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
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