At a recent Narberth and District Probus Club meeting, genealogy expert Colin Potter shared invaluable tips on tracing family history, stressing the importance of talking to elderly relatives and using trusted resources.

Colin, who is the Secretary of the Dyfed Family History Society, pointed the way for anyone wishing to trace their family history. Firstly, he suggested that they should talk to elderly members of the family who are an excellent source of knowledge.

Try to find documents and photographs from family members, he advised, and always label them, noting the source, etc. Copious notes should be made throughout the years of research that may follow; facts are easily forgotten. Photos must be labelled, carefully, on the back, identifying those in the photograph. He also recommended visiting the local archive office and discussing your needs with the staff, as well as joining a local family history society.

People researching their family should look in the local records office for readily available information on births, deaths and marriages. There is a cost involved since the price of copies of various documents can range from £3 to maybe £20. It is advisable to start a family tree which can be added to, as and when more information is found.

Colin highlighted websites which can be very helpful in the quest for family history. One of the most popular is Ancestry.com. Membership of Dyfed Family History Society costs just £10 a year and has 40 years of its Journal available online. 150,000 inscriptions of names on monuments are available online.

“Do not trust other people’s research. You need to prove things for yourself,” said Colin. “A word of warning too: in the births, deaths and marriage records as well as in censuses, mistakes often occur, especially spelling mistakes.

“Sometimes those doing the recording are not Welsh speakers so be especially sceptical of Welsh entries.” In these records too, sometimes for instance, ‘Jones’ can be confused with ‘Johns’ and so on.

“And, be warned, many families have skeletons in the cupboard which have lain dormant for decades! So be prepared!” Colin showed club members his own interesting family tree and revealed that only when he researched it did he find out that his grandfather was Greek.

Mike Bearman proposed a vote of thanks to Colin for his very interesting and informative talk.

President Patrick Jones has recently welcomed two new members to the club: Chris Stevens and Ken Morgan. Electrician Chris, who lives in Stepaside, is originally from Chester but has lived in Pembrokeshire for many years. He is a Rotarian and an Otters supporter. Ken Morgan, originally from Penarth, has lived in Pembrokeshire for over 50 years. A chartered architect, he has recently retired but remains a Consultant to the Narberth practice. A former member of Round Table and Rotary, Ken is an avid supporter of Narberth Rugby Club where he is a Vice President.

The next meeting of the club takes place on May 29, 12 noon for 12.30pm. The speaker, Peter Fielding, will talk about a family connection with the Battle of Rorke’s Drift. If you would like to join with the club, call Patrick Jones on 07846 660904.