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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Sophia Davies was my great grandmother born 1857, and her sister was Mary Ann, born 1855; both in Garnfach, Mon.
On the 1861 census both girls were in the Kington Workhouse, having been abandoned on a bridge near Abergavenny and taken there (Family oral history; why Kington?) Their birth certificates show that their parents were Harriett Davies of Garnfach and William Heritage. William died of Smallpox in Brynmawr, Brecs. in 1857.
I have not been able to find the Heritage/Davies marriage,a death ,or "re marriage" for Harriet.
I assumed that the girls had been rejected by the Davies family, but I probably owe them an apology for thinking that, as Harriet's parents were quite elderly for those days. Her father was Evan Davies, an agent at Nantyglo Ironworks. On the 1841 census he was 60 and wife Mary, 55. They were from Carmarthenshire, at least Mary was, according to the '51 which describes her as a widow. Harriet is there, 20, a dressmaker, and also 32 year old brother Caleb, also a mineral agent.
After all that, my query is about the '71 census. I have not been able to find Sophia or Mary Ann in Herefordshire or Monmouthshire using either the Davies or Heritage surnames.
I know both their histories from the '81 census onwards. I am trying to find out when they were discharged from the workhouse and where they went to work. I know Mary Ann had an illegitimate child, Elizabeth Ann, at the workhouse around 1872 ,and that she married a farm worker, George Russell, around 1878. The Russells were living in Pershore in 1881. Elizabeth Ann is George Russell's stepdaughter and surnamed Heritage.
My ancestor Sophia went to live in Abergavenny at some time , and she, too, then gave her surname as Heritage. She had 3/4 children out of wedlock before marrying my great grandfather James Jenkins in Abergavenny in 1884. There followed another 9 children!
Sorry to be so wordy. I understand that the records for Kington workhouse are not in a good condition, so I may not have much luck there. If anyone could find them on the '71, I would be most grateful.
Marion Lambert
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