BMD-Certificates.co.uk Sees UK Birth Certificate Confusion for Welsh Descendants

BMD-Certificates (www.BMD-Certificates.co.uk), a website which offers a specialized service to search for and supply copy certified and official U.K. birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates, has found that their international customers are often encountering difficulties when ordering Welsh birth certificates.

(PRWEB) November 28, 2004 -- BMD-Certificates (www.BMD-Certificates.co.uk), a website which offers a specialized service to search for and supply copy certified and official U.K. birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates, has found that their international customers are often encountering difficulties when ordering Welsh birth certificates.

The difficulty arises from the changes to the regions that have occurred over the past two centuries.

As customers have come from as many different countries as Anguilla, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote dIvoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe, these changes are often something that they are not aware of, and so can lead to incorrect applications.

John Walsh of BMD-Certificates said: What we find is often an ancestor has only the town that their descendant came from, and they search using the regions current name, rather than the historical name."

We felt that we should address this issue, and to help clarify this for other overseas researchers."

Pre-1888

Prior to the creation of the administrative counties in 1888, Wales consisted of thirteen traditional counties, which are listed below in alphabetical order, with Welsh language names given in brackets:

Anglesey (Sir Fôn), Brecknockshire (Sir Frycheiniog), Caernarvonshire (Sir Gaernarfon), Cardiganshire (Sir Aberteifi or Ceredigion), Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin), Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych), Flintshire (Sir y Fflint), Glamorgan (Sir Forgannwg), Merionethshire (Sir Feirionnydd), Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), Montgomeryshire (Sir Faldwyn), Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro), Radnorshire (Sir Faesyfed).

1889-1974

Administrative counties were used for local government in Wales, based on, but not identical to, the traditional counties.

Also created were some independent county boroughs: Cardiff, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.

1974-1996

Eight new counties were created, with each county then divided into districts. The districts are listed after the name(s) of the county

Clwyd - Alyn and Deeside, Colwyn, Delyn, Glyndwr, Rhuddlan, Wrexham Dyfed - Carmarthen, Ceredigion, Dinefwr, Llanelli, Preseli, South Pembroke Gwent - Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport, Torfaen Gwynedd - Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd, Anglesey Mid Glamorgan (Morgannwg Ganol) - Cynon Valley, Ogwr, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda, Rhymney Valley, Taff--Ely Powys - Brecon, Montgomery, Radnor South Glamorgan (De Morgannwg) - Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan West Glamorgan (Gorllewin Morgannwg) - Lliw Valley, Neath, Port Talbot, Swansea

1996-Present day

The previous eight counties were abolished, but were retained as the preserved counties of Wales, chiefly for ceremonial purposes.

The current governmental system came into being on April 1st, 1996. Consisting of 10 county boroughs, 9 counties and 3 cities, they are known as the principal areas of Wales.

Anglesey (Ynys Môn), Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr), Caerphilly (Caerffili), Cardiff (Caerdydd), Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyrddin), Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych), Flintshire (Sir y Fflint), Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful), Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), Neath Port Talbot (Castell-nedd Port Talbot), Newport (Casnewydd), Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro), Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea (Abertawe), Torfaen (Tor-faen), Vale of Glamorgan (Bro Morgannwg), Wrexham (Wrecsam).

The above information was compiled with the help of Wikipedia, and the CIA World Factbook. No direct quotations nor copyright infringements have been intentionally made.

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