyn 26 985. I went to the desk and asked the pleasant young man if sometimes the indexes were mistaken. He grinned "Often" he said. Great! Now I am home I see I have a marriage for December 1838 Newcastle Emlyn XXVI 985 for James Davies, but no entry for Margaret Jones.

Now for the good news! Great Great Grandmother Jane Morris was born in Narberth in 1835, but her brother Joseph Morris was born in 1842. I found him!

By the time I had found my certificate, ordered it and found something for someone else, and also failed to find two other births for another someone else, my body from the waist down was one huge pain. Time for a break.
Outside I talked to a Londoner whose family thought she was mad. "Join the Club". Gave her some tips on subscribing to Rootsweb mailing lists. I noticed there was a large block of flats opposite, and wondered if it would be cheaper to live there, with all this across the road. Well, I can dream.

I was fed up with the indexes by now, and took the hint that the census returns were upstairs. It was 3.30pm and closing time was 5.00pm. Plenty of time. The staff in the census room were also very helpful. The lady who guided me was very explicit and she even came over and helped again when I did not seem to be getting it right first time. I wanted the 1851 census for
Wanstrow, near Frome in Somerset. First there is the index for an area number, then another index for pinning that area down. You note the HO number, this time it was HO 107 and Wanstrow was on one reel, as I read it. Number 1932 Folio 1-200. Easy! Then you go to another row of shelves and choose a box with a number. I chose A 8 for my table. Took it to some filing cabinets where I found my film (# 1932) walked about the length of half a football pitch and found my table with microfilm reader. Trust me - I had one of the old fashioned ones! Still, not to worry, I was familier with these at least. I went through all of that film, from first to last - but no Wanstrow in sight, leave alone those Thorn(e) people I wanted. I took the film back at twenty to five. Was about to call it a day, then thought better of it. Then I noticed there was another film numbered "1932", so took it back to my table.
This was the correct reel! There was an announcement over the tannoy warning that the library would close in ten minutes.

Wind! Wind! Found Wanstrow. Found at least one small family consisting of three inhabitants. Ages 50, 70, and 18, a grandson who was a mason, fitted. Scribbled down the information. Then the tannoy asked everyone to return all films.
One last desperate wind of the reel and I found another family of Thorne with just two inhabitants. Quick scribble, and wound back the reel. I had found something, that is what was important. Must come back again of course! Isn't that always the case?

Now for the fun bit - getting back to Marble Arch. Call a taxi? Too easy. Catch a bus. Stood for some time at the wrong bus stop. Talked to other people who were very helpful. Decided to walk to the Angel Tube station (see Post Script below). It was dark by now, and all those films on TV Crimestoppers came back to haunt me.
I clutched my bag with determination, just daring anyone to try and snatch it. Practised in my mind taking a swing at anyone who dared try. Then I hit the main road and saw the Angel. I think the tube stations have grown larger since I have grown older. A very helpful conductor explained the changes I have to make before Marble Arch. Price? 1.20 pounds. "Even cheaper on the bus", he said. "Catch the number 30 or 73 from bus stop E and it will take you straight there". More walking to number E. Waited about 15 minutes, and there was a very helpful neon sign on the bus stop telling you when the buses were due to arrive. When it arrived the cost was just 90 pence. So, 9 pounds to get to Myddleton Place and 90 pence to return.

Had a fair wait in Marble Arch. Arrived at about 6.30pm and we were not due to leave until 7.30pm. Some of my travel companions arrived back at about 7.00pm so we took a walk down the underground passageway looking for a toilet. Didn't find one, but we did find some young lads sleeping rough. There was one from Merthyr Tydfil earlier in the day. But his bed was empty now.
Further along we saw two others who seemed to be settled for the night. The floor of this passageway was soaking wet all through. We stopped by these two lads and I asked them if they couldn't find a drier place to sleep. We were informed that they were in the dryest part of it. Then one of them asked where I was from. "The Rhondda", I said, and he returned "Neath" when I repeated the question. "Why don't you go home?" I asked, "It must be better than this". He said he was thinking of going home soon. They were pleasant lads, and I thanked the powers that be, that my own boy/man was safe back in Wales. I couldn't help wondering if his mother knew where he was. The extraordinary thing was, that we were in the area of Park Lane, probably the richest part of London, where the shops were brimming with expensive merchandise.

