There are many useful Welsh family history resources available on the Internet. Why not visit some of the links provided? The links are classified under the categories listed in the left hand column. Click on the category of your choice to display the related links. A brief description is provided alongside each link.
Click on the daffodil for the Welsh Family History Archive.
Links last updated — 4th June 2008.
Latest Additions, Amendments, and Removals
These are the latest links I've added, amended, or removed. Please let me know via my Contact Page if you discover errors or "dead" links anywhere on my list.
- Additions:
- Amendments:
- All-Wales Look-up Exchange
This is a new URL for the "gateway" page to the Welsh look-up exchange sites, from which, following receipt of your e-mail request, volunteers will search their records and archive sources.
- Removals:
Advice, Resources and non-commercial Services
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- A-Z of British Genealogical Research
An extensively revised 4th edition of the splendid tutorial A-Z of British Genealogical Research by Dr Ashton Emery. The A-Z is described as: A concise guide to researching British ancestry both locally and at a distance. Everything the family historian wants to know about the IGI, using parish registers, the Civil Registration system, the 19th century Census returns and dozens of other archives, indexes and sources, with all the costs, contacts, addresses and tips a professional or amateur researcher could ever need.
- Abertillery On-line
The Abertillery (Monmouthshire) website has sections on local family history with queries, people's interests and offers of look-ups using census records, burial records, monumental inscriptions, etc., for the local area as well as historical sections on Old Abertillery of use to genealogists intersted in the area. A message board is also on site for queries.
- Adoption Contact Register
The Adoption Contact Register, set up in 1991, provides a safe and confidential way for birth parents and other relatives to assure an adopted person that contact would be welcome.
The Register is in two parts. Part I is for adopted people and Part II is for natural relatives. The adopted person will need to know their original name before adoption and their natural mother's name. If these details are not known, the adopted person will have to apply for Access to Birth Records. The Registrar General will send to an adopted person on the Register the name of any relatives who have also registered, together with the address supplied by the relative. No information about the adopted person can be given to a birth parent or other relative.
- All-Wales Look-up Exchange
This is a "gateway" page to the Welsh look-up exchange sites, from which, following receipt of your e-mail request, volunteers will search their records and archive sources.
- Baptists in Glamorgan
The history of the Baptists in the county of Glamorgan.
- Brynmawr Website
Jeff Thomas's magnificent new Brynmawr website concentrates on the history and genealogy of the area, and provides about 50 high-quality digital photos of the town and surrounding area. It also offers:
+ Early history of Rehoboth Church, Brynmawr
+ The Nantyglo Round Towers complex (industrial history)
+ Pigot's 1844 directory of Brynmawr and Llanelly Parish
+ History & description of Llanelly Parish Church, Breconshire
+ Monumental Inscriptions, Llanelly church cemetery
- Certificates of Birth, Marriage and Death
Mark Howell's guide to UK birth, marriage and death certificates, including what they contain and how to send for them. Note that some details such as fees are out of date.
- College of Arms
The College of Arms, based in London, is the body responsible for all aspects of English and Welsh heraldry.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
A searchable database of those killed in wartime and whose graves are in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. To search the database use the Debt of Honour box at the top right of the homepage.
- Convicts Transported to Australia
Lesley Uebel's webpage listing alphabetically details of over 20,000 of the convicts transported from Britain to Australia from 1793 to the early 1800s. Details include: date of trial, place of trial, age, ship, and in some instances their occupations.
- Emigration procedure
This GENUKI page reproduces an article from The Illustrated London News of 1850 describing the procedure by which someone from Wales would emigrate by ship from Liverpool.
- Gareth's Help Page
A treasure chest of useful links and information about Welsh genealogy - maintained by Gareth Hicks.
- The Genealogy Guide
The site is claimed to be "...a useful guide for those wishing to learn more about their family history and provides useful advice regarding tracing their family trees. The site is simple to use and provides step-by-step information on getting started and the sources that are available to help." It also has a useful links section to help with your research.
Unfortunately, the website suffers from several major omissions such as the existence of Ancestry.com, Commonwealth Wealth War Graves Commission website, and the International Genealogical Index (IGI).
- GENUKI
Masses of information about genealogy in the UK and Ireland, including guidance on Getting Started and Researching from Abroad.
- GENUKI Wales
The section of the Genuki Website devoted to Welsh genealogy sources.
- GRO Index
A complete transcription of the General Register Office BDM index (St Cath's Index) for the March quarter of 1849.
- Immigration to Canada
This site will help those searching for ancestors emigrating to Canada. For example it includes a database of immigrants into Ontario in 1871.
- International Genealogical Index (IGI)
This link goes to the "Family Search" website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Here you have direct access to resources such as the International Genealogical Index (IGI) and lots of other family history "goodies". The site is heavily used and you may get a "come back later" message.
- Kelly's 1901 Trade Directory for Monmouthshire
The late Bryan Morgan uploaded a copy of the entire Kelly's 1901 Trade Directory for Monmouthshire, providing a wonderful resource for anyone researching their family history in Monmouthshire at the end of the 19th century. The webpages show scans of the actual pages from the directory. As well as listing tradespeople and residents, the directory includes descriptions of the towns and major villages.
