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:
Paid for family research site. Particularly strong for oversees records, electoral registers and travel documents.
Archaeology, buildings, industrial and maritime heritage in Wales.
An international, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping people discover their family story. It was our main resoure for research in South Africa.
The world’s largest gravesite collection and a good way of requestimg photos of graves.
Geni is useful for collaborating with others on family history research. We found existing Skinner research on this site.
Local Authority Archive Service with records you can view and photograph in person.
A family research society that encourages family history research in Gwent and has some excellent resources to download.
The Jersey Heritage Archives and Collections.
The John and Minnie Wilson Skinner Family by Robert R. Lang. A detailed family history of the Nebraska Skinners.
Access UK maps across the centuries and overlay or compare side by side to discover where former buildings once stood.
Free to access Welsh Newspaper archive and national repository library in Aberystwyth.
National records for Scotland including census.
Newport Libraries’ local studies collection in Central library contains materials of interest to researchers.
Historic immigration records.
Transcriptions of Scottish gravestones.