Welsh Census Deciphering!

[josey]

Well found - keep them on a back burner!! I think Mary's surname on 1881 census is spelled Sheehan but this need only be a phonetic interpretation by the enumerator.

Ellen aged 10 in 1871 is not John Sheen's which is why I thought Elizabeth must have remarried after 1860 & before 1866-7 [birth of Elizabeth]. Who knows - she may have been married & widowed a 2nd time before she married John Sheen!! Ellen's birth certificate should give you Elizabeth's maiden name; Bedwellty [created 1861 see http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/bedwelty.html is the registration district that covered Sirhowy.
But this looks a possible from freebmd for Elizabeth [John & Elizabeth's]
Name:   Elizabeth Sheen
Registration Year:   1866
Registration Quarter:   Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district:   Bedwellty
Volume:   11a
Page:   115   

This COULD be Sarah's birth [before 1861 when Bedwellty was created]
Births Mar 1852   
TAYLOR    Sarah        Crickhowell    11b   127    

It may be a few certificates will be required - Richard & Sarah's as a start to check her name WAS Taylor, then a birth certificate or 2 to find Elizabeth's maiden name.

I have looked in the 1861 census for Elizabeths born Presteigne 1838 - 1842 but all seems to still be with the same husbands in 1871.

[JennyMarieGradwell]

Thank you Josey! I have just ordered from Powys Council a birth certificate and marriage certificate for (I hope) Sarah Taylor.

Through searching through this forum I picked up that the family (Richard, Sarah & children) lived at 5 Morgan Row along with the whole Sheehea (?) clan. This surname might be wrong because the handwriting on this census is terrible! I have screen captured the original and Ancestry.co.uk interpretation but I think it must be wrong. i.e. I think 'County Cary' is actually 'County Cork'.

Mary Sheehea is listed as 'sister in law' along with the Mahoneys, but I know from the1871 census that Mary Sheen is Sarah's step-sister and has the same year of birth as Mary Sheehea.

Maybe Mary Sheehea should actually be listed as Mary Sheen? It seems like such a coincidence otherwise, but I know that's possible 

Any ideas on some of the other more messy words? 

Full version is here: https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5562/14959005822_9e120b555b_o.jpg

Thank you 

[josey]

You have to remember that the enumerator copied from a householder's return, or wrote verbatim what they heard. You are talking about a [preumably] Welsh enumerator & Irish residents, plenty of scope for misinterpretation & mis-hearing. And for instance this enumerator has spelled Ireland phonetically 'I-erland' in every instance. Also ancestry are notorious for mistrancriptions.

I am sure that 'Sheehan' & 'Sheen' sound the same, so the family must have settled on the latter spelling. There is an Irish surname 'Shea' but as far as I know it is pronounced 'Shay'. As for the County Cary - yes, that's what it looks like, only other suggestion is County Clare.

Relationship names were less strict in those days, step relations were often referred to as 'in-laws'. We will all be very interested to see the details from the certificates when they arrive!!