We wished them the compliments of the season and went back to the main road. The boy from Merthyr was still absent, but we noticed an apple on his bed and some belongings of his, totally untouched.

We were all glad when our coach arrived. We were home by 11:30pm or thereabouts. I was thankful to reach my bed and rest my weary, hurting limbs.
(Contributor - Maureen Jenkins, Rhondda Valley, Glamorgan)

Post Script - Ann Cunningham advises that rather than use Angel tube station, Farringdon would be a better choice. Ann says it is closer, and avoids a steep uphill climb on the way back! As it is on the Circle Line, Welsh genealogists arriving by train can go straight there from Paddington station without having to change tubes.
(Thanks to Ann Cunningham anncunningham@wind24.freeserve.co.uk)

Q - Where can I find records of ships' passenger lists which might show the emigration of my Welsh ancestor to the USA?
A - You are only going to find passenger lists of immigrants coming into the USA. There are no records of departures from England and Wales, until 1890. If you live in the USA, visit your nearest Mormon Family History Centre (FHC) library or the National Archives and check out their records of passenger lists.
First you need to know when the immigrant arrived.
If he was still alive in 1900, he will be in the US census. There is a column on the US census showing naturalisation, date of arrival, how many years in the country, citizenship (Na - Naturalised citizen; Pa - first papers and Al - Alien).
If your ancestor disembarked in New York between 1846 and 1896, you will find the passenger lists are not indexed, so you need to know the year they came.
Those lists that are indexed, are indexed by the sound of the name.
Once you've found the person, you can send for the actual manifest, filmed by the National Archives. You can order them if your local FHC doesn't have them.
The passenger list may say your ancestor was born in England even if he was Welsh, because the official who recorded the information may have believed that Wales was part of England.
If your ancestor died before 1900, you need to check the area where he lived. If he owned land or was a house-owner, he was a citizen. Check his naturalisation record - it might say where he came from. There has to be a record somewhere of the date of his arrival!

Post script - Mimi Reed advises that while many ships lists are not indexed they can be rented, as stated above, from the LDS. The originals are held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington DC and at regional centres across the USA. The complete catalogue of all the microfilm records held by NARA is at http://www.nara.gov/
Information about passenger arrival records begins with:
http://www.nara.gov/publications/microfilm/immigrant/immpass.html
A form NATF 81 (passenger arrival record) can be requested by e-mailing: inquire@arch2.nara.gov
(Contributor - Mimi Reed fmspts@lazerlink.com)

Q - What genealogy records are available to me??
A - Records and sources include original Parish Records (PRs), Bishops' Transcripts (BTs), Nonconformist Chapel Registers, Censuses (every decade from 1841 to 1891), Wills, Land Tax Assessments, Tithe Maps and Schedules, IGI, GRO/St Catherine's Index, Monumental Inscriptions MIs), etc.
For those of you who have access to an Latter Day Saints (LDS) Family History Centre (FHC), with the exception of original PRs (held by the National Library of Wales) and MIs (usually the result of transcribing by the local FHS and published by them and available for sale) the records listed above have been filmed by the LDS and you can order the films from their FHCs. The FHCs have the IGI and (usually) the 1881 Census Indexes on site. The LDS Locality File lists all the records they've filmed for a particular county/parish. This can sometimes include family pedigrees, diaries, funeral cards, etc.
If you don't have access to an LDS FHC, don't forget to check the South/West Wales Lookup Exchange at: http://home.clara.net/tirbach/LEWales.html to see if any of the materials posted could possibly help you further your research.
(Contributor - Julie Preston)

Q - What does the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) charge for doing research?
A - The details of fees below are quoted from a National Library of Wales (NLW) leaflet:
Types of genealogical enquiry which do NOT attract a fee:
  1. Requests for information about sources held by the Department of Manuscripts and Records EXCEPT where lengthy searches of catalogues or indexes are necessary.
  2. Verification of a single entry from documents where precise references and details are provided by the enquirer.
All other types of genealogical research attract a non-returnable fee of £7.00 for an initial search of up to 30 minutes work. The library reserves the right to refer enquirers to an independent record agent. Any additional searches attract a fee of £14.00 per hour or part of hour. All charges inclusive of VAT (value added tax). Payment must be in Sterling drawn on a British Bank or in US Dollars drawn on an US Bank at the current rate of exchange, made payable to the National Library of Wales.

Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
Q - Explain the problems arising after the introduction of Civil Registration of Births in 1837
A - From the beginning of Civil Registration on July 1, 1837, it was realised that there was a significant level of under-registration, particularly of births; e.g. there were shortfalls in registration of up to 33% as late as 1865-74 in some areas of Liverpool.
There were also several instances of inflated or fraudulent registrations notably in All Souls, St Marylebone in 1841-3 (deaths +30%; births +38%), South Shields, County Durham in 1841-3 (births +31%) and Great Howard Street, Liverpool in 1845-8 (births +37%). The newspaper reports of the resulting trials of the registrars give some indication of how the births and deaths were registered. In the All Souls fraud, one of those implicated stated that "... , we have established a direct agency between mid-wives, surgeons and undertakers, by which means I have reason to believe not an individual birth or death has occurred in this District without our knowledge."
In Great Howard Street, the registrar, Charles Chubb, employed assistants to obtain details of births in the sub-district (one clerk employed by Chubb was paid one penny for each birth). Apparently these assistants would go round and get informants to sign (or mark) the blank register book, taking down the details on pieces of paper or in a rough book, which were later copied into the register book by the registrar. In this case the registrar was found guilty of making false entries in the birth register.
In South Shields, Thomas Wilson was found guilty of having forged the registers of births and deaths. "He was in the habit of paying assistants a fee for bringing him the names of parties where births or deaths had occurred. His agents brought him the names of persons who had never been in existence." So the means of information-gathering varied.
As was pointed out in a Poor Law Commission memorandum, the employment of assistants paid by the birth or death was asking for trouble. How common the practice was it is now impossible to say but its occurrence in South Shields and in Liverpool four years later suggests it was widespread. It should be remembered that the registrars were not occupied exclusively with the business of registration (Thomas Wilson had been the South Shields' postmaster for many years).
Incidentally, in Liverpool in 1848 registrars were paid two shillings and six pence for the first twenty registrations in the year and one shilling each thereafter. As the birth registrations were inflated by about 685 per year (+37%) one can estimate the amount defrauded. In the Births and Deaths Registration Act of 1874 the onus for registration was transferred from the registrars to the informants with penalties for non-registration.
(Source - Genealogists' Magazine, Sep 1996)

Q - What are the "St Cath's" or "GRO" Indexes?
A - These are indexes to the registers of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, recorded throughout England and Wales since July 1837.
The BDM records were once kept at St Catherine's House but since April 1, 1998, they have been held the Family Records Centre (FRC) of the General Register Office (GRO), 1 Myddleton Street, Islington, London.
The GRO/St Cath's Indexes are available on microfiche and can be examined at Latter Day Saints Family History Centres world-wide, as well as at many public libraries and county record offices in the UK.
The entries in the indexes are sorted alphabetically by surname and divided into 3-month periods known as quarters, representing the period in which the event was registered. There are separate indexes for births, deaths, and marriages.

The Indexes provide information in the form:

Year : Quarter : District : Vol : Page

e.g.

1902 : March : Pontypridd : 11a : 982

No other information is available from the index, but these index references are vital when ordering a full birth, death, or marriage certificate (in person, by post, or through an agent) from the FRC, or (on-line or by post) from the UK General Register Office (GRO). Ordering on-line or in person are the cheapest methods (currently £7.00 per certificate minimum); the other methods are more expensive (at least £8.00 per Certificate). In all cases the certificates are actually supplied by the GRO.
Note that you can also get BDM certificates, costing £7.00 each, from local Register Offices. But it is no use quoting the above Index information when you apply for certificates from local Register Offices.
See here for how to apply for a certificate from a local register office.

