#1 Genuki (Genealogy UK and Ireland)
Whatever stage you're at with your family history you will need to consult this quite amazingly comprehensive site. It is non-commercial and run by volunteers who know what they're doing. We are very very lucky in west Wales to have one of the most dedicated family historians in the country in Gareth Hicks helping us out. He looks after the Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion (Cardiganshire) and all the parishes relating to the three counties' pages. If it's not listed here it probably doesn't exist.
For Carmarthenshire county and parishes - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/
For Pembrokeshire county and parishes - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/
For Ceredigion county and parishes - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CGN/
#2 Welsh Mariners
Even though west Wales is lapped by water on two sides we forget how important the sea was to our ancestors. Roads were virtually non existent and those that did exist were very rough. It would make much more sense to sail from say Aberporth to Milford Haven than try and get there by land. It is well worth checking this Welsh Mariners database which has been set up as a labour of love by Dr Reg Davies. It contains a fully searchable database of 23,500 mariners covering the period 1800-1945.
Even if you think that your family had no connection with the sea you may be mistaken - even some small smallholders were known to have owned a Sloop (small sailing ship) for transport and trade. Sounds idyllic doesn't it? - growing your own veg and sailing at the weekend - back breaking and perilous more like.
#3 National Library of Wales
The question "Have you visited the National Library yet?" should be written in large capitals on every Welsh family historian's brick wall. It must be one of the best positioned National Library's in the world with its uninterrupted view over Cardigan Bay, but it's location in Aberystwyth does make it rather a trek (by road , I've never tried getting there by Sloop).
I digress - the reason I've included their website in the "Top 10" is because of their digitised and searchable database of pre 1858 Welsh Wills. You can spend hours checking to see whether there is a will in existence for various ancestors but it's undoubtedly a very useful resource.
In the old days you had to ask the Library for a parish listing and then order a copy of the will. I have the listings for the following parishes - CMN Llangan, Henllan Amgoed, Llanboidy, Llangynin, Llanwinio, Meidrim, Llandysilio; CGN Llandygwydd, Llangoedmor, Llangrannog, Penbryn; PEM Walton East, Llanbedr Felffre. I would be happy to email anyone a copy of the part of the listings if they thought it would be useful for their research.
#4 Welsh Archives
If you're at the second stage of your research and have exhausted all the standard sources such as census data, wills and Births, Marriages and Death then a search through the Welsh Archives might prove fruitful.
This website covers all catalogued collections held by all 13 local government archive services in Wales plus the Welsh University archives, National Library, National Museum and Royal Commission for Ancient Monuments in Wales archives.
The catalogues can be browsed, text searched or indexed searched. I particularly like the fact you can browse the archive as you might find something you didn't even know you were looking for. There is a fair amount of information for each indexed item but you will not be able to view the item itself online, you will have to visit or contact the archive repository for that.
There is always the hope that hidden in a quiet corner of a collection, that nobody has taken any notice of, there will be a 1872 transcript of all the gravestones in all the chapels and all the churches in west Wales.
If I find it - you'll see it here first.!
#5 Plwyf Llangynfelyn
I wish I had some ancestors in the north Cardiganshire parish of Llangynfelyn as all the relevant transcripts can been found on this great little site. Many aspire to record online all the historical documents of their favourite parish but most give up before the task is completed. The site hasn't been updated since 2006 but that doesn't matter as all the work has been done. You will find census records, parish records, chapel records, tithe records, maps and photos. It's a joy to navigate and full marks to the individuals behind the project.
#6 Ceredigion Archives "The Search Room by the Sea"
There is something very heartwarming when you come across someone who really loves their work and this is certainly the case with Helen Palmer, the Ceredigion County Archivist. She not only loves her job but she also loves people and positively encourages and promotes the study of Cardiganshire history and genealogy. The website reflects this. The collections have been transcribed with a large amount of detail, useful to the family historian, available on the site.
#7 Returns of Owners of Land 1873
There were very few large land owners in west Wales in the 19th century but there were hundreds of people of owned small farms and small parcels of land. This site has digitised copies of this important document - The Return of Owners of Land 1873. Everyone who owned more than an acre in 1873 is listed here.
#8 Dyfed Family History Society
The Society members have put a lot of work in indexing the 1830 Pigots Directories, listing and photographing all the churches and chapels in the three counties and compiling a Place Name Directory. They have made it freely available here.
#9 Brawdy Books
This really is a hidden gem of a site. It contains details of the archive of Francis Jones, probably west Wales' finest Genealogist. He lived a life full of intellectual romance and physical adventure and spent 70 years studying and writing about the families and history of west Wales. It is well worth searching the site to see whether Mr Jones wrote something witty and observational about your ancestors.
#10 Pembrokeshire Archives
This local authority Records website has their catalegue online, with a great deal analysed down to item level.
These are my personal favourites but I'm sure there are others out there that I've missed. Please let me know about YOUR personal favourites and why they have been helpful to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment