Fear not the rabbit holes! Looking beyond your direct ancestors is actually a crucial part of developing a deep understanding of your family history and breaking down your brick walls. In this talk, Dai discusses the concept of the “family ivy”—those families that appear generation after generation on the margins of your family tree—and how best to use it. The Family Ivy is a concept that sits somewhere between the FAN method, pedigree collapse, and those pesky rabbit holes.
Dai Davies is a professional genealogist who draws from a background in anthropology (MA & BA (Hons)) to explore ancestral stories with a special focus on social identity. Understanding local culture and history is central to this approach. Much of Dai’s research focusses on South Wales, nonconformist movements, and rural to urban migration. You can find much of Dai’s work for free on the GenealCymru YouTube channel where the mission is to get people excited to research their Welsh and British ancestors and prepare them with the knowledge and skills to successfully do so. So far, Dai’s work through GenealCymru has reached over 1.2 million people.”