by Lise Hull
Historically, the Welsh have had a keen awareness of their family histories.
As far back as the 10th Century AD, when Hywel ap Cadell -- best known as Hywel Dda (the Good) -- ruled Wales, individuals were expected to be able to trace their ancestry back nine generations. This was not just because of family pride, but for more practical and economical reasons. Knowledge of one’s ancestry helped prove claims to land ownership and free status.
Over time, proving personal heritage became increasingly complicated, for the Welsh used patronymics rather than fixed, single surnames to identify themselves. So, having a solid knowledge of one’s own family history was essential. Some people could even trace their ancestry back to Adam and Eve and documented their evidence on pedigree rolls, many of which now belong to the National Library of Wales, in Aberystwyth.
The use of the patronymic system of naming heirs and the linguistic nuances of the Welsh language complicate matters for modern genealogists researching Welsh surnames. Consequently, family historians must crosscheck the names of their ancestors to be certain they have connected with the correct individual.
To understand the Welsh patronymic system, whereby surnames derive from the father’s forename, consider the example of Llywelyn the Last. He was the first and last true Prince of Wales. He died in 1282. More correctly known as Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (“ap” means “son of” and is used with names beginning with a consonant; “ab” is used in conjunction with names beginning with vowels), one can see just how easy it is to become confused when tracing names with patronymic origins. If Llywelyn had had to define his heritage to his nemesis, Edward I, his pedigree would have looked like this:
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr (the Great)
ab Iorwerth ap Owain ap Gruffydd ap Cynan . . .
Even though most Welsh families adopted fixed surnames in the 18th and 19th centuries, the patronymic system still lingers in Wales. There is a resurgence amongst native Welsh-speakers, many of whom prefer the patronymic system of naming their children as they seek to reconnect with and sustain their heritage.
Names commonly associated with Welsh heritage reflect their patronymic origins. Bowen derives from ap Owain or ap Owen. Powell, from ap Hywel (as the sons of Hywel Dda would have adopted). Price, similarly, comes from ap Rhys. Other names, including Jones, Williams and Roberts, took the father’s forename, John, William and Robert, and added an “s”, which also indicated “son of.” Richards and Pritchard both mean “son of Richard.”
Family history researchers need to remember these variations. They should also crosscheck records to establish the name’s exact derivation, before assuming they have accurately identified their ancestor.
Besides considering patronymics, genealogists researching Welsh heritage need to be aware of the influence that Cymraeg, the Welsh language, has had on the formation of surnames. For example, as mentioned, Price derives from ap Rhys. Yet, the spelling of Rhys has several variations, including Rees, Rice and Reese. Gruffydd can be spelled Gruffudd, Griffith or Griffiths. Maredudd has become Meredith. Evan, Bevan, Jeavons and Ieuan are variants of John. Evans, Jenkins and Jones are derivations of “son of John.”
Study a book like T.J. and Prys Morgan’s, Welsh Surnames (Cardiff, 1985) or John Rowland’s, The Surnames of Wales: For Family Historians and Others (Birmingham, 1996) before heading to Wales. Both books will help sort out the confusion caused by these linguistic idiosyncrasies. The Morgans, for example, feature a fascinating and extensive alphabetical classification of Welsh surnames, with variations, cross-references to other names, and their historic and linguistic development. Where applicable, the names are also translated from the Welsh into English.
Even if researchers successfully distinguish between all variants of their Welsh ancestor’s name, another obstacle can stand in the way of knowing for certain if the individual located in historic documents is actually one’s relative.
Take a look at any Welsh telephone book. Flip to the residential pages for the surname, Jones. In the Aberystwyth area alone, there are thirteen pages filled with people whose last names are Jones! Knowing the forename does not necessarily resolve the dilemma of which Jones is the Jones whose blood one carries.
Imagine how many David Joneses or John Joneses can be identified, all living in the same year, in the same town or village, and the process can seem overwhelming. (One David Jones chose to change his surname to Bowie not to conflict with the Monkee who was starring in a television series in the 1960’s!) In some villages, a man’s job or an appropriate identifier, like a place name or a personal characteristic, was appended to his forename to distinguish men with the same names. Hence, Dai the Tinker and Davy Daft may both actually be named David Jones.
