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[WilliamPwllyfan]

Noswaith dda, bawb.

I've already posted a couple of posts here, but haven't yet introduced myself properly. I started looking into my own family's history in the New Year, and have been amazed at how much ground I've covered in such little time! My own family is centered on the former western anthracite coalfield in the borderland between Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire and Brecknock. One strand seems to have been settled in Cwmtwrch, Ystradgynlais, before the industrial revolution, but most of the relatives migrated from the upland farming areas of Gwynfe, Talley and Caio via Llansadwrn, Llandybie, Betws, Llangiwg and Llandeilo parishes in the mid-C19th.

My most exotic early C19th ancestor came to the Amman Valley from St David's, Pembrokeshire. He may well be related to the pitchfork-armed heroine of Goodwick, Jemima Nicholas. The last to travel down was a set of great-grandparents from the Teifi Valley (with roots in Llandysilio-gogo, Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, Llandysul, Llanwenog, Llansawel and Llanfihangel Rhos-y-corn parishes in Cardiganshire and northern Carmarthenshire). One grandfather is from Tennessee, but I think there's probably another forum for that!

I'm also drawing up my wife's family tree, but as her English family is from Somerset and Liverpool, and with far less common names, the hunt for her relatives has been relatively straighforward.

So, where am I at? Most of the 3-gt-grandparents accounted for, with just a couple more to chase down. I also have around a third of the 4-gt-grandparents, born between around 1780 and 1810.

Here's the thing, though. Earlier than the 4th-great-grandparents there seems to be very little I can do: the parish records are sparse in most rural Welsh parishes, and the gravestones have worn away. My C18th ancestors all seem to have been farm labourers, quite mobile and unlikely to have left much trace. I will check the estate records to see if I can find some tenancy agreements, but I suspect that the patronymics might get the better of gaining any certainty.

Take care and thanks for the company.

[christanel]

Welcome to British-Genealogy WilliamPwllyfan

Research has been made so much easier since the advent of the internet hasn't it? As you say prior to 1837 we are reliant on parish records and other record types, family search is invaluable for this and there are also 100's of volunteers transcribing many county records so it just keeps getting better.
You have done well especially as, from my limited experience, Welsh names can be a bit of a nightmare. It is good to know we have another member who is familiar with researching in Wales.

Christina