Kylie's north Wales family links

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The 1911 census unveils secrets for many family history enthusiasts

Revelations in the 1911 census show pop princess Kylie Minogue's ancestors came not only from south Wales, but from the north of the country as well.

It is well known the singer's mother was born in Maesteg, near Bridgend, but it now appears her great-grandmother was from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd.

The 1911 census for Wales goes online on Tuesday.

The Australian singer was controversially named as one of the great Welsh women of all time in 2001.

Kylie's mother Carol Jones was born in Maesteg where her family ran the local post office.

In 1911 her ancestors were some of the 2.4m people who lived in Wales and filled in the handwritten census forms.

Colliery

According to the records, Kylie's maternal great-grandmother Maggie Hughes was living with her parents, the singer's great-great-grandparents, Elias and Margaret Hughes in Maesteg.

Elias was a colliery labourer and had been born in north Wales.

Margaret and the majority of her children had been born in the old county of Meirionydd and this included Maggie, who had been born in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The family could speak both English and Welsh.

Kylie's maternal great-grandfather George Morgan Riddiford was living with his parents, Minogue's great-great-grandparents, Morgan and Mary Riddiford in Bridgend.

Morgan was employed as a mason's labourer in a colliery.

The 1911 census also contains details about the lives of some of Wales' other famous sons and daughters, such as Charlotte Church and Aneurin (Nye) Bevan.

In 1911, Bevan, the founding father of the NHS, was aged 13 and a coal miner at Tytryst Colliery.

He was living with his parents, two brothers, four sisters and an uncle at 7 Charles Street, Tredegar in Monmouthshire.

According to the records, singer Charlotte Church's maternal great-grandfather Arthur Cooper was a Cardiff boot maker.

Rachel, Ms Church's great-great-grandmother, gave birth to 15 children, but only seven survived.

Due to public demand for the 1911 census, the records have been released as soon as they have been digitalised.

Aneurin Bevan was the founder of the NHS

Records from other parts of the UK were released in January.

The census for Wales has been developed by family history website findmypast.com, in association with The National Archives.

Oliver Morley, director of customer and business development at The National Archives, said: "This is a major achievement.

"By teaming up with findmypast.com, we are bringing history to life for millions.

"This remarkable record is available online to researchers and family historians all over the world for future generations.

"The 1911 census is a poignant reflection of how different life was in early 20th Century Wales, before the Great War."