Birth David Jenkins of Whitchurch Completed ,thanks

[ellvera]

I would appreciate some guidance on how to search for the birth record of David Jenkins,born in Whitchurch in approx 1801.

Information on the death certificate of his son, John Jenkins ,signalman of  Duries town,Wanganui ,NZ  gives his parents as David Jenkins, blacksmith and Martha Jenkins formerly Griffiths.
 John had been in New Zealand 48 years at the time of his death in 1890 and was born in “South Wales”.
With a name like Jenkins,I thought my chances of finding his family were slim and so, was thrilled to discover what looked like his family on the 1841 census:

1841 CENSUS WHITCHURCH,LOWER SOLVA
David Jenkins 40 Smith Yes
Martha Jenkins 35 No Occ Yes
Jane Jenkins 15 No Occ Yes
Phillip Jenkins 10 No Occ Yes
Henry Jenkins 6 No Occ Yes
Anne Jenkins 2 No Occ Yes
Elizabeth Jenkins 1 No Occ Yes

(John Jenkins,15 Mariner ,born in County, living a few houses along, possibly son of David and Martha?
Living or boarding with John Griffiths, age 30,Draper,born in County)

John arrived in NZ in approximately  1842 – I have not been able to find him on a passenger list and although he was described as a signalman on his death certificate, in any other records, he is a mariner, so I must assume he worked his passage.
Other reasons to suppose this is his family is that he had a brother, Phillip who followed him to NZ (not on a passenger list either) and in the 1880’s.his brother Henry’s daughter, Martha also emigrated to NZ and married the brother of John’s daughter in law, Maria Hook.

Thanks to a link on this board, I was able to establish that the marriage of David Jenkins and Martha Griffiths took place at Whitchurch on 15th May 1821.
Next, I looked for a film in the LDS library – the only one that could possibly contain the information was the bishops transcripts of Whitchurch 1674 – 1890.Which I have looked carefully at over the last couple of months.

This has confirmed the marriage for me and the baptisms of their children:
Mary bapt 19/7/1822 Middle Mill
John bapt 9/3/1824 Middle Mill
Jane bapt 5/4/1826 Lower Solva
Phillip bapt 18/5/1828 Lower Solva (buried 17/6/1829)
Phillip bapt 30/5/1830 Lower Solva
William bapt 3/3/1833 Lower Solva
Henry bapt 9/4/1835 Lower Solva
Anne bapt 7/12/1837 Lower Solva
Elizabeth Bapt 31/7/1840 Lower Solva.

I haven’t been able to find the family on the 1851 census (on FindMyPast) and by 1861,David has remarried:
1861 CENSUS WHITCHURCH,LOWER SOLVA,MAIN STREET
David Jenkins Head Married 59 Blacksmith Master, employing 1 man born Whitchurch Pembrokeshire
Margaret Jenkins Wife Married 58 No Occ born Hubberston Pembrokeshire
Anne Jenkins Daur Married 24 Sailor's wife born Whitchurch Pembrokeshire

His son, Henry has also set himself up as a blacksmith:

1861 CENSUS WHITCHURCH, LOWER SOLVA
Henry Jenkins Head Married 35 Blacksmith born Pembrokeshire Solva
Margaret Jenkins wife Married 35 blacksmith's wife born Pembrokeshire Llan?ian
Martha Jenkins Daur Unmarried 11 Scholar born Pembrokeshire Solva
Mary Jenkins Daur Unmarried  8 Scholar born Pembrokeshire Solva
David Jenkins Son Unmarried 4 No Occ born Pembrokeshire Solva
Sarah Ann Jenkins Daur Unmarried 2 No Occ born Pembrokeshire Solva

In 1871,David has yet another wife:

1871 CENSUS WHITCHURCH,LOWER SOLVA
David Jenkins Head Married 69 Blacksmith born Pembrokeshire Whitchurch
Sarah Jenkins Wife Married 63 Ditto wife born Pembrokeshire Haverfordwest

I have been able to establish the possible baptism of Martha Griffith,daughter of Philip and Mary Griffith on 10/10/1802 and what could be her burial,age 40,in 1843,but the film doesn’t cover marriages after 1837  or births before 1802 ,so I would welcome some suggestions on where to go from here?