Q - Can I get baptism, death, and marriage certificates from local record offices??
A - Church Baptism certificates can be obtained from the County Record Office (or Diocesan Record Office, if different), for ANY baptism for which these record offices hold the records, irrespective of date. These cost £2.50, post free BUT it is usually far less expensive to ask the record office to send you a print-out of the relevant entry, provided of course that it is on microfiche/film. However, please note that BIRTH certs are available from Jul 1837 and it is worth the extra £4.50 to get one as more information is given. The same applies to BURIAL certs - DEATH certs are a better buy after 1837, although BURIAL certs can still be obtained for £2.50 or for the cost of a print-out.
Church Marriage certificates can also be obtained from the County Record Office (or Diocesan Record Office, if different), at a cost of £7.00 (same cost and same info as the General Register Office certificate) but again, it is far cheaper to ask for a print-out, if available. However, some idea of church in which the couple were married would be helpful. Different Record Offices vary in the amount of research they will undertake to find a marriage.
Photocopies of original registers cannot be done - only those events recorded on microfiche/film can be reproduced as print-outs.
(Contributor - Rosemary Shipsey winchcombe@dial.pipex.com)

Q - What are the problems in getting Marriage Certificates from a local register office?
A - The basic problem is that they are not indexed. Thus unless you know the place of marriage, the poor old registrar would have to search through all the registers for each church/chapel to try and find your particular marriage. Understandably, local registrars may not be willing to undertake such a search.
Also there was a lot of odd demarcation in responsibilities between registration areas which thus tended to overlap (e.g. between the Merthyr Tydfil and Pontypridd registration districts in Glamorgan). Boundaries have changed over the years too. The GRO index reference (e.g. 1879 March Pontypridd 11a 982) is of little help to local registrars. However using this reference, you can order a certificate directly from the GRO website for £7.00
Contact details:
GRO (General Register Office) on-line ordering webpage: http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificate/
Currently, the certificates cost £7.00 if the full GRO reference from the BDM registers is supplied. If the full reference is not quoted, a three-year search, including the price of the certificate (if found), is £11.50
Priority applications cost £23 (with full GRO reference) or £27.50 (without GRO reference).

The above charges only apply to ON-LINE orders from the GRO. They do NOT apply to postal applications to local register offices which remain at £7.00 plus postage, usually with a free 5 year search.
Certificates ordered in person at the Family Records Centre with the GRO reference cost £7.00.

Q - What's the best way to get a birth or death certificate?
A - If you know where your ancestors come from and dates, then write to the local register office. It will cost you less - £7.00 plus postage, not the £8.50 you will have to pay if you apply by post to the General Register Office (GRO). You also get a full refund from the local office if the certificate is not found, and they will often carry out a search of up to 5 years free. I'm not sure if they are supposed to do this free of charge, but several have done this for me. Local register offices usually send certificates back by return - the GRO can take up to 6 weeks.
You do, of course, need to know which register office to write to and they are not on e-mail. You also need to give as much supplementary evidence as possible. If you are not certain if something is correct (e.g. the father's name might be John but you aren't 100% sure) tell them this, otherwise they will not send the certificate if the information doesn't match (e.g. if the father's name is Thomas). Tell them what details MUST match and what details don't have to match.
You must enclose a sterling cheque for £7.00 (which will be returned if no matching certificate is found) payable to the Superintendent Registrar. Also enclose UK postage stamps to the value of at least 44 pence (or two International Reply Coupons) for return postage.
(Contributor - Helen Jones)

Census Records
Q - How can I get access to UK census records??
A - All UK Census Returns are available on microfilm in the USA through the LDS (Mormon) Family History Centers, located all over the States. Look in the phone book under "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". For a nominal fee ($3.50, I think it is now), you can order a film from Salt Lake City, Utah, and it will arrive at your local LDS Family History Center within two weeks, and you'll be able to view it there for about one month before it goes back to Salt Lake City.
(Contributor - Julie Preston)

