Welsh descendants sought

    Harvard's Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures is in search of the New England Welsh, descendants of a group whose numbers included Abraham Lincoln, Richard Price and Frank Lloyd Wright, not to mention (possibly) the 12th-century prince, Madog ab Owain Gwynedd who was the first European to set foot on the continent in 1170, and Richard Amerik, after whom the continent was named (equally possibly!). Among the most notable of the New England Welsh is of course Elihu Yale, who gave the Welsh name of Iâl to Connecticut's most famous college, and John Harvard has also been identified as being of Norman-Welsh ancestry.
    A Harvard project (in cooperation with the UK Consulate General in Boston and the Welsh Assembly Government, New York) is seeking to uncover more of this remarkable – though often forgotten – history, and especially to discover where the Welsh are now in New England: many of them probably don't realize themselves that they are part of this heritage. An initial stage is to uncover the Welsh population of New England, and to revive centuries-old connections.
    Williams, Jones, Evans, Davies, Walsh, Vaughan, Phillips, Price, Bowen, Lloyd, Thomas, Pritchard, Llywelyn, Morgan, Gwynn – if this is your surname, chances are you're of Welsh descent (and if you're surname is different, that far from rules you out!). And if you have Welsh connections, Harvard would like to hear from you.
    Harvard's Celtic Department would like to track any existing New England links with Wales, with the aim of helping to develop the links and add to the cultural diversity and business potential of both regions. Those with Welsh links of any kind can visit www.WalesNewEngland.blogspot.com to find out more.