The Historic Counties of Wales

The services offered by county Record Offices in Wales does vary, but most offices will hold: Census returns, Parish registers, Nonconformist chapel registers, Land tax records, Maps, Photographs, Council records, Education records, Local newspapers, Court records, Electoral lists, Poor Law Union records, etc..

Major Local Government reorganisation took place in Wales in both 1974 and 1996 causing boundary changes to every county. Therefore it may be necessary to contact more than one Record Office or Family History Society when researching.

Some Registration Districts occasionally crossed both national borders and county boundaries and some Welsh records may currently be held in English Record Offices at Shrewsbury or Chester.