Q - How do I look up my great great grandparents (Abraham and Mary ROBERTS) and their young children in the indexed 1881 census?
A - You can study the indexed 1881 census at your local LDS Family History Centre on microfiche.
There are 13 sets of fiches corresponding to the 13 counties of Wales:
Anglesey, Breconshire, Caernarvonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, Pembrokeshire, and Radnorshire.
Each county set is divided into subsets headed: Surname, As enumerated, Birthplace, Census place, Miscellaneous, and Institutions. They are differentiated by colour.
Scan through the Surname subset and list all the adult Abraham ROBERTS, noting their 4-digit reference numbers and folio numbers (e.g. 4938  25).
Repeat with all the Mary ROBERTS of child-bearing age. Hopefully, you should find no more than two reference numbers which match.
Then retrieve the 'As enumerated' microfiche which contains the matching reference number. You should now have the married pair with the rest of the family together with their address.
Note that this method will not work if the couple were apart on the night of the census.

Q - On what dates were the UK censuses taken?
A - To prevent double counting, people were listed at the addresses where they were on the night (of the dates listed below), or to which they returned after a night's work or travel. Note that the first four censuses did not record details about individual households and are therefore of little use in genealogy.
10 Mar 1801
27 May 1811
28 May 1821
29 May 1831
07 Jun 1841
30 Mar 1851
07 Apr 1861
02 Apr 1871
03 Apr 1881
05 Apr 1891
31 Mar 1901
Sources:
Pocket Guides to Family History - Using Census Returns, published in 2000 by the Public Records Office, Richmond, Surrey. ISBN 1-873162-89-8.
Debrett's Guide to Tracing Your Ancestry by Noel Currer-Briggs and Royston Gambier, published in 1990 by Webb & Bower, Exeter; ISBN 0-86350-131-1.
The Oxford Companion to Local and Family History edited by David Hey, published in 1996 by Oxford University Press, Oxford; ISBN 0-19-860215-4.

Q - Where is it possible to get access to the 1901 census?
A - The 1901 census was made public on 2nd January 2002. The census is available on-line through the National Archives (formerly Public Record Office) website at http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ and on microfiche in libraries and record offices.
The on-line index is searchable without charge, but fees are charged for access to a full transcript of the entry and for images of pages from the original census enumerator's log book. Full details of fees and methods of payment are given on the website.
At present (July 2002) microfiche copies can be searched at the following repositories in Wales:
Anglesey
Anglesey Record Office, Shire Hall, Glanhwfa Road, Llangefni, Anglesey LL77 7TW; 01248-752080.
Glamorgan
Aberavon Library, Port Talbot; 01639-763430
Aberdare Library, Green Street, Aberdare CF44 7AG; 01685-880059
Caerphilly Libraries, Bargoed Library, The Square, Bargoed CF81 8QQ; 01443-875548
Glamorgan Record Office, The Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NE; 02920-780282
Merthyr Tydfil Library, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AF; 01685-723057
The Mechanics Institute, West Glamorgan Archives Service, 4 Church Place, Neath SA1l 3LL; 01639-620139
Central Library, Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5DX; 01792-516753. West Glamorgan Archive Service, County Hall, Oystermouth Road, Swansea SA1 3SN; 01792-636589
Breconshire
Brecon Library, Ship Street, Brecon LD3 9AE; 01874-623346
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfon Record Office, Gwynedd Archives Service, Victoria Dock, Caernarfon; 01286-679095
Conwy Archive Service, Old Board School, Lloyd Street, Llandudno LL30 2YG; 01492-860882
Cardiganshire
Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) Archives, Swyddfa'r Sir, Marine Terrace, Glan-y-rnor, Aberystwyth SY23 2DE; 01970-633697
Denbighshire
Denbighshire Record Office, 46 Clwyd Street, Ruthin LL15 1HP; 01824-708250
A. N. Palmer Centre for Local Studies and Archives, Wrexham Museum, Regent Street, Wrexham LL11 1RB; 01978-317973
Montgomeryshire
Newtown Library, Park Lane, Newtown SY16 1EJ; 01686-626934
Radnorshire
Powys County Archives, County Hall, Llandrindod Wells LD1 5LG; 01597-826088
Llandrindod Wells Library, Cefnllys Road, Llandrindod Wells LO1 5LD; 01597-826870
N.B. Microfiche are generally only of the local area and are not indexed. If you plan to visit, contact the library or record office in advance to book a microfiche reader.

