In the fifth episode of Series Seven, host Andrew Martin meets anthropologist and Welsh professional genealogist, Dai Davies, and finds out how they got hooked on researching family history, the challenges of researching Welsh family history from afar, and their thoughts on how the genealogy community could become a better place.

THE LIFE STORY - DAVID DAVIES
Dai has chosen to tell the life story of their 8x Great Uncle, David Davies who was born in 1754 in a small parish near Lampeter in West Wales, and was the son of tenant farmers and Wesleyan Methodists. 

Dai was excited to discover this person in their tree, as David Davies was a highly influential educator, minister, and political poet in Wales during the 18th Century. He is known to have had a school in Castell Hywel, and was a minister at Llwynrhydowen Chapel.

His work to translate English into Welsh for the newly literate communities, resulted in him even being described as 'improving into Welsh' on the popular poem by Thomas Gray - 'Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard'.  However, sometimes his political thoughts on the rapidly changing world around him, including the French Revolution, would cause controversy.

THE BRICK WALL - DAVID THOMAS
It's the family of Dai's 7x Great Grandfather David Thomas (brother-in-law of the above David Davies), that has them stuck for answers.

Dai has found 76 records attributed to David Thomas, and knows about his life between 1757 and his death in 1816, Lampeter in Ceredigion, Wales, but Dai has found no trace of David Thomas' parents or siblings. 

• Who were David Thomas' parents?
• Who were David Thomas' siblings?
• Where was David Thomas pre-1757? 

If you think that you can offer Dai a research clue or idea, then you can email them on the address they give in the episode, or find them at @GenealCymru at Twitter. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we'll pass it straight on.

In the meanwhile, Dai has concerns about Andrew's offer of help... will this source be reliable?

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Episode Credits:

• Andrew Martin - Host and Producer
• Dai Davies - Guest
• John Spike - Sándor Petőfi

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