- LDS Family Search Facility
The "Family Search" website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Here you have direct access to resources such as the International Genealogical Index (IGI) and lots of other family history "goodies". The site is heavily used and you may get a "come back later" message.
- Llangynfelyn Parish (Cardiganshire)
This amazing website covers the parish of Llangynfelyn in Cardiganshire. Almost anything and everything of historical or genealogical interest is included. All the censuses are transcribed from 1841 to 1891. Marriages, births and deaths are there. Even users of the hearse are listed, as are transcriptions of gravestone inscriptions.
- All-Wales Look-up Exchange
This is a "gateway" page to the Welsh look-up exchange sites, from which, following receipt of your e-mail request, volunteers will search their records and archive sources.
- Lost or Missing Friends or Relatives
This multi-lingual website, run by Nelly Veldhoven of the Netherlands, aims to help visitors trace their lost or missing relatives or friends. Click on the British union flag to access the English langauge pages.
- (Welsh) Mariners Database
This website houses a database of details of over 20,000 Welsh merchant mariners (mainly 19th century). The data were collected by Reg Davies..
- Medical Terms
Dr Paul Smith's excellent comprehensive and authoritative database of archaic and obsolete medical terms.
- Monumental Inscriptions
On this informative website, Rod Neep explains how to record the inscriptions on gravestones and monuments.
- National Organisation for Counselling Adoptees and Parents (NORCAP)
NORCAP is a charity offering advice and support for:
- adoptees, their birth relatives, and their adoptive families;
- adults abandoned as babies;
- adoptees who've been rejected by their birth relatives;
- adoptees seeking a reunion with birth parent(s);
- people who've been fostered and who've lost touch with their family.
NORCAP also provides search facilities including:
- a search room, with (e.g.) BMD records (1904-97), phone books, etc.;
- an Adoption Contact Register;
- accredited researchers for those unable to undertake their own search.
- National Statistics
The website of the UK National Statistics agency.
- Passenger and Immigration Lists
This is the Website of professional genealogist Bruce Murduck from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Doris Roberts, who recommended this Website, says: "I have found this a very good on-line source for Canadian passenger and immigration lists. I think this service would be very helpful to many searchers."
Please note that this is a fee-based service.
- Postal Codes (UK)
The Royal Mail website enables you to look up postal codes for addresses in the UK. It limits you to fifty lookups in 24 hours - and you must be able to accept cookies. It's also a good site for calculating postal costs to destinations worldwide. You need to register (free) with the site in order to use the services offered.
- Pronunciation Guide
Data-Wales's Welsh place-names pronunciation guide, including five authentic sound samples.
- Public Library Resources (UK)
This user-friendly website contains detailed information on the family history resources offered by each library authority in the UK. Examples include: whether a research service is provided; Registrar General's index to births, deaths and marriages; census returns; directories; electoral registers and poll books; parish registers; and details of local record offices. The site is run by the Consortium for Public Library Networking.
- Registration Districts
This GENUKI webpage offers a user-friendly listing of Register Offices, classified by county. It gives a very useful breakdown of exactly which villages, etc., were covered by which Register Office at which dates, and also includes the addresses from which Certificates may currently be purchased.
- Researching UK Ancestors
Mark Howell's guide to researching your UK roots using the resources of your local Mormon (Latter Day Saints - LDS) Family History Centre. Unfortunately, this guide, written in 1995, is badly out of date.
- St Cath's Index
A complete transcription of the General Register Office BDM index (St Cath's Index) for the March quarter of 1849.
- Ships Passenger Lists
Lots of links to info about ships passenger lists on the Cyndi's List website.
- Ships Passenger Lists
This Olive Tree website hosts a number of ships passenger lists.
- Society of Genealogists
The website of the UK Society of Genealogists includes an on-line catalogue of books, booklets and microfiche published by the Society.
- Soundex converter
Mike Hall, former editor of Cronicl Powys says, "This NARA Website has a Soundex machine that converts names into the Soundex code - no need to work them out. Just takes a couple of seconds!"
- Transportation of Convicts to Australia
Lesley Uebel's new Webpage listing alphabetically details of over 2000 of the convicts transported from Britain to Australia from 1793 to early 1800s. Details include: date of trial, place of trial, age, ship, and in some instances their occupations.
- Wales on the Web
A subject gateway to material of Welsh interest on the world wide web. An on-line guide to high quality, validated websites offering dependable information relating to Wales and all aspects of Welsh life.
- War Dead
A searchable database of Commonwealth servicemen killed in wartime and whose graves are in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. To search the database use the Debt of Honour box at the top right of the homepage.
- War Dead (the Somme)
The French region of the Somme, scene of some of the worst battles of the First World War, has opened an internet site to help the relatives of British and Allied troops who died in combat there to trace their place of burial. Opened in agreement with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, it lists the names of around 1.5 million servicemen from Britain and the British Empire who were killed in action.
