Davies - A Mission Impossible?

[ianto73]

On my paternal side, I have the Davies Family from my grandmother. Her mother's name is given as Thamar/Tammar - but is this the right spelling? The only other info I have is that she was from St Clears, Carmarthenshire and moved to the Rhondda Valley with husband William Davies around 1871/2 as they are listed on the census of 1881 but not 1871.
As I've said, "mission impossible".

 

[gortonboy]

hi,,why not post everything you have,,,census references, names, years of birth etc and lets see what we can come up with

 

[ianto73]

Here we go then:-
1881 census information for the small village of Blaenllechau in the Rhondda (where I hail from) shows:_
WILLIAM DAVIES - 36 Yrs from Carmarthenshire
THAMAR DAVIES - 34 Yrs from St Clears
GWILYM DAVIES - 9 Yrs - born in Blaenllechau
MARY ANN DAVIES - 7 Yrs - born in Blaenllechau

The 1891 census gives the above four, plus the following:-
EMMA HANNAH DAVIES - 9 Yrs - born in Blaenllechau (my grandmother)
RACHEL DAVIES - 5 Yrs - born in Blaenllechau
HANNAH DAVIES - 77 Yrs - from St Clears, Carmarthen.

Because of the "Davies & Evans" syndrome, I have not ventured too far in tracking down definitive details of births etc, but with a name like Thamar I felt it may be right or wrong. My Grandmother was born on 1 May 1881.
I'm reasonably certain that if any documents on this family ever existed they would have been with Mary Ann, who I recall as the Matriarch of the family and as victorian as they come! This lady personified the phrase "children should be seen and not heard"!!
Sorry that is all I have - and no contact with any relatives on that side of the family at all.
Iechydd
Brian

 

[davelambert271]

Hi youve probably got this but just in case

DAVIES, William Head Married M 53 1848 Coal Miner Llanyfeilog Carmarthenshire
DAVIES, Tamar Wife Married F 49 1852 St Clears Carmarthenshire
DAVIES, Gwilym Son Single M 28 1873 Coal Miner Llwynypia Glamorganshire
DAVIES, Emma Hannah Daughter Single F 19 1882 Dress Maker Blaenllecha GlamorganshireW
DAVIES, Rachel Daughter Single F 15 1886 Dress Maker Blaenllecha Glamorganshire

RG number: RG13
Piece: 5001
Folio: 18
Page: 28

Registration District: Pontypridd
Sub District: Llanwonno
Enumeration District: 1
Ecclesiastical Parish: Ferndale Christchurch

Civil Parish: Ystradyfodwg Municipal Borough:
Address:2, Baptist Row, Ystradyfodwg, Blaenllecha
County: Glamorganshire

dave

 

[ptjw7]

Hi
Found a marriage
but both surnames listed as Davies.

Marriages Mar 1874
Davies Tamar Pontypridd 11a 514
Davies William Pontypridd 11a 514

Also found a Tamar Jones in Trelech 8 miles north of St Clear in 1861
JONES, Samuel Head Married M 41 1820 Farmer Of 5 Acres Trelech
JONES, Mary Wife Married F 45 1816 Labourers Wife Clydey Pembrokeshire
JONES, Tamar Daughter F 10 1851 Labourers Daughter Trelech
JONES, Ann Daughter F 8 1853 Labourers Daughter Trelech
JONES, Sarah Daughter F 6 1855 Labourers Daughter Trelech
JONES, Rachel Daughter F 6 1855 Labourers Daughter Trelech
RG number: RG09
Piece: 4145
Folio: 28
Page: 17

I think you need more info to narrow the search.

peter

 

[ianto73]

Dave, so many thanks, I owe you a pint or two - the info is from the 1901 census as it ties in with the ages of my grandmother and her younger sister.
Another snippet of information not divulged - my grandmother and her sister were dress-makers? If you knew the village of Blaenllechau, you would wonder where the call was for such a trade! Again many thanks.
Brian

 

[ianto73]

Peter, I thank you for that info because it could explain why in the 1891 census Hannah Davies from St Clears was living with William and Tammar in Blaenllechau.............................the plot thickens! Who needs enemies when your ancestors with a surname of Davies marries someone with the same surname, and both coming from Carmarthenshire??

 

[davelambert271]

Hi
In those days it was far cheaper to make clothes than buy new. Old clothes were what we call recycled, and made into other clothes. they probably made things for themselves, their family, friends and neighbours. It was something to do rather than going into the pits, or mills.
My great aunts were 'dressmakers'. They were always dressed in top of the fashion clothes, made from bits and pieces, even though money was short.. They too made clothes for the family, until they married when their title changed to housewife. They still made all the clothes though....
dave

 

[gibbo]

Hi Brian,

This site might be of some help maybe for your Welsh rellies.

http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=117

We found a whole heap on oz's lot in there so could be worth a look.

