Welsh-American Family Genealogy: July 2007

Friday, 6 July 2007

Many Australians and North Americans Launch West Wales Genealogy Search from Swansea, Gower, Vale of Glamorgan

Pictured above: Swansea University is just south of the city centre and has sweeping panoramic views of Swansea Bay.

Swansea is a fabulous oceanside city, best known for the poetry of its favorite son, Dylan Thomas. But a lot of Australians and North Americans begin their visit to Wales in Swansea, when they are planning to research their Welsh family trees.

Swansea is ideally located close to the Cardiff International Airport, with easy access to trains and coaches and a modern motorway.

Hotels, hostels and guest houses provide something for everyone, and of course, golfers will be happy, too. The nearby Gower Peninsula is extremely beautiful and accessible by hired car or by bus and coaches.

See: Visit Swansea

Several links and websites have sprung up to help folks plan their travel and from time to time we'll mention them, as our readers point them out to us:

Welsh Holiday Cottages

South Wales Independent Travel

Wales & Welsh Genealogy

Select Genealogy Tours

You can order a FREE COLOR BROCHURE from Visit Wales here.

One of my favorite books is 'Dylan Thomas's Wales', which I received for Christmas a few years ago. The writing is great, engaging and informative, and the photography is breath-taking!

At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.

What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!

Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!

Be sure to visit the Welsh American Family Genealogy Online Bookstore! Just Click here.

Gyda bob hwyl i bawb, Mark

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh-American Family Genealogy, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Welsh Music, Film, and Books Symposium, on the World Wide Web.

Click here to go directly to my personal blog page called Celtic Cult Cinema on the World Wide Web.

Visit the UK Film Studies and World Cinema and Music Import Showcase

Monday, 2 July 2007

Irish, Scottish and Welsh Genealogy Requires Patience and Persistence

When you begin your quest to track down your own Welsh family tree, you need to have both patience and persistence.

Having a sense of humour and sense of adventure are essential traits to develop.

Having a good attitude, and not giving up or compromising is key. What constitutes a compromise?

Well, sometimes you might reach a conclusion which your intuition tells you isn't correct. Rather than accept this easy but questionable 'deadend', just reserve the right to be sceptical, until all the evidence is in.

This might take years, but have patience, and your search will be rewarded, in time!

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales

Here are some good place to begin deciphering our 'funky' Welsh surnames:

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances, by Charles Wareing Bardsley.
Hardcover: 837 pages
Publisher: Genealogical Publishing Company; Revised edition (January 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0806300221

The Surnames of Wales, Author: John Rowlands, Sheila Rowlands
ISBN: 9781860060250 (1860060250)
Publication Date April 1996
Publisher: Federation of Family History, Birmingham
Format: Paperback, 238 pages
Reprinting

Welsh Surnames, by T.J. Morgan (Editor), Prys Morgan (Editor)
Hardcover: 290 pages
Publisher: University of Wales Press (3 Feb 1992)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0708308805

"This is the classic reference work on English and Welsh surnames, with dated and documented examples given in the text and American instances cited in many cases where the name appeared in the directories of such cities as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia."

"It contains over 30,000 entries in dictionary form, three columns to a page, giving the origin and history of each surname, lists of persons bearing the name in various centuries, and the frequency of the name and its variants in certain nineteenth-century English and American directories."

"The dictionary itself is preceded by a lengthy introduction, which in itself is a formidable essay on family nomenclature. Among other things the reader will find many references to baptisms and marriages published by the various English record societies."

At Welsh American Family Genealogy, we believe there’s no better ‘Empty Nest’ activity than researching your Welsh family history and creating a legacy for future generations. You don’t have to be rich to leave behind an enduring heritage for your children and heirs.

What’s important is that you use the time wisely. If you would like to simulate your mind each day and stay young through constructive activities, than genealogy might be right for you!

Write to us and tell us your questions. We might not know the exact answer, but think of this as a daily adventure – thousands of other online readers will ‘pick their brains’ to help you!