Starting Your Search

Is your surname Davies, Jones, Evans or Williams? If so, it’s possible that you may have Welsh ancestry. Or perhaps over the years you’ve heard your parents or grandparents talking of their Welsh ancestry. Either way, it’s easier than ever to start looking into your family history, and find out more about your family roots and where you really came from.

• Firstly decide how far back in time you want to go. It is then advised to work backwards through history, this will make your search a lot easier.

• Decide what it is you want to create:

A family Tree; This concentrates on the male line. It tends to be the easier route to follow, as in the male line surnames tend to stay the same unlike the female line when surnames change through marriage.
An extended family tree; This usually involves searching for more distant relatives including cousins.

• The internet provides a wealth of information at your fingertips. There are dozens of websites dedicated to genealogy. You can access census information and other public records, plus there are programs you can buy which will help you collect records and design your family tree. Newspapers of the day are also a source of information. You can explore papers from the 17th Century to the present day at the British Library online.

• Consult members of your family. You might be surprised to find that some documentation is already available - certificates of marriage, birth, family letters and bibles are always useful. Try and find out as many dates as possible. These will be crucial in piecing together your family tree.

• Consider joining a local family history society. They can point you in the right direction, and are often a good source of information.