Hi Marsha
Good you hear from you.
In answer to your question; yes; Dolphin Cole married Margaret Watkins on 10 July 1873 and the son of George and Mary Cole nee Price.
Do you know a Mrs Thea Hinton of Yorkshire, UK? If so then I suspect you are already aware of me; if not then I'm afraid its disappointing news for I am not related. However all is not lost so let me explain why I have an interest in Dolphin Cole. My name is Royston Smith, retired and live in Caerphilly with my wife Jen. I have a great passion for family history and have been researching my families past for well over thirty years. On approaching retirement I thought it would be a challenge to research the village of my childhood with the aim of writing its history. I was raised in the former coal mining village of Brithdir, in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales and it is there my roots are firmly planted. To that end for the past three years I have been researching anything and everything to do with Brithdir and I am pleased to say, to date, I have taken Brithdir’s history back to the 1700s when the only people residing here then were the farmers.
At this moment in time I am working my way through the censuses 1841-1901 researching everyone who were born, married and died in the village. This includes those who migrated in from elsewhere and even those who just passed through. I feel that everyone as played their part and given some contribution to the growth of the village and deserve to be part of my studies. I am pleased to say also that many people have responded well to the project and my collection of photographs is growing steadily.
My interest in Dolphin Cole stems from the fact he is listed as farm bailiff at Gwaelod y Brithdir farm on the 1891 census. Gwaelody y Brithdir is one of three local farms and it is with the farms I began my quest to tell Brithdir’s story as each as played its part in the history of the village. Mrs Thea Hinton made contact via RootsChat because she is researching a brother to Dolphin, namely George Cole and as helped a great deal.
As you can imagine a project of this size ‘researching anything and everyone with a connection to Brithdir’ as meant a growing collection of files full of details, and photographs. Letters from Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, and South Africa have made their way to my letterbox. Also contacts have been made with people all over the UK, descendants of former residents tracing their forebears. On my part this project is a labour of love but not a one way thing by far for as much as people help me I reciprocate by helping them and others with family histories.
If you can help in anyway I would be more than happy to hear from you.
Best wishes
Roy