Many genealogists eventually decide to travel to Wales to do hands-on research and also to explore ancestral homes or cemeteries. Wales is a lovely place to visit, even if one has no Welsh heritage. Its green hillsides and windswept moorlands team with ancient and historic monuments. Cymraeg, the Celtic language, fills the air and enhances any experience. Besides its grand sights and melodic sounds, Wales is also gifted with extensive repositories of archival information, managed by professionals happy to help the family historian. Before heading to Wales, however, be sure to narrow down the name(s) you wish to research as specifically as your resources allow. That will save confusion and help archivists, family historians and librarians find documents and other information as quickly as possible.
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Mid Wales
Cleverly placed to overlook Ceredigion’s incredible coastline and the historic panorama of one of Wales’ finest university towns, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, the National Library of Wales, arguably ranks second only to the British Library for the quality and size of its collections. The imposing neo-classical limestone facade towers well over the heads of visitors who approach from road level. In 1907, the library received its royal charter. Two years later, its doors were opened for the first time.
In 1911, King George V and Queen Mary laid the first foundation stone at the National Library of Wales. The same year, the Copyright Act gave the library the right to collect, at no expense, a copy of every printed work published in Britain and Ireland.
Today, the library’s primary focus is on the collection, preservation and maintenance of all printed, graphic and audio-visual material and manuscripts and records relating to the Welsh and Celtic peoples. It also focuses on collecting materials to further higher education and literary and scientific research. Its collections contain well over four million printed volumes and over four million archival documents, as well as thousands of volumes of historic manuscripts, photographs, pictures and paintings.
In some ways, exploring the library’s resources can be just as overwhelming as determining the correct name of one’s Welsh ancestor. Walking into the stark, intimidating entrance hall, with its high ceilings and security guards, can create the immediate desire to flee. However, the guards are stationed for good reason - to prevent the irretrievable loss of magnificent treasures, like the Black Book of Carmarthen, Hywel Dda’s law books or Bishop Morgan’s Bible.
Whether visiting for the first time or only for a brief stay, researchers must obtain a “reader’s ticket” which identifies to which areas of the library they have access, along with personal information and an expiration date. Upon presentation of suitable identification, a temporary reader’s ticket is issued to visitors over the age of 18 for a period of one month. The card is good for five years, but requires a researcher’s photograph and an endorsing signature from someone, like a university professor, outside the library. The guards ask visitors to check all coats, packages, backpacks, suitcases and any other items that could be used to steal documents.
Major research areas radiate from the far end of the exhibit area. To the left are the Departments of Printed Books and Manuscripts and Records. Near them, the computerized catalog room is available for requesting specific books and journals, and for photocopying. Manuscripts (including medieval items and modern dissertations) must be requested in person from the Department of Manuscripts. To the right side of the exhibit hall, the Department of Pictures and Maps also features a catalog area (where all work is done manually) and a reading room.
In most cases, use of the rooms is granted when visitors sign the log book. Readers must review all requested items in the designated “reading room” for that particular department. Always be sure to bring a pencil or two, because they are necessary when using historic documents. Librarians retrieve the requested items, which can take 30 minutes or more when the library is busy. Remember, Aberystwyth is a thriving student town from September to July, and the library can be bustling with diligent researchers. The best time to visit might be during the summer, especially August and September, when students are on vacation.
For the genealogist, the first stop should be the Department of Manuscripts and Records. From there, archival documents are retrieved for study and photocopying (which must be done by library staff). The department acts as the national archive for the Church in Wales. It holds registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, bishops’ transcripts, marriage allegations and bonds. Other types of church records in this repository include tithe maps and apportionments for all Welsh dioceses, probate records and wills from the 16th century to 1858. The department also houses extensive Nonconformist chapel records, such as treasurers’ accounts, annual records, Sunday school and society minute books, histories and legal documents. Also located in the Department of Manuscripts are records for the Courts of Great and Quarter Sessions, Poor Law records, manorial records, estate and personal collections, and pedigree rolls and books.
The best way to begin is to look through one of the many indexes offered. Also available are topographical indexes for the old thirteen counties of Wales, certain counties of England, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Personal name and subject indexes are available there. An index to wills, letters of administration might also be helpful.
The Department of Manuscripts is responsible for the Microform Unit, which is located at one end of the reading room for the Department of Printed Books.
