Welsh Family History

[McGahonj1]

Hello, I am really struggling with my Gr. Gr Grandparents. I found my Gr Gr Grandmother on the 1871 Census at Escomb - she is Ann Owen, with parents Mary and Owen Owen. I think I have her birth as 11/06/1853 at Ferns yard, Mold. Her parents are Mary Owens formally Owens and Owen Owens who are described as coming from Dolwyddelan, Wales. I am struggling to find anything about these two.
I thought I had found Ann's brother Cadwalader Owens born 23/03/1856 but his mother is described as Mary Owens formally Thomas.
Ann Owen married John Williams in 1873, a widower from Wales.
I would love to know which part of Wales my ancestors came from and would be grateful for any help.
Thank you, Jane

 

[Robesur]

Presumably you have purchased the birth certificates for the Ann and Cadwaleder Owens to which you refer. I would say that the one for Cadwaleder is most likely to be correct as he has an unusual name, whilst there are a lot of Ann Owen(s) about. Is Ann Owens the person that married a John Williams In the Auckland district in 1873 and is with him at Whitworth in 1881 with 5 children including an 11 year old Margaret. If so I notice that she gives her age as 30, much older than the age recorded in 1871.

Looking at the age given in 1871, 16 it occured to me that she may be the mother of the grandchild, Margaretta, but she was rather young, however looking closely the age seems to have been altered and there is a vague 2 written next to the 1. Was she in fact nearer the age given in 1881, b. c. 1850. If so there was an Ann Owen registered in the Holywell district, June 1849, 27, 271, who had a mother with the maiden name Thomas, although without a certificate I cannot tell if her father was Owen Owen.

Family search gives the baptism of 2 Owen Owen in the parish of Dolwyddelan, around the time that yours was born, 30 March 1817, son of a William Owen and an Anne Jones and 1 Jan 1813, son of a John Owen and Eleanor Jones. On census there is one Owen Owen born in the parish and living in the Llanrwst district of around the correct age and a death age 76 was registered in 1931. So could yours be the other?

I cannot see an obvious marriage to a Mary Thomas, this could have taken place anytime from the early 1830s, before registration up to the 1850s, if earlier there could be other children but I cannot see the family on earlier census.

 

[McGahonj1]

Thank you very much for looking for me. Yes, Ann married John Williams (another story altogether!) who is described as a widower. I purchased the birth certificate for Margaret Williams born 1870 and her mother is Mary Spoor. I also purchased the birth certificate for Margaretta Owen and Ann is her mother. I couldn't find any other trace of this girl.
I will get the certificate for Ann born in 1849 and have a look.
I am not very good when there are choices of two or three dates of birth or baptisms at working out which is the correct one.
Thanks again, Jane

 

[Robesur]

If you are prepared to wait longer for the certificate to be delivered, then I suggest that you do not give a reference number on your order to the GRO. If you answer NO to the question, 'Do you have the reference number?' then a new page will open and you can give the information that you want, such as father Owen Owen(s), mother Mary, etc., you could give the Holywell district to avoid the chance of another Ann with the same named parents, unless you think that she was not born in Mold. You will have to give a year, say 1849, and the GRO will search a year either side. If therefore the 1849 one does not have the correct parents they will not send a certificate and refund your money.