Q - Are the census records fully indexed?
A - Although the censuses themselves are complete, they are only partially indexed.
The censuses taken in the 19th and 20th centuries were not indexed at the time. To find a particular family or individual in the census records one therefore needed to know the census district and village or street address where they were living. Without an approximate address, searching unindexed census records could prove a very laborious process.
As genealogy became more popular, family history groups and the Mormon church embarked on the arduous task of producing indexes of the 19th century censuses, listing alphabetically the surnames and forenames of the individuals recorded in the census.
The 1901 census has been fully indexed (see previous entry, above); the 1881 census is also fully indexed (available on CDs and on the Family Search website at http://www.familysearch.org/); most districts in the 1851 census are indexed; but the 1841, 1861, 1871, and 1891 censuses are only partially indexed - the indexing tasks are still in progress. Those parts which have been indexed are often published on CD by the relevant family history society.
Some counties have complete indexes for at least some of the censuses, but others have indexed only a few districts. The situation is different for different parts of the country.
One should not expect volunteers to do lookups in sections of the census which have not been indexed - it is too time consuming. But there is no reason why one cannot search the original censuses for oneself. They are all available (on microfilm or microfiche) in local libraries, county record offices (CROs), and through the world-wide network of Family History Centres (FHCs) attached to branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons).
Do remember however, that all indexes suffer from errors of transcription - a particular hazard with Welsh place-names! Moreover the index may not include all the details given in the original census record. One must therefore always verify the index entry by referring to a microfilmed copy of the actual census (available in libraries, CROs, and FHCs).
(Contributor - John Ball)

Maritime records
Q - What information can you get from the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen?
A - Here are some relevant extracts from an information leaflet from the Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS), giving details of the records they hold: The RSS information leaflet also gives details of many other maritime records which it does NOT hold - and indicates where these other records are deposited.
The address of the RSS is:
Registry of Shipping and Seamen, Anchor House, Cheviot Close, Parc Ty Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF4 5AJ, United Kingdom.
Telephone (0)1222 747333 Fax (0)1222 747877
The Archivist at the RSS is Mr Neil Staples.
(Contributor - John Ball)