- Welsh Cemetery Listing - Livingstone County, Missouri, USA
This FTP site lists alphabetically the name, birth date, and death date of all Welsh families in the Welsh cemetery located in Blue Mound Township at Section 21, Township 56, Range 24. This cemetery can be found by going North from Blue Mound for two miles, then West two miles If you have Welsh ancestors who settled in Missouri, this is a good bet!
- Welsh Mariners Database
This website houses a database of details of over 20,000 Welsh merchant mariners (mainly 19th century). The data were collected by Reg Davies..
Archives, Museums and Record Offices
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Archives Network Wales
Archives Network Wales (ANW) is a project for Archives and Records Council Wales supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It describes itself as "...a project to create a web resource to allow easy searching of the collections of documents held by record offices, universities, museums, and libraries in Wales, so that users will be able to identify which repositories hold information relevant to their research".
- Archive Repositories in Wales
This "gateway" page on the National Library of Wales website provides an entry point to all the archive repositories in Wales, including:
- Cambrian Index
Anyone with interest in the Swansea area of south Wales will enjoy this searchable index to The Cambrian, compiled by Swansea Library Service. The Cambrian was the first English language newspaper to be published in Wales, running from 1804 to 1930. The index can be searched for any word, e.g. a personal or place name. It can also be used to identify types of events or reports of occurrences, e.g. mining accidents, bankruptcies, meetings of societies, opening of buildings, crime reports etc. The entries include birth, marriage, and death announcements. Each index entry takes the form of a précis of the original newspaper article, including the most important information, such as name and subject matter. Photocopies of the full article can be purchased from the Swansea Library Service.
- Canadian "Vital Event Indexes"
Part of the Website of the British Columbia Archives, Canada. The Vital Event indexes contain index information to birth, marriage, and death registrations in British Columbia (not the actual registrations), and are available for the purposes of research. The indexes to marriage registrations (1872-1921) and death registrations (1872-1976) are now available as on-line searchable databases. Conversion of the births index (1872-1896) is in progress. This facility was recommended by Dave Lake who says he visits regularly, researching ancestors who emigrated to British Columbia and died there. He finds the staff very friendly and helpful.
- Carmarthenshire Archives Service
The record office in Carmarthen has a fairly basic single-page website, giving details of location, opening hours, and service offered. The e-mail address is: archives@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
- Ceredigion Archives
The Ceredigion (formerly Cardiganshire) Archives website gives background on the services offered, and a high-level view of the collections, plus on-line access to back numbers of their newsletter. The highlight is a searchable version of their entire catalogue/index (nearly 3000 pages).
- Gwynedd Archives Office
Gwynedd (Wales) on-line archives service, concentrating on records for the old North Wales counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire. The e-mail address for general enquiries is archives@gwynedd.gov.uk.
- Maritime History Archive
The Website of the Maritime History Archive (MHA), which collects and preserves original documents and copies of documents relating to the history of sea-based activities in the North Atlantic region. Many records of Welsh mariners are kept here. The MHA is a venture of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
- National Archives (UK)
Website of the National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office), the national repository for England, Wales and the UK.
- National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth)
A link to the major archive repository in Wales. Many resources are available here for genealogists.
- National Maritime Museum
The Homepage of Britain's National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. A research service (fee-based) is offered and on-line details of the maritime records available at the museum. From the Homepage, choose the "Research" option.
- National Statistics (NS)
You can order Birth, Death, and Marriage certificates from the NS, paying by credit card. Normal delivery takes 6-8 weeks and cost per certificate is £11.00, or £8.00 if the GRO Index reference (volume and page number) is supplied. Full details are available via this webpage.
- Powys County Archives Office
Powys (Wales) on-line archives service, concentrating on records for the old Mid-Wales counties of Breconshire (Brecknockshire), Montgomeryshire, and Radnorshire. The e-mail address is archives@powys.gov.uk.
- Shipping lists
Alan Tupman's comprehensive list of links to information about ships' passenger and emigration lists (includes emigration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA).
- US National Archives
Check out this US National Archives website for information about what ships' passenger lists are available, what has been indexed, etc.
- West Glamorgan Archive Service
The West Glamorgan Archive Service covers the Swansea area and Gower, with links to other local record repositories. The e-mail address is westglam.archives@swansea.gov.uk
Commercial Sites and Suppliers
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Ancestral Roots
This a link to the e-mail address of Anne Scales, in South Wales. Anne offers genealogical advice and/or research on family history in Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. There is a charge for this service.
- BMD-Certificates.co.uk
The website of a London-based commercial on-line ordering service for UK birth, marriage, and death certificates. For English and Welsh certificates, the current (Oct 2005) charges vary from £25.00 for Standard Service (15 working days to despatch), to £60.00 for Express Service (1 working day to despatch).
Before using this BMD-Certificates service, it is worth considering the alternative of ordering on-line directly from the General Register Office. The current GRO charges vary from £7.00 to £11.50 for Standard Service (15 working days to despatch), and from £23.00 to £27.50 for Priority Service (1 working day to despatch). The lowest charges obtain when the full GRO reference can be quoted. Ordering directly from the relevant local register office (if known) is another possibility.