 

[ianto73]

Gibbo, very many thanks - I'll spend some time on there in the not too distant future. I also have a contact in South Wales that has offered to do a little research as being there they know their way around the local information. My enemy now is time, I've an article to do on my grandmother and her school certificates for the years 1887/1888/1889/1890; finish one on my late uncle who lost his life in WWII - I have the original War Office paperwork; and another for the Battle Honour "ADEN" for my regimental journal...................in short what happened to my retirement and putting my feet up?? Some-one told me old age does not come by itself - now I know what they meant.

With luck my welsh side may not be the mission impossible I thought, again thanks or diolch yn fawr.

Brian

 

[ianto73]

Today, I took advantage of the "freebie on A" and printed off some census information. For my grandmother, Emma Hannah Davies 1901 census, they have given her mother's names as..............wait for it - "JAMES?" As shown on the replies above the lady's name was Tamar - the mind boggles!!:2fun:
How could the info as given above now be different? I'll never know.

Brian

 

[redjen68]

Hi, You seem to share my family - Emma Hannah Davies is sister to my great grandmother Rachel! My Mother Mair remembers Emma Hannah (they shortened her name as a pet name). My mother was born in Ferndale and we were only over in Blaenllechau last month for her 70th birthday meal. I have also come to a blank with Tamar and her mother or mother-in-law Hannah Davies. Look forward to hearing from you. - Jen

 

[ianto73]

Jen, what can I say, I'm totally gob-smacked - a contact on here from the "Davies" side of the clan. Have loads to chat about, some of which may be new to you. I'll send a pm in a bit.
Brian Evans

 

[leefer]

Hi, You seem to share my family - Emma Hannah Davies is sister to my great grandmother Rachel! My Mother Mair remembers Emma Hannah (they shortened her name as a pet name). My mother was born in Ferndale and we were only over in Blaenllechau last month for her 70th birthday meal. I have also come to a blank with Tamar and her mother or mother-in-law Hannah Davies. Look forward to hearing from you. - Jen

A nice story.

There is an area in Swindon named Ferndale,in fact my oldest daughter went to Ferndale infants school in Swindon.
It was named after the Welsh navvies who helped build the railtrack in Swindon in the 1800's....a fair few saw this as a better alternative than working in the grim pit industry in the Valleys and in there case Ferndale
I often deliver to the valleys Ferndale,Ystrad Mynach,Ebbw Vale and only last week i delivered to Blackwood and Pontypridd.

 

[FamilyCat]

ianto73 - I am new to this site but was very interested in your post from August 2010 my mother was born Marian Davies in Blaenllechau, Wales.
Her father was Gwilym Davies born 1872 who died in a mining accident in 1929 and is buried in LLanwonno Cemetary. His father was William Davies and his mother was Tamar Davies from St Clears, Carmarthenshire, I believe both were buried in Llanwonno as well. I am just starting to read all the posts in this thread.

 

[horse]

Hi David

Welcome to the site; good luck with your research..

Geoff

 

[FamilyCat]

Ok, I've read through the threads....I've got this feeling that the initial thread is a cousin in Wales, which I now need to confirm. Strange coincidence if I'm correct.

 

[redjen68]

Hi FamilyCat, I think Brian can corroborate this fact - unfortunately our Gwilym Davies was unmarried, nor did he have children. My mother, his great-niece, tells me this. Perhaps the search for your Gwilym has taken this false path if some of their details match. I know that my own journey took me down many blind allies ... Good luck with your search.

 

[thecelticbard]

Hello. I can't believe I started this 8 years ago, and have always been in awe of the support from the moderators and owners of the site. Thanks is not even anywhere near my gratitude.

However, a post above said that there was a marriage between William and Tamar Davies in 1874 PONTYPRIDD. I've tried to get a copy of that certificate on line but it was rejected. This could well be because the different spelling of Tamar between the actual document and that which is listed on the free BMD.

I think we've all accepted that such documents were written by people who took the details and used their own interpretation of the spelling.

If this marriage is part of my family, (which I believe it is, but can't prove it....yet) does anyone have any ideas on how I should proceed?

Thanks folks.

Brian

 

[p.risboy]

Purchase the cert from the GRO, using these details Brian.

William Davies
Event Type - Marriage
Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration Year 1874
Registration District Pontypridd
County Glamorganshire
Event Place Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, Wales
Volume - 11A
Page - 514


Brides Listed;
Name - Tamar Davies
Name - Elizabeth Hopkins


Steve.