Military Records
Q - How can I trace a soldier ancestor who survived the Great War of 1914-1918?
A - There are several things you can try. Usually researching a soldier who survived the war is more difficult than researching someone who died, since you cannot use the resources of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or look him up in Soldiers Died in World War 1 1914-1919
Your first aim is to find his regiment, and preferably his identification number. Once you know these, you can then try to track down his records at the Public Records Office (Kew).
His identification number is variously called his Army Number, Service Number or Regimental Number, and is a combination of letters and digits that were allocated to the soldier when he enlisted. Examples are 807, 28402, M2/031884, 18/1764. To make things complicated, for various reasons a soldier was quite often given more than one number during his service, and one time when you notice this is when you have got a group of his medals. One medal may have one number, but the second and third medals may bear a different number. The medals may belong to two different people, but it is more likely that the first medal refers to the number he was initially given, and the other medals bear the second or subsequent number that he was allocated.
So, where can you find his regiment and number? Maybe there's something lying around somewhere...? Old photographs in drawers sometimes show soldiers in uniform with writing on the back. This may indicate where he was based, or the badges on his uniform may indicate his regiment and rank. Old letters or postcards may give an address at the top, with his Regimental number, rank, and regiment. Sometimes personal details are recorded in the family bible.
Some universities, schools and firms produced lists of their members who went to fight in the war. Most only list those that died, but a few also list those that survived.
Perhaps there is a marriage or birth certificate, where it gives the husband's or father's Army details? His medals may have survived - these are probably stamped with his Regiment and Regimental Number (not usually applicable to WW2).
If all that fails, then there is another place to look, and that is the collection of microfiched Medal Index Cards (MIC) which are held at the National Archives (formerly Public Records Office) at Kew. Ideally you should go and have a look yourself, but there are several researchers who will do this for a fee. The MICs contain the following details for every soldier who was awarded a WW1 campaign medal (the three main ones being the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal):
Surname, First Forename, Initials, Rank, Regiment (and sometimes battalion etc), Regimental Number(s), the medals which he was entitled to with a reference number, the theatre where he first served, and the date he entered that theatre.
The reason why we can look these cards up without knowing his regiment is that for a nice change, they are arranged alphabetically by surname within the whole army, A-Z!
However... ("There had to be a catch", someone mutters) ...just think how many cards we're talking about here - several million. If you are very lucky and have an ancestor with an unusual surname, there might be just a handful of cards with that surname, and the forename/initials may reduce the choice to one card. If so, you're home and dry - you've now got his regiment, his Regimental number, and a list of medals he got - and all you needed was his name! On the other hand, if your ancestor was called John Smith, then you will have thousands of cards to choose from, and you won't have a clue which one belongs to your man. Bear this in mind when asking a researcher to look at the MICs - to find the correct MIC they either need a very unusual surname or some additional information.
As has been seen, this method of finding a Regiment and Regimental Number only works for an unusual name. John is looking for Albert Jessop who may have been in the cavalry. There are three soldiers of that name who died in WW1, so there might be about 20-40 soldiers of that name on the Medal Index Cards - far too many to get a positive ID. However, if we choose just the soldiers from the cavalry, then we might narrow it down to one or two. If this is the case, their details can be obtained, and then you can start to search for their records to see which one is yours. But that is another story!
He may have served under a different name. A surprisingly large number of soldiers changed their name when they joined up, for various reasons. If he was killed under that name, then I think you've "lost" him. He may have served under his own name and survived, but used the war as an opportunity to get away from things at home, and settled elsewhere after the war was over. Maybe he's still living somewhere - I wonder how many Reginald Jessops there are in the electoral register?!
Here are three reasonably cheap guides to help you research WW1 records:
Army Service Records of the First World War by Simon Fowler, William Spencer, and Stuart Tamblin. PRO Publications. ISBN 1 873162 31 6
World War I Army Ancestry by Norman Holding. Federation of Family History Societies. ISBN 1 872094 16 3
More sources of World War I Army Ancestry by Norman Holding. Federation of Family History Societies. ISBN 1 872094 29 5
(Contributor - Forrest Anderson)

Payment and Postage
Q - I live in the US - how can I obtain cheques/checks made out in British currency?
A - You can order British Pound Sterling checks from the International Currency Express which offers a quick and easy service even for checks for small amounts. You can pay by credit card or by check. The fee is currently $10.00 (Feb 2003).
Write, phone or fax the company at:
International Currency Express
427 N. Camden Drive
Beverly Hills
CA 90210
Tel: 1-888-278-6628
Fax: 1-310-278-6410.
The company also has an office in Washington DC (Tel: 1-888-842-0880).
Website: http://www.foreignmoney.com/
(Contributor - Annie Lloyd Cardi2@aol.com of Los Angeles, USA)

Q - I don't live in the UK. How can I send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (SAE) to a contact in Britain so they can reply to me?
A - For years, family historians have been plagued by the problem of how to send SAEs and avoid the high cost of International Reply Coupons (IRCs) when writing to researchers overseas. The best solution seems to be to obtain a supply of UK postage stamps. Unused UK stamps can be purchased from:
British Philatelic Bureau, 30 Brandon Street, Edinburgh EH3 5TT, Scotland. Orders can be submitted by e-mail british.philatelic.bureau@dial.pipex.com if you are prepared to give them your credit card number and include a delivery address. There is a handling charge of £0.34 per order. My advice is to order sheets of 20-pence stamps. It is then easy to send five stamps to cover a £1.00 search charge or to buy a £1.00 microfiche.
When writing to unknown individuals from whom one actively hopes for a reply, the postage sent should ALWAYS EXCEED the minimum of 44 pence it will cost the person to respond.
Airmail letter rates from the UK to countries outside Europe are currently (January 2000):
to USA and Canada - 44p for 10g, 64p for 20g, 99p for 40g, and £1.34 for 60g
to Australasia - 44p for 10g, 64p for 20g, £1.06 for 40g, and £1.48 for 60g
As a rough guide a standard (non-airmail) long envelope plus sheets of 80gsm A4 (Europe) or Letter (US/Canada) size paper will probably weigh under:
10g for 1 sheet
20g for 3 sheets
40g for 7 sheets
60g for 11 sheets
.. but even a paperclip might push the letter into the next weight band. So be warned - if you want a reply from the UK more than three pages long, it will cost the sender at least 99 pence (to North America) or £1.06 (to Australasia).
(Contributors - Sue Mackay sue.mackay@virgin.net and Anne Scales AncestralRoots@annescales.freeserve.co.uk)
Postal rates updated by John Ball on Jan 17, 2000.