- Brawdy Books
Includes an on-line index to the Francis Jones Archives on Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire parishes; lots of links to research sources; a supplier of specialist books on Wales; and a whole lot more.
- Burke's Peerage
Burke's Peerage and Gentry now offers a Welsh section to its "online source for authentic genealogical records of titled and landed families in the UK".
- Celtic Photos and Crafts
A US supplier specialising in Welsh products and Celtic designs.
- Dreammontage
This commercial website may possibly be of interest to family history researchers. Dreammontage produces photomontages from a family's own photos, which are scanned (to protect the originals), and transformed into one new photo. The company claims to... artistically blend the
original images into one new seamless image, by re-sizing, making cut outs and giving depth to the image. A restoration service for old and
damaged photographs is also offered.
- Genealogy Printers
Ron O'Neill says: "Our company is based in Wolverhampton, England, and offers a unique international Family Tree Printing service to genealogists".
- Gould Genealogy of South Australia
This is the website of an Australian supplier of genealogical maps, books, microfiche, software, etc. The e-mail address is enquiries@gould.com.au and the postal address is Gould Genealogy, PO Box 675, Modbury, South Australia 5092.
- IBERTEK Genealogy & History Resources
This website contains an on-line virtual library, links pages and other resouces for genealogists and historians.
- Quality Welsh
Webmaster Simon Baillie tells me that Quality Welsh, a website where you can find the finest quality goods and services from Wales online, is now up and running. He claims the site lists all the best things that are Welsh or have a Welsh connection.
- Parish Chest
Designed by genealogists, for genealogists, this on-line family history fair where you can use your credit card to purchase microfiche, CDs, family trees, charts, society memberships and renewals, transcriptions, censuses, research, maps, magazines, and books.
- PhotoRenaissance
Swansea-based proprietor Alison Hancock says, "PhotoRenaissance offers a professional photographic restoration service for old or damaged pictures which is particularly useful for those studying local or family history."
- Research-UK
An on-line ordering service for birth, marriage and death certificates from England and Wales. Additionally you can order a copy of a census entry, request a search for a will, or even obtain a copy of a divorce certificate. Research-UK has recently added a few more research avenues to its service including searches of parish registers.
- Residential Welsh Language Courses
This website gives details of a beginner's crash course in the Welsh language run by Daphne Percival at Bodyfuddau, Trawsfynydd, Merionethshire (North Wales). All full courses consist of 24 hours intensive tuition over six days. Distance learning courses are also offered.
- Victorian Photographs
This is the Website of the Francis Frith Collection. The company supplies:
- Victorian County Maps of the each of the counties of the United Kingdom, including Wales.
- Reproduction (and original) photographs of over 6000 British towns including many in Wales.
- Frith's Photographic Directory Volume 1, a hardbound book, complete with CD-ROM, that contains over 3000 photographs of towns and villages in the UK.
The Frith Website contains more information and has a small sample of the Frith photographs.
Welsh History, Culture and Language
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Bevan Family of Overton, Gower
Under the title A Year's March Nearer Heaven, Frances Bevan's website recounts the story of the Bevan family of Overton near Port Eynon on the Gower Peninsula in the 1870s and '80s. The family farmed 141 acres mainly of cereal and potatoes, but also soft fruit and a variety of livestock. Here you can experience the 19th century daily life of the small local community, bound together by family ties in Oxwich, Horton, Rhosili and Swansea.
Frances Bevan acquired a collection of over 200 family letters exchanged between the Bevan family living on Gower and one of their sons in Llandudno, North Wales. Most of the letters dated from 1878 to the mid 1880s but there were also odd notes kept over the years, wedding invitations, newspaper cuttings, even a few poems.
Frances Bevan has researched the family back to 17th century. In her website "blog", she interprets and presents the results of her research in the form of fascinating day-by-day diary entries, as they may have been written by Ann Bevan, the farmer's wife.
- Books about Wales
This is a comprehensive reading list, classified into logical sections, of books about Wales, Welsh history, literature, art, culture, etc.
- British History
British historical, political, industrial, and social information and background from roughly 1700 to about 1920. The website is well organised, full of insights, personal testimonies, text extracts, and biographical detail, and illustrated with photos, engravings, paintings, etc. The site is still being developed but already has much to offer.
- Brynmawr Website
Jeff Thomas's magnificent new Brynmawr website concentrates on the history and genealogy of the area, and provides about 50 high-quality digital photos of the town and surrounding area. It also offers:
+ Early history of Rehoboth Church, Brynmawr
+ The Nantyglo Round Towers complex (industrial history)
+ Pigot's 1844 directory of Brynmawr and Llanelly Parish
+ History & description of Llanelly Parish Church, Breconshire
+ Monumental Inscriptions, Llanelly church cemetery
- Castles of Wales
Attractively designed homepages of Jeff Thomas, giving an illustrated history of famous Welsh castles.
