New...with the...Old

Welsh history presents its own set of problems for the genealogist.  As time changes, the names of places frequently change in response to the social and political pressures of the day.  Present day names are often derived from older names.  [A change due to language perhaps.]  As one climbs out their Welsh family tree, these changes may not be recognized as one goes back in time.  For example, the following list shows the present day names of the counties of Wales as compared to the much older Welsh names.

                                   Anglesey (Ynys Mon)
                                   Caernarvon (Arfon)
                                   Denbigh (Dinbvch)
                                   Flint (Flint)
                                   Merioneth (Meirionydd)
                                   Montgomery (Trefaldwyn)
                                   Cardigan (Ceredigion)
                                   Radnor (Maesyfed)
                                   Pembroke (Penfro)
                                   Carmarthen (Caerfyddin)
                                   Brecon (Brycheiniog)
                                   Glamorgan (Morgannwy)
                                   Monmouth (Monmouth)


Names are taken from "Welsh Genealogical Research", by Charles M. Franklin, Heritage House, Indianapolis, IN, 1995. p.4.

Vale of the Dee

Welsh genealogy and the surname JONES can not usually be separated.   The following is a summary table of the first who are recorded as taking the surname JONES.  They are show by Welsh county and the dates that they were first recorded in the English legal records of the day.  The table is a figure taken from my blog called "The Jones Surname" [ thejonessurname.blogspot.com ].  This blog discusses everything you wanted to know about the JONES surname but were afraid to ask.

The date of each post, which presents a little more about each JONES for the Welsh county listed, is shown above.  The documentation of each JONES is given in the post.  I thought this might be an interesting topic for those who have been following this blog [Welsh Genealogy] since my 50 years of genealogy have brought me to the Vale of the Dee.