Q - I live in the UK. Where can I get stamps to cover return postage on an enquiry sent overseas?
A - For UK researchers wishing to send SAEs abroad, the following addresses and websites may be helpful:
USA http://www.usps.com/   (rate to UK 60c up to 5oz, then $1)
Canada http://www.canadapost.ca/
New Zealand http://www.nzstamps.co.nz/nzstamps/index.html
(Source - Sue Mackay sue.mackay@virgin.net)

Miscellaneous Topics
Q - Describe the parish of Eglwysilan, Glamorgan, where my ancestors were baptised.
A(1) - Eglwysilan is a parish on the eastern border of the former county of Glamorgan, lying between the rivers Taff and Rhymney. The original mediaeval parish included the east side of the Taff valley between the village of Cilfynydd in the north down to the village of Tongwynlais just north of Cardiff, the whole of the Aber valley (the modern villages of Senghenydd and Abertridwr), and the west side of the Rhymney valley between the village of Llanbradach and the town of Caerphilly. The parish church sits in a dip in the ridge between the Taff and Aber valleys and so was convenient for the north and west of the parish, but not the south and east, where the main centre of population is located, the market town of Caerphilly. Hence the fairly early chapel of ease in the town, St Martins or Capel Martin. Other daughter Anglican churches only date back to the 19th century. The earliest non-conformist chapels were Watford and Groeswen (both Independent) and Tonyfelin (Baptist) - all originating in the 18th century.
The parish was part of the mediaeval lordship of Senghenydd from where the local Welsh lord, Ifor Bach, carried out raids on the Norman town of Cardiff, including the kidnapping of one of the Norman nobility.
Eglwysilan contains two notable castles, the mediaeval Caerphilly Castle and the Victorian Castell Coch at the southernmost tip of the parish above the village of Tongwynlais.
(Gareth Henson sarah.henson@breathemail.net)
A(2) - Eglwysilan is a large rural parish. The parish church of St Ilan is up in the hills with only a pub as a near neighbour. Because of the distance that one would have to travel to this church "chapels of ease" were established in more accessible places. Two that I know of are St Martin's in Caerphilly and St Mary's in Nantgarw. They were both affiliated with the parish church, but I'm not sure when they were established. Also there were many non-conformist chapels where baptisms could take place. I only know of one and that is Groeswen Chapel which was Welsh Congregational which is just a short distance from St Ilan's. There were probably many others though.
Caerphilly is now a parish in its own right, with St Martin's being the parish church. My ancestors are from Eglwysilan and some were baptised at St Ilan's and some at St Martin's. I have a photo of the inside of St Ilan's Parish Church on my website at:
http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/Rendezvous/
(Carole Davidson Earl_Davidson@bc.sympatico.ca)

Q - How can I locate someone buried in Treorchy Cemetery??
A - Treorchy Cemetery records are available in Treorchy Library on microfilm, or from the Sexton at the Cemetery. Try writing or phoning him at:
Treorchy Cemetery
Cemetery Road
Treorchy
Rhondda-Cynon-Taf
Tel: (0)1443-772336
David Phillips (address below) has indexed the first 10,000 burials, with 55,000 still to go. The index is available at Treorchy Library, and includes Surname, Name, and Number. David can also supply a copy of the interment record (price on application to David). He hopes to get the full index on CD/disk by next year.
(Contributor - David Phillips of Rhondda Research, Treorchy Gp15@aol.com)

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