General

You may get repeats of 'hits' on different website searches. However, it is worth working through them all as the search engines can operate differently in separate applications. Also the databases in more specific applications (e.g. book searches) can be different.

When searching these internet sites the following tips may help:

• Try different spelling if appropriate. For instance, Pumwern, Pymwern and Pimwern all sound the same (roughly) and bring up different results. Similarly Bron y manod and Bronymanod do not bring up the same results
• You can try 'wildcard' searches: e.g. Aberd* will find Aberdyfi but also other names e.g. Aberdeen
• If the search is two or more words try putting double inverted commas around the phrase e.g."Bron y manod" but beware this will not find Bron y Manod.

Historic Wales

This site lets you:

Search a detailed map of Wales and overlay it with a number of different layers of information including RCAMHW and Cadw Listed Buildings.

How to use it:

1. Click on 'I agree to the Terms and Conditions' at bottom right of pop-up box
2. Use wheel on mouse to zoom in on the area of the map you are interested in
3. The map can be moved by holding left button down and moving mouse
4. When satisfied with map size move cursor to 'Data Layers' and click in the small box in front of 'National Monuments Record for Wales'
5. A number of blue dots appear on the map
6. Hovering the cursor over a dot will tell you what it refers to
7. Left click brings up more information and a link to Coflein (RCAMHW website) for even more information. If you click on the link it opens in a new tab. When you've finished in Coflein click the 'historicwales' tab to continue
8. When finished with 'National Monuments Record for Wales' un-click the box and then click in the box in front of 'Cadw Listed Buildings'. Use the same process as 1 to 7 above (in this case the link at 7 will go to Cadw's site not Coflein).

You can use the other data layers but they are unlikely to show much of relevance for a house history.

You can click the Overlay 'OS 1st Edition Mapping' and the 'Selection Layer' slider underneath to move between the 1st edition and the 2017 Edition.

There is a useful 'Help' button in the bar at the top of the page.

Historic Place Names

This site lets you:

Search hundreds of thousands of Welsh place names collected from historical maps and other sources.

How to use it:

1. Click on 'Search' for specific place name or on 'Map' for all place names in a particular location - it shows parish boundries and all houses in the area
2. A serach for a specfic house will list the results or tell you there are 'no results'.

Welsh Tithe Maps and Apportionments

This site lets you:

Search the tithe information collected between 1836 and 1847 by parish, occupier, landowner, farm name, etc. or use the map to look at all information in an area.

How to use it:

1. Click on 'Search' for specific place name or on 'Map' for all place names in a particular location
2. A serach for a specfic house will list the results or tell you there are 'no results'.

National Library of Wales

This site lets you:

Search everything in the NLW collections.

How to use it:

1. In the 'Search the Catalogue' box enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

National Archives

This site lets you:

Search everything in the NA collections.

How to use it:

1. Click on 'Search the Catologue' box - the Search page appears. Enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Bangor University

This site lets you:

Search everything in the Bangor University Library collections.

How to use it:

1. In the search box in the middle of the screen enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Gwynedd Archives

This site lets you:

Search what is at present digitally catalogued in the Gwynedd Archives collection. This is not a very good site as it is incomplete.

How to use it:

1. In the search box enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

National Library of Wales Journals

This site lets you:

Search everything in the NLW journals collection.

How to use it:

1. In the search box enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Google Books

This site lets you:

Search all the text of the digitised books held by Google.

How to use it:

1. In the search box enter what you are searching for
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Internet Archives

This site lets you:

Search all the text of the digitised books held by Internet Archives.

How to use it:

1. Click in the search box - a drop down menu appears
2. Click the 'O' in front of Search full text of books
3. Now enter what you are searching for
4. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Listed Buildings Gwynedd

This site lets you:

Search for Grade I, II* and II listed building in Gwynedd.

How to use it:

1. For Grade I and II* click in the box near the top of the screen
2. For Grade II click on the parish.

Coflein

This site lets you:

Search for buildings in the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

How to use it:

1. Type in what you are searching for in the 'Site Name' box
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear.

Welsh Newspapers

This site lets you:

Search for newspaper articles from 1800 to 1910.

How to use it:

1. Type in what you are searching for in the 'Search box'
2. A list of results or a 'no results' page will appear
3. The column on the right is a text based copy of the articles. The automated system does not always get the words correctly. You can read the original script in the left hand panel.

A Vision of Britain

This site lets you:

Search for information from 1801 to now.

How to use it:

1. Type in what you are searching for in the 'Search Box' or use the menus.