Welsh Brick Wall No 1

[ianto73]

Here goes for the first attempt:- It's who was my paternal grandfather's mother? According to the birth certificate, Evan John Evans was born in May 1879 at 298 Cardiff Road, Aberdare, mother Ann Evans with no father listed! On the 1881 Census, Evan John aged 1 is living at Underhill Cottages, Blaenllechau, Rhondda with Elisabeth Evans (56); David Evans (26) who turns out to be the father and is listed on Evan John's marriage certificate in 1905; and Samuel Evans (21). The Evans family are known to have lived in Carmarthenshire prior to moving to the Rhondda when the coal mines opened up. So what happened to Ann Evans? Did she die in childbirth? On the 1881 census there was a servant girl working on a farm in the area aged 22 years, but would some-one in those days still be in the area after giving birth to a child out of wedlock?? The mind boggles! Two cemeteries in the area would be Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil I suppose but with this common name, I'm not holding my breath! Evans and Evans - urgh!

 

[davelambert271]

hi Brian

there is an Ann Evans born c1853/4 in Aberdare, (where Evan was born), who is living with parents John and Catherine in 81/91, Catherine in 1901. She is with elder brother Thomas in 1911 as well as on all the other census returns.

1861 - 4067-87-30
1871 - 5406-57-3
1881 - 5321-28-6
1891 - 4444-18-29
1901 - 5035-52-5

 

[ianto73]

Thanks Dave, but in my own mind, this is the scenario that I've pictured of the events:
David Evans (the father) was working in the pits in the Ferndale/Blaenllechau area before 1871 when he, two brothers and parents moved from Carmarthenshire-I've got that from 1871 census. Evan John was born in Aberdare and between Blaenllechau and Aberdare, there is a most inhospitable mountain which would prevent any idea of 'courting', so Ann Evans (the mother) was resident in the area and IMHO was taken to Aberdare to have the baby due to the stigma of the day! The answer to the obvious question WHY, in my mind is that Ann Evans could have been a junior, i.e. under 18 certainly! 298 Cardiff Road, Aberdare in 18871/1881 was occupied by a family of 'ROBERTS'. David Evans's older brother John had married a lady born in Aberdare called Ellen, but surname as far as I know is not known, and that is the only connection I've got. As I've said, "Brick Walls and Skeletons", what a life!