Our research Sources

Building the family tree

When you start family research you are usually advised to start by talking to your oldest living relative. Unfortunately, we were limited in who we had to talk to, so initially relied on internet research and discovered some excellent websites. As the internet can throw up some erroneous information, we have tried to double check our facts on more than one site, and reference against electoral registers and census information where possible. As the project progressed, we were fortunate to make contact with other family members who provided us with invaluable memories and some wonderful family photographs to illustrate the story.

These are some of the sources we have used:

Ancestory

Paid for family research site. Particularly strong  for oversees records, electoral registers and travel documents.

Click to visit Ancestory

Coflein

Archaeology, buildings, industrial and maritime heritage in Wales.

Click to visit Coflein

Fam search

An international, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping people discover their family story. It was our main resoure for research in South Africa.

Click to visit Family Search

find a grave

The world’s largest gravesite collection and a good way of requestimg photos of graves.

Click to visit Find a Grave

Geni

Geni is useful for collaborating with others on family history research. We found existing Skinner research on this site.

Click to visit Geni

archives

Local Authority Archive Service with records you can view and photograph in person.

Click to visit Gwent Archives

Gwent FHS

A family research society that encourages family history research in Gwent and has some excellent resources to download.

Click to visit Gwent FHS

Jersey

The Jersey Heritage Archives and Collections.

Click to visit Jersey Heritage

Skinner book

The John and Minnie Wilson Skinner Family by Robert R. Lang. A detailed family history of the Nebraska Skinners.

nls

Access UK maps across the centuries and overlay or compare side by side to discover where former buildings once stood.

Click to visit National Library Maps

NLW

Free to access Welsh Newspaper archive and national repository library in Aberystwyth.

Click to visit National Library Wales

NRS

National records for Scotland including census.

Click to visit National Records for Scotland

Newport libraries

Newport Libraries’ local studies collection in Central library contains materials of interest to researchers.

Click to visit Newport Libraries

queensland

Historic immigration records.

Click to visit Queensland Government

SML

Transcriptions of Scottish gravestones.

Click to visit Scottish Inscriptions