Welsh archives exist in 6 main levels

(1) National Archives of Wales, and of England

The British National Archives

The national archive of England, Wales and the United Kingdom, for the Crown, the Government, Ministeries, Administration,
the Armed Forces, National Courts, railways and staff, mines and accidents, harbours, shipping
learn to make searches using PROCAT

National Library of Wales

Welsh in USA  ARC at NARA, the US National Archives & Records Administration,

Census Links Found for Anglesey - Flintshire Wales
Census Links Found for Glamorganshire - Radnorshire Wales

census - more on line help

(2) the county record offices

see also Archives Network Wales

(3) local archives and local studies collections

Each town has an  Electoral Roll, copies are at main libraries 
lists of residents with present and old addresses.

With a map too from:- Cyngor Archifau Cymru - Welsh Archives Council

(4) private and other archives

start your family history research with your family oral histories, photographs and papers.
Estate records may still be in use or may be deposited above or at major libraries. 

Research collections in Wales and their links
 at the National Agricultural Museum 

(5) printed books, newspapers maps photographs postcards mss

University of Wales Aberystwyth Library
University of Wales Bangor Library
University of Wales Lampeter Library
University of Wales Swansea Library
the Welsh national collections above
Union catalogue of Conwy, Gwynedd and Anglesey libraries
links to other catalogues
 and the 
British library
and the British Library Newspapers, the national archive collections
 in the United Kingdom of British and overseas newspapers.

British Library Newspapers Web Catalogue
(over 52,000 newspaper and periodical titles held with 1163 hits place search:- Wales)

(6) Civil Registration

after July 1 1837 mainly use BMD certificates for UK Genealogy

THE WHOLE of the civil registration INDEX is NOT YET TRANSCRIBED
BUT the so called St Caths index it is also available on fiche and online
In Wales and London too

church records

Family History Library System

is a very large collection founded in 1894,
located in USA at 35 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UTAH
and copies are available to order in the branch libraries or FHC all over the world

Family History Library Catalog

just use PLACE search

GENUKI: Wales

maps

============== more on line ==============

GENUKI:Wales

Encyclopedic about genealogy in Wales.
N.B. GENUKI is organised on the basis of historic counties. To find which GENUKI pages cover more modern counties and county boroughs,
please see: Modern and Administrative Counties and County Boroughs.
See also: Administrative Areas of Wales.

Websites allowing searches at other levels include:

Message boarda and lists.

The FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service web site 

============== where to begin ==============

This outline introduces you to the records you can use to discover your Welsh ancestors.
It describes the content, use, and availability of major genealogical records.

Use this outline to set meaningful goals and to select the records that will help you
achieve your research goals.

Welsh BIRTH DEATH MARRIAGE Events and Time Periods

And then you should consider starting with local collections and local museums, and family history societies of Wales and with county lists at Rootsweb

The locals may have copies of census and parish registers,
and electoral rolls and will be very interested in news from USA and abroad.

I have had much success with local archives, where families have deposited papers and photographs,
and there are extensive collections of newspaper cuttings and knowledge of oral histories.

Parochial collections may not even have email, but they are really interested in hearing
about the children of their land abroad.

So do write to them in Wales and publish your ancesters names on the web too,

Hugh W

Hugh Watkins, host
updated March 7 2004 - site map of Merionethshire WalesGenWeb