01 May 2012
This May will be Local Community History Month, and Caerphilly County Borough Council is encouraging residents to discover their ancestors.
There could be some fascinating stories hidden in the family histories of Caerphilly's residents, so the council are encouraging everyone to head to Bargoed Library to take advantage of their vast and varied genealogy facilities.
Bargoed is already noted as the birthplace of cultural icons such as the popular poet John Tripp, and comedy actress Doris Hare, who played Mum in the sixties sitcom "On the Buses". Can you dig up any famous family members with the help of library staff?
Whether the branches of a family tree include inspirational inventors or run-of-the-mill road sweepers, as the main centre for Family History in the borough, Bargoed Library's staff are happy to provide assistance to customers carrying out their Family History research and offer free starter advice by appointment
Gareth Evans from the council's Libraries Service explained the services offered at Bargoed Library. He said, "The family history facilities offered at Bargoed Library, and the staff who work there, aim to assist all residents from across Caerphilly county borough to discover their ancestors. During Local Community History Month, I would encourage all our residents to take full advantage of the facilities and help to unravel the rich history buried in our borough."
Bargoed Library is situated in the recently renovated Hanbury Chapel. It houses local censuses for the years 1841-1911 and Civil Registration Indexes for the years 1837-2002 which includes births, deaths and marriages.
Other resources include local parish registers on microfiche, monumental inscriptions, tithe maps and historical Ordnance Survey maps. A number of pre-1950 local newspapers are also available on microfilm and these include the South Wales Echo and Merthyr Express.
A full list of resources can be obtained from Bargoed Library by calling 01443 864714.
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