Tuesday 27 November 2012

Jones of the Day

Today's Jones is Richard (the first) the one born to Timothy and Hannah of Dolfor, Kerry in 1821 (well, he was baptised on 5 Aug 1821).

That 'Kerry' has caused problems for those transcribing censuses or rather, for those searching transcribed censuses. This Kerry is a couple of miles outside Newtown in the old county of Montgomeryshire (modern day Powys), it's not the Kerry in Ireland. I'd been searching for a Jones born in Wales; the transcriber listed him as being born in Ireland. It could be a lifetime's work to correct all the mis-transcription of just Welsh placenames on Ancestry, never mind all the other service providers.

At some point between 1841 and 1842, Richard moved to Llanbadarn Fynydd in Radnorshire (not too far along the A483) and a couple of years later, a mile or so along the same road to Llananno to Woodside. The Old Smithy is now a holiday let. While in Llanbadarn Fynydd he married Charlotte Price. Charlotte's mother, Mary Mantle Price was the sister of Charlotte and Richard's son Richard (Richard the second)'s second wife Sarah Mantle's grandfather. With me so far? This means Mary Mantle Price and her husband James Price appear twice in my family tree.

Having read through the Llanbadarn Fynydd parish registers and seen the number of illegitimate births I imagine it must have been terribly important to read the banns of marriage and I wonder how many didn't go ahead due to consanguinity issues. But more of that when I get on to the Mantle line!

Richard and Charlotte had several children; 3 died in infancy (Arthur, Mary and Edwin) but my researches have focused on the direct line - Richard the second - and also his younger brother James Jones (who deserves, and will get, a post of his own).

There is something left to research on Richard the first and the question to be resolved is highlighted in the 1881 and 1891 censuses. In 1881, at the Smith Shop in Llanbadarn Fynydd (he moved back), a Mary Stephens (aged 52) is listed as a servant; at the bottom of that household's entry is Margaret Stephens (aged 10) who's listed as 'daughter' though it's not clear whose daughter she is. In 1891 the mystery is compounded as Margaret Stephens (now aged 20) is listed as 'granddaughter' directly under Richard's name and above Mary Stephens (68) who's listed again as a servant.  Who's the daddy? If I get a spare £9.75 (the cost of a certificate from the GRO) sometime perhaps I'll find out.

Richard died back at Woodside on 2 February 1902; he's described as 'Retired Blacksmith (Master); the cause of death was 'senile decay 8 years, exhaustion 12 months'. The informant was Richard Jones, grandson (this Richard isn't in my direct line but since there aren't any other Richards, he may as well be Richard the third and there's an interesting tale about him too for another day).

No comments:

Post a Comment