Research Trip 2018 (3)

Today was a dedicated shopping day with a trip over to West Wales and Carmarthen but I was able to return to Rhayader via a small place called Llys-Wen between Brecon and Builth Wells. As I arrived there, I realised I had been here before; always travelling through but never stopping. 

I wanted to call in here to see if I could find any confirmations about David Jones, my great great uncle and son of Richard (the first) Jones. The David Jones who lived at Llys-Wen married Louisa Newman, the postmistress in 1879. I'm presuming this is 'my' David as his profession is given as blacksmith and his father's name is given as Richard Jones, profession, blacksmith. On subsequent censuses he gives his place of birth as Llananno which also helps to confirm my thinking. 

My only misgivings are that later a second christian name appears- Timothy - although this is this paternal grandfather's name. Looking him up on findmypast led to reports in the Western Mail on 23 June 1915: Mr David Jones, Llyswen Breconshire, was found drowned in the River Wye early on Tuesday morning. He went to the river to bathe on the previous evening. The deceased was the village postman and smith and had lived in Llyswen over 40 years. He was 60 years.

On 24 June 1915: An inquiry was held in the parish hall. Miss Ophelia Jones, daughter, said that when he left the house Monday evening he told her he was going to the river to bathe. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Two years later, tragedy again hit the family when David and Louisa's son, John Jones, serving with 11th Battalion South Wales Borderers was killed in action in France on 31 July 1917. He's commemorated on a panel at the Menin Gate, Ypres and the memorial in St Gwendoline's Church in Llys-wen. 

Research Trip 2018 (1)

So, now that I have retired, I have decided that I should have some research trips to further my researches. This first year, I have focussed on mid-Wales as the release of the 1939 Register in the UK has meant I've gained lots of extra information on both sides of the family. 

This week, I am in Rhayader, Powys - it's more or less central to the places I wish to visit; Newtown, Llandrindod Wells (location of Powys Archives), Llanbadarn Fynydd and so on. Since today is Sunday, I've been to church (St Clement's, Rhayader) and it's been a pleasure for me to take communion with the Church in Wales again after a break of about 3 years. The congregation was welcoming and interested to hear that I was on a family history research trip. After the service, I couldn't resist a mooch around the churchyard and was rewarded (I hope) to discover a headstone for Richard Oliver Jones, blacksmith. I think this is a son of James Jones (my great uncle who was the blacksmith at Llanbadarn Fynydd). I'll have to order a marriage certificate to confirm (or not) the details, of course. 

In the afternoon, I travelled over to Llanllwchaiarn, hoping that the church may be open - sadly not, but I did have a look around the churchyard again. I presume that quite a few of my forebears are buried here but either they haven't had headstones or they've long been overgrown and/or deteriorated. 

For example, I understand that my grandmother, Ethel (Morris) Jones is buried in a common grave in front of the headstone here. Born in Newtown, she died in Nuneaton, Warwickshire in 1927 after the birth of my Dad's younger brother. It's sad that a) she's buried in a common grave and b) that there's no marker. I shall have to look into what can be done to rectify this. 

While in Newtown (Llanllwchaiarn is essentially a part on Newtown these days, although a different parish) I went to the municipal cemetery. I have never been here before, despite having made several trips, so didn't know what to expect. I shall have to look at the Memorial Inscriptions held at Powys Archives (which I have booked to visit on Wednesday) so see if I need to make another visit before I go home. 

All in all, it's been a good day - the weather has been glorious and this is a lovely part of the world. Here's a picture of the view from my bedroom window in Rhayader:

More tomorrow

Finding Timothy

While making arrangements for Mum's funeral, I had to go into Cardiff City Library to access an attachment to an e-mail I'd received (it was PowerPoint which I can't currently open on my PC). Since I'd booked the computer for an hour, I thought I'd use the time to use 'findmypast.com' which I don't have a subscription for but you can access in most libraries. Findmypast and Ancestry have different resources so it's often a question of subscribing to one rather than both (at least for those of us on a budget)

Anyway, findmypast have Parish Burial Records and as a reader of this blog may remember, I've had trouble finding my ggg grandfather, Timothy Jones, the first of my blacksmithing Joneses. And there he was in the records for St Llonio, Llandinam (Montgomeryshire):

Timothy Jones, abode Kerry, buried 28 Jan 1824 aged 35

Which of course begs a few questions! Why was he buried in Llandinam when his abode was Kerry? Was he visiting Llandinam - there's a smithy there, was he working there? Did he die in Llandinam? Why didn't they take him home to Kerry?

One mystery solved, another takes its place

The ghost of Timothy Jones

Born probably in the 1780s, my great great great grandfatherTimothy Jones is my earliest Jones and the one I know least about (apart from my grandfather Pryce Jones but he'll appear later) so he has a sort of ghostly presence at the top of the tree.

He first appears (in research so far) getting married in Llangurig (Montgomeryshire) church on 16 January 1808 to Hannah Lewis and they were btp - both of this parish - though further poring over a distinctly indistinct microfilm viewer in the National Library in Aberystwyth failed to find any other trace of either of them.

The next time he pops up is 6 years later in the records of the parish of Dolfor, Montgomeryshire when Elizabeth, daughter of Timothy Jones, blacksmith and Hannah his wife was baptised in 23 Sept 1814. Timothy (junior) followed on 9 Apr 1818, Richard (my gg grandfather) on 5 Aug 1821, Jane on 28 Apr 1823. And then...
Anne, illegitimate daughter of Hannah Jones and James Mills was baptised on 3 Aug 1828.

Ble mae Timothy? Where is Timothy? There's no burial record for Timothy in Dolfor or even Llangurig. I can't find anything in freereg that matches. Where did he die? In Dolfor and taken somewhere else to be buried? Did he die elsewhere and get buried where he fell?

Some things I do know, he was a blacksmith; the smithy at Dolfor is still standing; at least 4 more generations of Joneses were smiths and, one of these days, I'll 'find' the real Timothy Jones.