Chapel records are particularly useful in Wales because the country had a proportionally high number of non-conformists, who, as a result, may be absent from church parish records. With Wales being a largely rural country, maps – both newer general ordnance and older tithe maps – can also play an important role. Particularly in the instance you’re aware of an ancestral town or village, as old maps may help you pinpoint the nearest church or graveyard (which is the most logical place a local person would have been married or buried, and thus have records on file there).

Before you begin scouring archives, however, it is wise to familiarise yourself with the historical layout of Wales, which will ensure you are looking at source material corresponding to the correct part of the country. For most research, you’ll need to use the 13 old counties of Wales (which were in place between 1536 to 1974). These are: Anglesey, Breconshire, Caernarfonshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Glamorgan, Merionethshire, Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire, Pembrokeshire and Radnorshire.

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