- Church in Wales
The homepage of the Anglican Church in Wales. Useful contact information for each Anglican parish in Wales is provided at http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/parish.html
- Church in Wales - Parochial and Clerical Information
Three principal webpages present alphabetically ordered parochial and clerical information for each of the six dioceses. Two other pages show clerical responsibilities: details of the province's bishops; and bishops, archdeacons, and rural deans for each of the dioceses.
- Y Cigfran (The Raven)
This is the website of Welsh poet and author Robert Gerald Thomas of Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley of South Wales. The website is not yet complete, but includes several of Thomas's poems (in the English language) and details of his published works. Much of the work relates to Thomas's background in a former mining community.
- Coins
An excellent illustrated twelve-part history of British Coinage, written by Ken Elks, covering the period from around the second century BC to the present day.
- Crosskeys Monmouthshire
This website includes over 200 photographs of Crosskeys and the adjacent Ebbw and Sirhowy Valleys. There are also links to most websites residing in the old Monmouthshire area, and a Message Board.
- Eisteddfod
Website for the International Eisteddfod held annually at Llangollen in Denbighshire.
- Gathering the Jewels
This profusely illustrated website provides a wonderful resource on Welsh cultural history, including such diverse subjects as: agriculture, the arts, education health, family history, industry, law and order, politics, religion, transport, war, and much more. Here you will find over 20,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs and other items from museums, libraries and record offices in Wales. The website is operated by Culturenet Cymru at the National Library of Wales.
- History of Kidwelly
Jeff Mansel's excellent website explores and illustrates the history of this Carmarthenshire village and its castle.
- History of Wales
Britannia Internet Magazine's fascinating account of Welsh history.
- Monmouthshire Pages
This section of Glyn Hale's extensive Hale Family History website is devoted to the county of Monmouthshire. It includes: Famous People, History, a Bibliography, Parishes and Registration Districts, Old Maps, Place-names, BMDs, Links, and Censuses. On his website, Glyn resolves the confusion over whether Monmouthshire is in England or in Wales.
- Oakdale - The Model Village
The website of the village of Oakdale in Monmouthshire's Sirhowy Valley. This site is dedicated to ...the men of the village who spent long, dark hours in the bowels of the earth so that the world could have heat and light, and to their wives - who feared the knock on the door. The website includes a section on genealogy.
- Old Merthyr Tydfil
This excellent website features an extensive collection of old photographs of Merthyr Tydfil and the surrounding districts. The website is run by Alan George and Geoff Matsell.
- Old UK Photos
This non-commercial website was launched in July 2006. Offering thousands of old photographs (mainly picture postcards) of the United Kingdom from the year 1890 through to the 1960s, it should be of interest to family historians, and may well grow into one of the UK’s largest photographic sites. Some of the Welsh counties are poorly represented at present, but more entries are still being added. Visitors can submit their own photographs to supplement the collection.
- Merthyr Tydfil Ironworks and Josiah Guest
An informative website on the history of the ironworks in Merthyr Tydfil, and its owner, Josiah Guest. The website is the creation of a local school.
- Money Values - Then and Now
Details of early British currency and its equivalent value today. A useful resource for appreciating our ancestors' income and expenditure in terms of present day values.
- Severn Princess Restoration
This website, created by the late Bryan Morgan, documents the dramatic story of the rescue of the MV Severn Princess from the breaker's yard, saving part of Chepstow's maritime history. The Severn Princess is a ferryboat which once conveyed passengers between England and Wales, across the estuary of the River Severn before the construction of the Severn Bridge.
- Tribute to the Rhondda Valleys
This fine website, now operating from a new URL, is run by Gareth Williams who describes it as a short socio-economic history of the Rhondda Valleys during the period 1800 to 1950 when Coal was King. The site is still in its infancy but includes: A Journey Through pre-Industrial Rhondda; Mining Language; Events Affecting the Rhondda; Places of Worship; and Markets for Rhondda Coal. Still to be developed are: Tonypandy Riots; Working Conditions; Living Conditions; Facts and Figures; Shops; and Transport and much more.
- Trades and Occupations
This website provides an alphabetical list of brief definitions of the names of old trades and occupations found on census returns, etc. The list is extensive and user-friendly, but is not exhaustive.
- Welcome2-Wales
A promising new website about Wales, targeted particularly at the American audience. The introduction on its home page states:
YES! Welcome to the beautiful land of History, Green Valleys and Mystic Mountains. WALES presents with pride its distinctive culture and quaint communities to all its visitors especially American guests. Check out the section on the differences in US & UK terminologies & get acquainted with metric conversions, road signs & many other helpful guidelines that show how it preserves its traditional lifestyle.
Welsh Language
This Meirionnydd Languages website is not about genealogy but offers several free resources related to learning the Welsh language together with a fee-paying residential crash course in Welsh. Click on the dragon for Welsh section of the website.
- Welsh Language Course
On-line Welsh language course - includes a useful Welsh language translation lexicon.
