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Guest-written Papers
Reference Abbreviations
Guidance Articles for Researchers
Single Family Analysis
Families of Mixed Origin
Family Pedigrees
Mis-identified Same-Named People in Wales
Battles and Historical Events
Ancient Welsh Territories
Welshmen in Llydaw, Brittany
The Men of the North
Legendary History Prior to 1st Century BC
Beli Mawr and Llyr Llediath in Welsh Pedigrees
Papers Related to Maxen Wledig
Bartrum's "Pedigrees of the Welsh Tribal Patriarchs"
Britain's Royal Roman Family
The Royal Family of Powys
2nd Powys Royal Dynasty
The Royal Family of Gwynedd
Men Descended from Tudwal Gloff
Royal Family of Gwent/ Glamorgan
Royal Family of Brycheiniog
15 Noble Tribes of Gwynedd
The 5 Plebian Tribes of Wales
Glast and the Glastening
Papers about Rhiryd Flaidd and Penllyn
The Men of Collwyn ap Tangno of Lleyn
Edwin of Tegeingl and his Family
Ednowain Bendew in Welsh pedigrees
Ithel of Bryn in Powys
Idnerth Benfras of Maesbrook
Tudor Trefor and his Family
Trahaearn ap Caradog of Arwystli
The Family of Trahaearn ap Caradog
Cadafael Ynfyd of Cydewain
Maredudd ap Owain, King of Deheubarth
Sandde Hardd of Mortyn
The Floruit of Einion ap Seisyllt
The 5 Dafydd Llwyds of Llanwrin Parish
Cowryd ap Cadfan of Dyffryn Clwyd
Osbwrn Wyddel of Cors Gedol
Bradwen of Llys Bradwen in Meirionydd
Who Was Sir Robert Pounderling?
Sir Aaron ap Rhys
Eidio Wyllt - What Was His Birthname?
Ifor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd
Ancestors and Children of the Lord Rhys

Guidance Articles for Researchers

Harleian Ms 3859

This is the earliest known manuscript to cite the pedigrees of Welsh kings and other important families living in the 10th century.  It was compiled at the direction of Owain ap Hywel Dda about the year 980.  We include a narrative version using modern spellings of the names, our birth-date estimates and our comments to assist those not familiar with the families cited. 

Generational Gaps and the Welsh Laws

This article offers a brief explanation of cultural and marital practices during the time periods under investigation, including how generations are calculated with respect to these practices.

Minimum Age for Welsh Kingship in the Eleventh Century

Our analysis of "the age of maturity": at what age was an otherwise eligible heir deemed old enough to become the king?

Reading Welsh Pedigrees

Brief description of the Welsh Patronymic naming system, used prior to the 16th century when surnames or Family names did not exist in Wales. Includes a number of Welsh words commonly found in written pedigrees, which you should recognize if you want to know what is being said.

Women in Early Welsh Pedigrees

Discusses some aspects of daughters, wives and mothers found in medieval Welsh narrative pedigrees, with an emphasis on the genealogical problems  associated with each group

The Bartrum "Welsh Genealogies"

Explaining the extant work, as compiled, which may not be chronologically stable.

How Bartrum 'Lost' Hywel ap Gruffudd ap Ifor Bach

An analysis describing how Bartrum completely omitted a man in his charts, by assuming his sources were incorrect.  When you find sources which differ from those you were expecting to find, you should only reject them if they present a chronological problem, and go with the sources which do not have this flaw.  

A Glamorgan Family in Gwynedd?

An examination of a family found in Gwynedd after 1300 but which appears to claim a Glamorgan ancestry.  You are invited to follow along as we seek to verify if the later family did indeed spring from an early Glamorgan ancestor.

A Study in Charting Medieval Citations

An example of how to construct chronologically stable pedigrees

The Evolution of the 'Padriarc Brenin' Pedigree

A technical analysis of the manner in which some medieval pedigrees were constructed and may not be of particular interest to casual students of Welsh history.

Dating & Identifying Unfamiliar Welsh Families

A tutorial where the reader is invited to look over our shoulder as we seek to date and identify two families, neither previously known to us, who were united by a 15th century marriage   

Lluan ferch Brychan

 An examination of how ancient citations can morph into wholly different meanings, depending on the pre-determined views of later copyists

The Medieval Re-dating of Braint Hir

An analysis of the use of late pedigree insertions to date a 9th century man to make him fit with a 7th century literary character

Welsh Claims to Ceri After 1179

Shows how records of land ownership can be used not only to date men, but to confirm their place in the overall family pedigree

Hywel ap Gronwy of Deheubarth

Describes how an ancient pedigree conflated two same-named men, which can only be detected by careful chronological analysis 

Articles written to assist family researchers beginning to examine Welsh records, documents and genealogy materials.