According to Eirionedd Baskerville, assistant archivist and head of readers’ services, “Here you can search parish registers on film, both the library's holdings and copies obtained from other repositories, and microfiches of transcripts prepared by family history societies.”
Microfilm copies of some Nonconformist registers, up to 1837 are available, the originals of which are held at the Public Record Office at Kew and certain transcripts on fiches. The 1988 edition of the International Genealogical Index for Wales, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Channel Islands on microfiche is housed there too. Local newspapers of Wales are on film. Indexes to civil registration, 1837-1997 are there along with microfiche copies of the Calendar of Grants of Probate up to 1943. Fiche and film copies of census returns for Wales and some border areas, 1841-1891 are there along with fiche transcripts of the 1881 census returns for England as well as Wales.
The Department of Printed Books also features a number of items of genealogical interest. Not only do they have an enormous inventory of books and newspapers, they also hold publications such as the Journal of the Church in Wales and denominational periodicals, which often contain notices of births, marriages and deaths. Printed annual reports produced by many Nonconformist churches since about 1880 are available.
Transactions of the various historical societies of Wales (which contain a wealth of articles on families, houses, industries, places, customs, pedigrees, etc.) await researchers’ review. Printed pedigrees and visitation books are among the holdings. Trade directories and electoral registers are among books of local interest relating to families, individuals and localities. Newspapers are another valuable source of announcements of births, marriages and deaths and obituaries. Volumes of Calendars of Grants of Probate, which fill the gaps between 1943, when the fiche copies end and 1972 are available. Indexes to pre 1985/6 (and later) publications are on microfiche.
The Department of Pictures and Maps holds the largest collection of maps, atlases and sea charts in Wales. Original town maps, estate maps and farm plans, tithe maps and apportionment schedules are all available for almost every parish in Wales. These documents are excellent aids, especially when researching the histories of houses.
The library has produced several new books to guide researchers through their collections. They include: Parish Registers of Wales, by C J Williams & J Watts-Williams; Welsh Manors and Their Records, by Helen Watt; The Tithe Maps of Wales, edited by Robert Davies; and Medieval Welsh Manuscripts, by Daniel Huws. Each book is available for purchase from the National Library of Wales Website and local bookstores.
In 1995, the National Library also published Glyn Parry’s, A Guide to the Records of the Great Sessions in Wales. The book is available upon request from the marketing department. Visitors may also pick up the “Guide to the Department of Manuscripts and Records” brochure at the library.
The National Library of Wales is not only a great library for research purposes, but also a fine destination in its own right, particularly for visitors wishing to experience the cultural heritage of Wales. Located midway up Penglais Hill, it can easily be reached from Aberystwyth town center. For more information, write to National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY3 3BU United Kingdom. Telephone: (0)1970 632 800. Email: holi@llgc.org.uk URL: http://www.llgc.org.uk/
Resources:
Istance, Jean and E.E. Cann. Researching Family History in Wales. Birmingham: The Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd, 1996.
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru: The National Library of Wales. Website - http://www.llgc.org.uk , 2001.
Morgan, T.J. and Prys. Welsh Surnames. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1985.
Rowlands, John & Sheila, eds. Second Stages in Researching Welsh Ancestry. Aberystwyth: The Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd and the Department of Continuing Education, University of Wales, 1999.
Rowlands, John and Sheila, eds. Welsh Family History: A Guide to Research. Birmingham: Federation of Family History Societies (Publications) Ltd, 1998.
Siddons, Michael Powell. Welsh Pedigree Rolls. Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales Press, 1996.
Biography:
Lise Hull is an American freelance writer and researcher specialising in British heritage. She is completing her master's degree in heritage studies at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She has a
master's degree in historic preservation.
Hull has lived in and travelled through Britain for the last 16 years. She is author of the “Wales Off the Beaten Track” column for Ninnau, and is the Wales correspondent for Museums Journal. She is also the UK correspondent and castles lore columnist for Renaissance Magazine. Her work has been published in History Today, Activity Wales, Faces, Scottish Journal, Power Trips, Army Times, and other print and on-line publications. She recently completed a book on Scotland for students and is now working on two books on Welsh castles. Details on her research and travel business, Castles Unlimited, may be viewed at http://www.castles-of-britain.com .