- Welsh News (in Welsh)
Check out the latest Newyddion (news) in the Welsh language at this BBC website. There is also information on the current useage of the Welsh language. (Requires RealPlayer software, downloadable free from http://www.real.com/)
Welsh Family History Societies
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Association of Family History Societies of Wales
This website describes the Association's aims and functions, and provides details of the member societies, with links to their respective sites, and will be of interest to genealogists and family historians in Wales and world-wide.
- Cardiganshire FHS
The Cardiganshire (Ceredigion) Family History Society website is now at http://www.heaton.celtic.co.uk/cgnfhs/
- Dyfed FHS
The homepage of the Dyfed Family History Society. Dyfed includes the old Welsh counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire.
John Hughes, Dyfed FHS Webmaster, says members can now submit their interests and help wanted, in free text format with contact address, directly to the webmaster for inclusion under Missing Links - e-mail John Hughes at webmaster@dyfedfhs.org.uk.
- GENfair
Due to a family bereavement, the GENfair website went off-line in October 2002. Fortunately the website is now back on-line as part of the Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) Website at http://www.familyhistorybooks.co.uk/. GENfair offers credit card facilities on behalf of a number of UK family history societies, and aims for example, to enable overseas contacts to effect financial transactions in a more economical way.
- Glamorgan FHS
The Glamorgan Family History Society offers a complete service to all those seeking ancestors in the old County of Glamorgan. The Glamorgan FHS would appreciate if you would bookmark the NEW website address: http://glamfhs.org/
Although the new site looks different, it has all the old features and some new ones: Membership; Publication Lists; Editor's Page; Society Information; and Links.
- Gwent FHS
The Gwent Family History Society, catering for those with roots in the county of Monmouthshire. This well designed website, now hosted by Rootsweb, offers lots of useful features including: Our Society, Our Branches, How to Join, Services, Items for Sale, Parishes and Places, News and Events, Links to Sites.
- Gwynedd FHS
The new website of the Gwynedd Family History Society, which covers the old North Wales counties of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire, and Merionethshire.
- Montgomeryshire GS
The Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society website. The Society was founded in 1994 to provide a forum for people with family history interests in the historical county of Montgomeryshire and its borders.
The Society's e-mail address is montgensoc@freeuk.com
- Powys Cronicl
Website for Cronicl, the journal of the Powys Family History Society.
- Powys FHS
Website offering details of the Powys Family History Society, their publications, and other Wales-related links. Powys includes the old Welsh counties of Breconshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire. Note that this website is now running from its new URL (http://www.rootsweb.com/~wlspfhs/).
Welsh Family History Mailing Lists
Electronic mailing lists are an excellent way of learning about your Welsh ancestry. To subscribe to one of the lists below, click on its name and send an e-mail containing just the one word "SUBSCRIBE" (without the quotes) in the body of the e-mail. Within a few minutes you'll receive an e-mail confirming your subscription, and giving you details about how to participate.
- Blaenau Gwent mailing list, covering the ancient parish of Aberystruth in the Nantyglo/Blaina area of Monmouthshire.
- Clwyd mailing list, covering the pre-1974 Welsh counties of Flintshire, most of Denbighshire, and part of Merionethshire.
- Coal miners' mailing list
This genealogy mailing list could be of interest to those of you who have coal-mining ancestors.
- Dyfed mailing list, covering the pre-1974 Welsh counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire.
- Glamorgan mailing list, covering the old Welsh county of Glamorgan.
- "The Marches" mailing list, covering the old Welsh border counties of Monmouthshire and Breconshire, and the neighbouring English counties.
- Monmouthshire mailing list, a new list covering the old Welsh county of Monmouthshire. The list is run by Bryan Morgan who lives near the Monmouthshire-Gloucestershire border.
- Mariners mailing list
This list could be of interest to those of you with sea-faring ancestors. The mailing list is dedicated to merchant seamen, and is run by Debbie Beavis and Ted Finch.
- Powys mailing list, covering the pre-1974 mid-Wales counties of Breconshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire.
For a list of UK mailing lists, the areas they cover, and how to subscribe, go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~jfuller/gen_mail_country-unk.html
For a list of genealogy mailing lists world-wide, go to the Rootsweb Website.
Maps, Gazetteers, and Directories
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Bodleian Libary Map Room
This on-line selection includes old maps of Britain and Europe, and some of the 'colonies', including Montreal, Canada, Virginia, USA, and others.
- Counties, Parishes, etc.
Jim Fisher's website includes helpful explanations of terms including the difference between a County and a Shire, the meaning of Poor Law Union, and the definition of a geographical area such as the West Country or the Black Country. Jim gives a brief history of the origins of the terms and their significance to family historians.
- Data-Wales
Lots of general information about Wales including some maps and a Welsh place-names pronunciation guide which includes some authentic sound samples.
- GENUKI Index of Registration Districts
This is the alphabetical index to places in England and Wales covered by the local register offices. In effect, it amounts to a 19th century gazetteer of England and Wales.
- Geography of Wales
Much information here about the geography and population of Wales.
- Godfrey Edition Maps
Godfrey Edition maps are reprints of large-scale late 19th century and early 20th century Ordnance Survey (OS) maps for towns throughout Britain. The majority are based on original OS maps to a scale of 1:2500, equivalent to 25 inches to 1 mile. Alan Godfrey's On-line Mapshop opened in November 2003. More than 1,500 large scale maps are available and orders can be placed direct, the credit card number being sent safely through a secure server. Orders are processed quickly, delivered by first class post or air-mail, normally the same or following working day. Titles are grouped in user-friendly manner, with 'shelves' of not more than 25 titles at a time.
- Historical Directories
The Historical Directories website, operated by the University of Leicester, is an on-line digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919. It contains high quality reproductions of comparatively rare books, essential tools for research into local and genealogical history. The website has recently been re-launched. It has a completely new look and feel, and the search engines have been improved. It is recommended that first-time users study the How to use this site feature before beginning a search.
- Multimaps
This connects to a set of interactive road maps of the UK (including Wales). There's a search facility allowing you to input the village, town or city of your choice. You are then presented with a detailed road map of the area, and links to related resources. The facilities on this website are similar, but not identical, to those on the Streetmaps website (see below).
- Ordnance Survey
A link to the website of the Ordnance Survey, a major producer of maps of the UK.
- Ordnance Survey Gazetteer
Here you can search the Ordnance Survey's database of 250,000 British place-names. Search results link to large scale maps of the area concerned.
- Ordnance Survey Get-A-Map facility
Entering a place-name, post code, or grid reference, calls up a large scale (1:25,000) Ordnance Survey map of the area. Smaller scale maps can be accessed by using the zoom out facility.
- Ordnance Survey Old Maps
This excellent website, run by Landmark Publications, offers around 85,000 map images for on-line viewing. The maps, to a scale of 1:10,560 (6 inches = 1 mile) were originally published by the Ordnance Survey between 1849 and 1899. The maps are organised under the pre-1974 county names. Selecting a county calls up a gazetteer of towns and villages in that county. The gazetteer contains over 40,000 place names as they exist today. Only a small section of the map is displayed, but the map can be scrolled vertically and horizontally to cover the entire area.
- PARLOC Parish Locator
From this website you can download ParLoc, the freeware Parish Locator program for Windows95/98/NT/XP. The program enables you to locate any one of nearly 15,000 UK parishes. It will also produce a list of the parishes in a named county or inside a given radius of any named parish. The parishes listed are those in existence during the period from the mid 1500s to about 1837 when civil registration started.
- Streetmaps
These excellent interactive maps of the UK (including Wales) are based on the Ordnance Survey Landranger series of maps. The location finder enables one to search by inputting a place-name, a grid reference, or a postal code.
- Wales Maps - North Wales
A detailed on-line 1898 map of North Wales provided by Malcolm Bebb. Because of its detail, the image file is very large and therefore slow to download.
- Wales Maps - South Wales
A detailed on-line 1898 map of South Wales provided by Malcolm Bebb. Because of its detail, the image file is very large and therefore slow to download.
Welsh Names - Lists, Meanings, Origins
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Davies and Morgan Genealogy
Diane Manley's well-organised website offers lots of useful genealogical information about Welsh DAVIES and MORGAN families. There is also has a collection of photos of unidentified Welsh ancestors. From the opening webpage, click on the link to Genealogy Pages.
- GENUKI Surnames List
This is a useful link if you are researching your ancestors in an English or Welsh county.
- Hughes / Davies / Jones of Montgomeryshire
David Tudor Griffiths describes his website thus: A 300 year illustrated and well researched history of certain farming families from the hills of Montgomeryshire,and the heaths of N. Shropshire. The economic, educational, religious and social inflences on their lives. The gradual growth of their own influence at first local, then national and finally worldwide, in Agriculture, Business, Education, Military, Politics and Religion. The Hughes families of Llangadfan intermarry with the Jones families of Llanfair Caereinion and Davies and Evans families of Berriew.
- Jones Message Board
Webmaster Roger Jones says: This is a messageboard for people researching Jones families from the UK. As you would expect there are many Welsh members and questions on Welsh ancestory..
- Paul Holland's Family History Pages
An impressive website devoted to research into the HOLLAND family who lived in northeast Flintshire during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Creator Paul Holland states: If you can trace a Holland relative who was born from about 1690 to 1900 in Flintshire there is an 80% chance that they link to my Family Tree ... which can be viewed via the Dynamic Family Tree. As this site develops, I hope [to] provide as much by way of photographs, biographical data and local history as I can to put some context around the lives of people who in the most part seemed to have had fairly hard lives.
- Wozencraft Family History
This website is devoted to everything related to the surname WOZENCRAFT and its spelling variants. The Wozencrafts have strong Welsh links, particularly in the county of Radnorshire. The website features include family trees, pedigrees, and a message board.
