Welsh and English genealogy is challenging and many attribute it to the relatively small pool of surnames, especially in Wales and to the tradition of reusing the same first names generation after generation.
Genealogists often suggest focussing on place or doing a surname study to overcome these obstacles. But we’ve yet to unlock the ways that the British traditions around first names can be beneficial to our research.
In this talk, Dai davies of GenealCymru explains what he calls the First-Name Study method - how it works and how to plan your own.
Dai will draw on examples from his own study of over 175 men named Timothy, who lived between the 1600s and the early 1900s, and who all trace their roots back to one region in South Wales.
Dai's research has shown that a third of these men come from just one of two interconnected families!
The findings of his First-Name Study have brought down one of Dai's most challenging brick walls, and pushed his family tree back to the early 1700s - and this method can serve as a useful addition to your own family research too!
