Research Strategy – Gwent

Introduction

In a sense the top-down approach starts here, in the hypothesis that the family origin of the surname is from sons of Adam ap Iorwerth, aka Adam Gwent. The ownership of the lands confirmed to him in 1246 is important and still obscure although we know of sources to help with this. The content from the Wakeman papers in the London library of the Society of Antiquaries, based next to the Gallery at Burlington House, are available but need extracting into usable trees. Alongside this the increasingly available online, calendars of state papers will possibly help. However, there are a number of key documents which although identifiable through the calendars need direct examination. This is because there are deeper levels in the documents not extracted, for example, list of tenants and their landholdings. Probably key to making progress, in Upper Gwent at least, will be the Duchy of Lancaster records at TNA which will probably need professional attention.

Bottom-up we have one DNA supported tree building up, Wonastow rooted so far. Like the Eaton Bishop one in Herefordshire this has an unlinked London branch. Welsh parish registers do not generally go so far back as the English ones and our extracts are by no means complete for this area. There has been recent activity to index and put these online but we have yet to make full use of them so far as I am aware.

Given we have so far only identified one surviving family with roots in Gwent it may be that all our efforts should be concentrated on taking this tree back. Currently we are stuck in the late 17th century so there is still scope to use other sources like taxation records and especially tithe records (held at National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth). Using the latter would try to establish a 19th C. settlement pattern for the whole county against which to consider further efforts to work back.

Strategy

  1. Bottom-up

    1. Continue efforts to take back the Cwmcarvan line and link with the London branch

    2. Run a parish registers gap filling project.

    3. Examine the practicalities of a Tithe extraction project

    4. Consider a joint effort with Eaton Bishop over London parish records.

  2. Top-down

    1. Complete the Wakeman papers extraction

    2. Delve into the deeper levels of the Inquisitions Post Mortem of Gilbert de Clare 1296 and Humphrey de Bohun 1299 to try and map ap Adam holdings