James Lewis b 1814 St Davids, Pembs and d 1891 Balaklava, S Australia

[mrs.family]

I'm hoping somebody can help me with a little mystery.
I'm posting this on the Australian and the Pembrokeshire parts of the Forum.

There is a James Lewis born in St Davids, Pembrokeshire in 1814, son of Thomas Lewis, a weaver. His adult life is not definitely traceable locally, but a James Lewis was buried in 1845 [though aged 33, which puts his birth at c.1812], and a [obviously different!] James Lewis was a witness at his brother's wedding in 1850.
 Of course, James Lewis isn't an uncommon name ......so maybe neither of these is 'my' James......

There is also a James Lewis who emigrated to Australia and died in 1891; and there are a number of Trees on Ancestry, all saying
[a]James is the son of Thomas Lewis of St Davids
Thomas Lewis is a clockmaker.
Some also show [c] a ship's arrival list in which James is listed as being from 'St Davids, Mon' [Monmouthshire is of course a different county from Pembrokeshire].

I have contacted a few of these owners, asking where they got this information from - when they have replied, the reply has turned out to be "from someone else's Tree". H'm....

My gut feeling is that somebody at some time has mistaken 'cloth-maker' for 'clock-maker', and that James is quite probably who these Trees say he is.
 But as things stand, I haven't found anyone who has any PROOFS or family stories or anything else that James is actually the son of Thomas the weaver of St Davids.

This little mystery has been driving me mad for a few years now - so if anyone can help I shall be very grateful (and I shall possibly have a whole new branch of my family....).

Elaine

[omega 1]

Hello Elaine

Baptised at St Davids on 18 July 1814

James Lewis son of Thomas & Elenor

Dad Thomas a Weaver

Kind regards

omega

[Orielbenfro]

I can find no reference of a mrge of Thomas Lewis to an Eleanor(various spellings) in the area of St David's and beyond.
The only reference I can find to a mrge that fits is that of Thomas Lewis to Eleanor James at Clarbeston in 1807.
Rgds
Owen Ap Benfro

[judb]

Just in case anyone wishes to read the information on the Australian board, it's here:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=687949.0

Judith

[mrs.family]

Many thanks for the responses.

Omega - yes, that's my chap.

Oriel Benfro - I have been searching for this marriage for years, but you may have found it for me!
 I suspect Elinor (who says she was born in Llanwinio) is the Elinor James whose birth was recorded at Ramoth Baptist chapel, CwmYFelin in 1786. This is in part supported by the fact that an adult baptism is recorded at St Davids for 'Elinor Lewis the wife of Thomas the weaver' (which almost certainly makes her a non-conformist, and probably a baptist in origin); and by the fact that two of her children are named Philip and Sarah, the parents of the CwmYFelin girl.
I can't find the Clarbeston records - can you kindly point me in the right direction?

JudB - thanks for linking the two boards; I'm just off to see what's on the Oz one.

Getting a bit excited, at the thought of a possible break-through; thanks from Elaine

[mrs.family]

Thanks to the help I've received on the Australian thread, I contacted the S Aus. Geography Society about James Lewis's Bible (deposited at the Society), and they sent me images of the inscriptions in it.
These writings included the names and dobs of James' siblings - who match the siblings of James Lewis of St Davids Pembrokeshire ...BINGO....RESULT.
The connection is now PROVED.

But without the pointers from the kind Australians, I would never have found this Bible - and without the co-operation of the staff at the GeogSoc, I would not have seen the writings in it.
So a real 'crowd-source' effort, for which I am immensely grateful.
I've asked whether the GeogSoc can leave my email address with the Bible, in case anyone wants to contact me, since I have family info going back to James's gt-grandparents, and also for the descendants of his siblings. Nobody in Australia seems to have this, as far as I've been able to ascertain so far.

Goes to show that so often there IS a piece of paper which breaks through your brick wall, if  the right people come up with the right questions!

with thanks for the contributions from this thread also, Elaine
ps - Oriel Benfro - dunno whether you are able to help me track down the Clarbeston Register entry for the James/Lewis marriage in 1807? Is it at the RO in Haverfordwest? Thanks.

[judb]

Newyddion da!

Good news - so pleased it has worked out.

Judith in Oz