I’ve never had to research anything in Wales before and I do realize I have been extremely lucky to have found as much as I have, and so easily, but it would be wonderful to know who David’s parents were and if his father was also a blacksmith.

Apologies if this is too much information for such a small question – didn’t want to leave  our anything potentially useful .
Thankyou
Barbara

[Orielbenfro]

Look at
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/PEM/indexpars.html

If not done so already consult ;
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/

I would look at ;
http://cat.llgc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gw/chameleon?skin=profeb&lng=en

Meanwhile if no one else comes up with an answer to David's baptism, you will not locate any birth, I can have a look at Whitchurch P.R.'s when next at the Rec Off.

Middle Mill has a large Chapel of long standing so you may find the family 'converted' to non-conformity.

Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname

[Orielbenfro]

If you are unaware of what the village looks like, it hasn't changed in over 50 years to my certain knowledge then view;
http://collectables.shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_nkw=solva&_sacat=914&_sop=10&_dmpt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&_odkw=pembroke&_osacat=914&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313

Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname

[leanora]

Lower Solva is a beautiful place and has always a lot of visitors summer and winter.

 It  does get flooded in the winter from time to time the pictures are of lower solver shown in the pictures.  Higher up the hill towards St Davids  is the main main part of the village and there a place there where you can by fresh crab prawn and lobster caught by a local fisher man, his wife prepares the sea food and  sells it from their house.

 At one time many of the peopel living there were fishing people

The old Chapel Lower Solve is now a coffee shop and  where Raul Speek has a studio and art gallery

[ellvera]

Thankyou both
I hadn't looked at any pictures,only maps and it looks a lovely place.

Thanks also for the links, Orielbenfro - I had looked at free BMD ,but there were so many marriages for a David Jenkins to Margaret in the timeframe and then Sarah,that I'd be very lucky to choose the right cert to buy.

The non conformist idea is a good one I will try that next.

I did look at some wills,but couldn't see any that might be connected to David.

I will go back to genuki and try harder

Many thanks
Barbara

[Orielbenfro]

I believe this might be the basis of the sequence of your interest ;

David Jenkins mrd Martha Griffith 15 May 1821
Martha Jenkins died 3rd Qtr 1841
David Jenkins mrd Margaret Jones 1844
Margaret Jenkins died 3rd Qtr 1861
David Jenkins mrd Sarah Devonald or Davies 1867
David Jenkins died 2nd Qtr 1879 aged 78
Sarah Jenkins of Whitchurch aged 74 a Widow in 1881
Sarah Jenkins died 1883 aged 75 or 1897 aged 91

  Speculation only ~ I note the mrge of John Devonald to Anne Mathias in 1792 at Whitchurch.

Does this above sequence fit in with your own findings ?

Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname

[ellvera]

Yes indeed Orielbenfro,that fits in very well.

I found the burial of Martha Jenkins in the parish record film on 3/3/1843,age 40 which I thought fitted with her age on the 1841 census,though I could have the wrong one ,and because I couldn't find the family at all in 1851,couldn't speculate as to when,  exactly,David married Margaret.

But this is very helpful,thankyou.Does the fact that there are two surnames for Sarah mean that she could have been married before? I noticed in the parish registers,quite often there was a choice of surnames on christenings and burials ,with no indication to a child having unmarried parents.

Thankyou very much
Barbara 

[Orielbenfro]

Does the fact that there are two surnames for Sarah mean that she could have been married before?

Barbarra
No it means that there are two Sarah's (see 1867 Free BMD) and that at this time I can not confirm which surname fits to the mrge of a Sarah to David Jenkins, once I've looked at the Whitchurch Mrge Reg for 1867, we will know which (if either !!) is the mrge of your interest.
Since H'west Reg District covers a multitude of Parishes including Whitchurch, my previous was only a basis and not fact without just a few minutes I can spend looking at Whitchurch P.R.'s.
Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname

[ellvera]

Oh, sorry,I should have realised that
Thanks for looking - I'm encouraged that I was able to come up with a similar conclusion.
Thankyou
Barbara