How Religion Affects British Genealogy

Trying to find our nonconformist ancestors in genealogical records can be a bit intimidating. Here is some explanation of the best places to look for these ancestors, how the records work, how they were created, and how they are different from the Anglican records.
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00:00 Introduction
01:08 Basics of Nonconformity
01:55 Birth
04:32 Marriage
06:25 Death
07:27 Literature
09:16 What to Watch Next
Copyright
Public Domain Images: creativecommons.org/publicdoma...
Welsh Flag
• commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Evans, George Eyre
• hdl.handle.net/10107/5449707
Caeronen Chapel 1915
• hdl.handle.net/10107/5185064
Title Page Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd
• hdl.handle.net/10107/2276907
Title Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd
• hdl.handle.net/10107/2287843
Rees, John Reverend Tregaron
• hdl.handle.net/10107/4670477
Morgan, G. E. F. 1910 Mayor & Antiquarian
• hdl.handle.net/10107/5185193
Jenkins, Eleanor Photograph
• hdl.handle.net/10107/5293979
Reverend Gentleman
• hdl.handle.net/10107/4702844
Generic Book Cover
• hdl.handle.net/10107/4640623
Wales Map
• hdl.handle.net/10107/4690846
Other Image Copyrights:
Llangybi, Maesyffynnon Welsh CM Chapel
• www.geograph.org.uk/photo/254...
• Roger Kidd, 2011
• creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Llandyssul, St. Tyssul’s Church
• m.geograph.org.uk/photo/3473099
• Peter Wood, 2013
• creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Llandyssul, Rhydowen Chapel (Llwynrhydowen)
• www.geograph.org.uk/photo/589...
• David Purchase, 2018
• creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Llanfair Clydogau Church
• www.geograph.org.uk/photo/359...
• John Lord, 2013, Church of St Mary, Llanfair Clydogau
• creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Cellan, Capel Yr Erw
• www.geograph.org.uk/photo/200...
• Roger Kidd, 2010
• License: creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Extracts from Cilgwyn Church Book, p.23
• hdl.handle.net/10107/1085540
• The National Library of Wales has created and published this digital version of the journal under a licence granted by the publisher. The material it contains may be used for all purposes while respecting the moral rights of the creators.
National Library of Wales (Building)
• commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
• Dylan Moore / 2011 / National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth / CC BY-SA 2.0
• creativecommons.org/licenses/...
• No changes made
Ancestry Images: For use as necessary for professional family history research.
Other images: Copyright to GenealCymru. Special thanks to Laurie Wright on FindAGrave for the image of David Davis, Castellhywel’s tombstone.
#Genealogy #FamilyHistory #WelshHistory #Ancestry

[@cherylb43]

Beautifully presented. I also have ancestors from Lampeter and surrounds. I have confidently researched back using the early Census and burial records as the farm names match, but I am not so confident before that.

[@GenealCymru]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed. Definitely pop me an email if you find we have any shared ancestors. Most of my Cardiganshire ancestors were farmers from Lampeter, Cellan, Pencarreg, Llanfair Clydogau, Bettws Bledrws, Llangybi, and Silian. Or if you ever make it over to Llanfair Clydogau and wanna get some tombstone photographs for me I'd be eternally grateful!

[@davinadavies474]

This is excellent information! Thank you. Great video. Keep them coming!

[@GenealCymru]

Thanks!

[@user-fo1mj9mn1s]

Very useful video-thank-you, diolch.

[@GenealCymru]

Croeso :) Glad you found it useful

[@gusshirnam3848]

Another really interesting vid. 🙂

[@GenealCymru]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@marthacoomber3188]

I remember my grandfather described his father as a foot washer? He was from Wales. Pop was not religious and happily married my Nan in an Anglican Church. Thanks for the interesting content.

[@GenealCymru]

Interesting. I've never encountered foot washers before. Glad you're enjoying!

[@rmccymru6375]

It's worth noting that many Non-Conformists continued to be married in their local Anglican church after civil registration began & these entries can be found in the parish records. It was often more convenient to marry in the parish church as Non-Conformist places of worship were frequently sited in isolated locations. While some Non-Conformist ministers became licensed to perform marriages soon after civil registration, others took some time to achieve this & so their members married in churches or register offices.
When searching for Non-Conformist burials, the chapels themselves may still hold these records.

[@GenealCymru]

Absolutely. Thanks for sharing.

[@debralarrabee4530]

Very informative, thank you. My ancestor William David Jones, was a Congregational minister in upstate New York, the grandson of the immigrant ancestor. In the 1890’s he traveled to Llangybi Parish in Canarvonshire (sp?), Wales to do some genealogy research, and printed his journal. It is fascinating reading. I’m looking forward to researching his family in depth, when I can find the time!

[@GenealCymru]

Oh that's awesome. You're so lucky to have all that research from your ancestor! Hopefully that free time comes soon.

[@PromisedCovenats]

Thank you Debra. My forth Great Grandfather was christen in Llangybi on April 6, 1799. It is a very small parish. His name is David Davies and his father was David John David and Mother Ann David(Dd) Thomas. I have a feeling that David Davies was also named David John David and change his name to John Davies. But I do not have enough records to prove so.

[@homerwiggins3965]

How about the Catholics in Wales? There must have been some as Saint David of Wales is broadly celebrated and Patron of Wales.

[@GenealCymru]

Yes, there is definitely Catholicism in Wales. I just haven't really come across it yet in my research. From what I have read, a lot of the history of Catholicism in Wales is tinged with anti-Catholic violence. As for St. David, the celebration of St. David is open to denominations beyond Catholicism. He just happened to preach Catholicism because the other major denominations in Wales weren't created until 1000 years after his death.

[@katiestover8954]

Not proud of this, but a several greats granduncle was Zwingli’s son-in-law, and other than as a curiosity their religions don’t figure into the reasons for my research. I already know that they all became apostate.

[@GenealCymru]

That's really cool. Having historical figures for ancestors can be helpful when it comes to finding records.