Webpages of Links
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Archives Network Wales
Archives Network Wales (ANW) is a project for Archives and Records Council Wales supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It describes itself as "...a project to create a web resource to allow easy searching of the collections of documents held by record offices, universities, museums, and libraries in Wales, so that users will be able to identify which repositories hold information relevant to their research".
- Cadwalader's Homepages
As well as featuring the history of his family from Criccieth, Caernarfonshire, Bob Cadwalader also has links and sources for local history of the old Caernarfonshire area, and the maritime history of North Wales.
- Cyndi's List
Cyndi Howell's list of over 261,000 links to genealogy sites on the Internet.
- Genealogical Resources on the Internet
Comprehensive list of links to genealogical resources world-wide, maintained by John and Christine Gaunt.
- Genealogy Home Page
This site provides a useful list of links to on-line resources.
- Genealogy Links
Alan Tupman's wonderfully comprehensive collection of links to genealogy resources.
- Griffiths Homepage
Wendy and Fred Griffiths' homepage offers Welsh links as well as lots of information about the Griffiths family origins. Wendy and Fred are from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Traces from Your Past
A variety of resources, services, publications, indexes, links and personal research can be accessed through this Website, run by Mary Trace. The services include Canadian and UK genealogical research.
- UK Genealogy Wales
This portal website offers a gateway to lots of webpages related to Welsh genealogy. Other parts of the website focus on English, Irish, and Scottish genealogy links.
- Venedocia, Ohio
This is the homepage of the township of Venedocia in Ohio, USA. The village was originally founded by Welsh immigrants from Montgomeryshire, circa 1847. It's an interesting site with links back to Wales-related sites, maps, history, etc.
Wales Today, and Tourist Information
To visit a Website, just click on its name.
- Gower Information Centre
This website offers masses of information about the beautiful Gower Peninsula near Swansea in South Wales. Areas covered include: Accommodation; Exploring Gower; Environment; Media; Amenities; Directory; Links; Walks; Community Section: and a Shop. The website is run by Chris Elphick.
- Images of Wales
This links to my own pictorial exploration of Wales and Welsh life. A selection of annotated photographs is posted here every month, featuring places of interest mostly in south, west, and mid Wales.
You can also commission photographs and/or paintings of where your own ancestors lived.
- Llanegwad Carmarthenshire
With details of the Carmarthenshire parish of Llanegwad and its surroundings; plus a list of relevant links.
- Llangollen
Website dedicated to Llangollen in Denbighshire, site of the International Eisteddfod. Much information here for tourists.
- This is South Wales
The World Wide Web's equivalent of the popular South Wales daily newspapers. The website has sections on: News, Sport, Daily info, Business, Visitor's guide, Going out, Forums, Classified ads, Dating, B4Uni (Students), Lifestyle, Global Wales, and The directory.
- Swansea's Website
A well-illustrated Website featuring the City of Swansea in South Wales. Useful information for anyone planning to visit Wales.
- Tourist Information
The Total Wales website, offering pages of news, sport, education, business, etc., with a strong Welsh focus. A useful site for exploring what's happening in Wales today.
- Tourist Information
The main page of Travellers' World providing tourist information about the whole of the UK and with links to excellent on-line maps.
- UK Villages Website
This website provides on-line noticeboards displaying local information on 27,000 communities (villages, towns, and cities) in England, Wales, and Scotland. Enter the village of your choice in the search field and find out what's going on there. Features include: Notices, Events, Societies, For Sale, and Trade Adverts, but as the website is relatively new, many villages have not yet submitted any details.
- Wales Tourist Board
The official Website of the government sponsored tourist organisation for Wales. Lots of links, and general information about Wales, including a tour of Wales accessed through a clickable map.
- Welcome2-Wales
A promising new website about Wales, targeted particularly at the American audience. The introduction on its home page states:
YES! Welcome to the beautiful land of History, Green Valleys and Mystic Mountains. WALES presents with pride its distinctive culture and quaint communities to all its visitors especially American guests. Check out the section on the differences in US & UK terminologies & get acquainted with metric conversions, road signs & many other helpful guidelines that show how preserves its traditional lifestyle.
- Welsh News (in Welsh)
Check out the latest Newyddion (news) in the Welsh language at this BBC website. There is also information on the current useage of the Welsh language. (Requires RealPlayer software, downloadable free from http://www.real.com/)
- West Wales Photo Album
New photos are added to this Photo Album every Tuesday. Despite its name, the album contains postcard-style pictures of most parts of Wales.
- Whitchurch and Llandaff North
The Whitchurch and Llandaff North website is run by Steve Nicholas who says, "The theme of my website is about Whitchurch and Llandaff North in Cardiff. The site contains mainly photographs of Whitchurch and Llandaff North past and present."
Help needed!
- If you know of any Websites relevant to Welsh family history, which you think should be included on my list, please e-mail me via my Contact Page, stating the full Web address, and indicating briefly what the Website offers.
- If you find that any of the links on my list don't work, please e-mail me via my Contact Page, stating the name of the link. I'll then test it and remove it if necessary.
Click the daffodil (above) to return to the Welsh Family History Archive.