Genealogy Chat

I've heard people say there's a blood line in Wales that produces darker skinned and darker haired people than usual. Apparently it can be traced back to the Spaniards (a long time ago). Is this true, and does anyone know more on the subject? I can't trace further back than my Welsh grandmother on one line, her son and grandson are both dark - although I don't know what my grandmother herself looked like.

Rebekah I don't know that there is one particular Welsh line, I havent ever heard that (but it could be true!). The Welsh had Spanish and Portuguese input many times over the centuries, mostly from shipping trade and it is this 'mixed race' heritage which presumably accounts for some Welsh people being latin looking.I doubt very much if it stems from just one person. Its the same here in St Ives, Cornwall, where I live. It used to be an extremely isolated fishing village which got more visitors by sea than it ever did by land - lots of these were fishermen, sailors etc from all parts of the world. Many St Ives people are quite dark skinned, tan easily, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. UPDATE - I forgot the punchline. I was highly amused to see a very old map of the British Isles. Cornwall was described as 'West Wales' lol! I bet not many Cornish people know that! OC

Rebekah, I know many Italians moved into the Welsh valleys in the 1890s selling ice creams and sweets and coffee. Rose

Thankyou, Im intrigued. So its maybe either the Spanish or Italians my family are descended from. My great grandmothers name was Gentila, so it could be foreign I think.

I've heard this and certainly my husband's Welsh lot have several folk that have a distinctly Iberian look. nell

That said, Welsh folk aren't renowned for their blond looks! There's a red-haired strain which I think is Celtic and the rest were darkish. nell

The way I heard it, the Romans forced the indigenous population Westwards, so the Welsh can claim to be the original British.

Would you like to post your Gran's details and sombody could have a look and see if they could find out a bit more about her?

Paul I think the Jury's still out on that one! It is true that the Romans didnt bother much with Wales and the Welsh - there wasnt really anything in Wales that they wanted (other than gold) and the geography of Wales made it extremely difficult to tame a mostly scattered population. But, to claim that the Welsh are the true British is a bit much of them! The Welsh must have been subject to input from other 'races' just as much as any other population, so who can ever say what the 'True British Race' really is? How far back do you need to go, to find a race or tribe in the British Isles that had never had any 'foreign' input? OC

In any case, it wasn't the Romans who pushed the original Britons westward - it was the Angles & Saxons, who came along after the Roman occupation ended. The Britons actually assimilated quite considerably with the Romans - certainly more so than they did with the Anglo-Saxons, who basically eliminated Celtic culture from most of England.

Richard Yes - I have recently been reading about the total annihilation of the Celtic Catholic Church in Britain (the first Christian Church) by the Roman Catholic Church in about 350-450. Small pockets of resistance remained until about 700AD, when the Celtic Catholics finally disappear altogether. And it is unlikely that a 'true British' race will ever be defined - if you go back to pre-history, then the Britons were likely to have been people who wandered in from the continental land mass anyway. OC

Oh Christine, bad example I'm afraid! The German word for window is... Das Fenster ! Richard :)

The only Gentila/Gentilla/Gentilia I can find had the surname Noakes. Her parents were Elihu ??? Noakes and Prudence Bucklan who married Q Jun 1845 Clutton (Somerset) 11 127. In the 1851 Census Gentila's place of birth is given as Pontypool but both her parents and all her siblings were born in Somerset. Her Dad was from Timsbury and her Mum was from Midsomer Norton. Is this the person you are looking for?

I find this all deeply interesting. From a mild study of genetics, I do know that we all originated from Africa! And that we all got to Britain by different routes! OC

Thanks Helen. Unfortunately I don't think it'll be possible, as I've posted them on every Genealogy board known to man...but her birth and marriage cant be found. My grandmother was Violet E Price. No prob there, but its her mother who's the mystery. I don't want to waste anyone's time on this, as Im thinking she may even have been adopted and her birth name wasnt the same as the one she generally used. My great gran, Gentila Price nee Roberts (info obtained from Violets birth cert) married a Percy Price born in Bridgend. Violet was born 1924, and Gentila married him before then. They lived at Pleasant View, Brynmenyn, Bridgend. Ive been thinking poss Gentila was widdowed when she married Percy - and maybe Roberts was her previous married name. Her birth surname may have been different.

Hi, I don't know when Gentila was born, which is a prob. Ive scoured Ancestry BMDs twice over; for both her birth AND marriage. And cant even find a death for her!! Its so odd. That may have been her Helen, I dont know...her daughter was born 1924. I cant find Gentila on a census so presume she was born after 1901,

Rebekah, It might be worth searching the ancestry images for other children. Does your mum or dad know if Violet had siblings? What about trying to find her grave? Do you have a scan of the birth cert we can look at? Rose

all i can say is thative got four welsh children(north wales)two have dark hair and pale skin,one has dark skin and black hair(very spanish looking)and one is blond with blue eyes,(all have the same dad) hes welsh aim a scouser,sort that one out.xx

Hi Portland Rose. Im afraid that owing to an adoption (not concerning Gentila), Ive never even met Violet. Id love to know if she had siblings...I just dont know tho. Yes I could scan Violets birth cert if I can find my folder, we've just moved. All thats on it is her parents names and address, as well as Violets info, and I can remember all of it off by heart.