Welsh ancestry

[PanhandleThrower]

While doing a search for a family/clan, I found that the name Bledsoe was from Cornish area of Welsh lands. Any persons here have any sources of information about Welsh histories, or clan affiliation?

[TurboKittie]

Checking this thread myself, as my Great Grandmother was a Thomas from Wales, and her grandmothers were Davis and Hopkins - the only family names with tartans I was able to find.

[Babyvett]

I think I might want to watch this thread as well as my family (not my husbands) derived from the Morgans of Glamorgan, Wales

[O'Callaghan]

Confused, because Cornish means apertaining to Cornwall, which is in SW England, and there isn't even a land border between it and Wales. So, not sure what you mean?

OTOH, both areas are part of the celtic fringe - they just don't (quite) meet up. So, is your Bledsoe name Cornish or Welsh?

[PanhandleThrower]

I traded emails with a website that sold tartan material, and was told that the Bledsoe name was of Cornish history, and supplied me with the Cornish National tartan. Perhaps I had a laps in mental function and tried to connect Cornwall and Welsh lands. If that be the case then we may consider this the end of this thread. But now I'm curious about this "fringe" area. Is it a term to describe an area that covers certain bands of people? Or something different?

[McClef]

Of the two strains of the Celtic languages, Welsh, Cornish and Breton are connected together in the Brythonic group and have more in common with each other than the other group, the Goidelic languages of Scottish and Irish Gaelic and Manx.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brythonic_languages

All the most common Welsh family names (there is no real equivalent Clan system) have tartans and samples can be seen at http://www.welsh-tartan.com/tartan-finder.php



Geographically speaking, although quite a distance by land from each other, they are pretty close neighbours across the Bristol Channel.

[scotswelshrunner]

My great grandfather was a Whitaker and born in Montgomery,Wales. I've always loved my Welsh
heritage and lately been embracing it even more with a few Ddraig Goch tattoos . Also have Scottish ancestry and love it!!!! Love your heritage no matter what.

[Pleater]

That puzzled me, too.

Cornwall is the very lower left bit of England, it used to be a kingdom all its own and is still sort of separate. Prince Charles holds the Duchy of Cornwall, as he is the Prince of Wales and the two titles go together, but the two places are separated by water - or you'd have a long walk round the edge, though they have built bridges now so it wouldn't be quite so far as it used to be.

By the way - people who sell tartan might not be the best source of information on family ties. There are exceptions, notable by their presence here on X Marks, but I would advise further research to try to ascertain your origins with greater certainty. Even if your surname is associated with a particular area, you could find a cluster of fellow Bledsoes elsewhere.

My first husband was a Winslade, which has West Country connections, but his family was from Kent, quite a distance away on the other side of the country.

The places are all connected by water, of course, which in past times was an easier means of travel than the roads.

P.S. I am just listening to some old vinyl - 'Showboat' - the song 'Old Man River' was sung by Jules Bledsoe

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[PanhandleThrower]

I certainly appreciate the info, and your right I shouldn't take one word for ironclad truth. Are there any sources for finding genealogy or geographical ancestry that you would advise?

[John_Carrick]

The area of Cornwall was called West Wales by the Anglo Saxons, from their word for "foreigner", and the indigenous peoples were pushed from their lands by the invading hoards, into Wales and Cornwall.
I was brought up to think that Cornwall, although administratively part of England, was culturally distinct.
John