Author Topic: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?  (Read 12805 times)

Offline Raido

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Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« on: Friday 16 September 11 16:55 BST (UK) »
Hi,

I recently became aware that Owen Evans is one of my great grandfathers.  On Welsh Biography Online it lists him as being related (through his mother) to the Welsh poet Ann Griffths.
http://www.anngriffiths.cardiff.ac.uk/

EVANS , OWEN ( 1829 - 1920 ), Congregational minister and author ; b. 19 Nov. 1829 in Pen-y-bont-fawr, Mont. He hailed from a deeply religious family — on his mother's side he was related to the hymnist, Ann Griffiths (q.v.) .

http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s-EVAN-OWE-1829.html?query=owen+evans&field=name

The first link below includes reference to Ann's siblings, and the second link includes detailed information about her family.
http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s-GRIF-ANN-1776.html
http://www.anngriffiths.cardiff.ac.uk/biography.html

I have no access to parish records and I wondered if anyone could help me to establish the direct link between the two. I'm assuming, it's most likely that Owen is related to her through one of Ann's siblings as Ann's only child died a few months after birth.

Through help from others here, I think I've found Owen Evan's parish birth records.  It shows William Evans and Elizabeth Evans crhristening Owen Evans in
LLANFYLLIN,MONTGOMERY,WALES in 1829.



I guess the first thing I need to discover is the surname of Owen's mother. I believe there may be a clue in the following record from the 1841 census. Owen was born in PenybontFawr, so his address and the age of his parents are included below. The clue I think, is that someone called Edward Thomas (born  1826       Montgomeryshire) is also living at the address which is Ann Griffiths original surname


Interestingly, if you look at the 1881 census record of Owen's son William Henry Evans, it lists a a Grace Morgan living in that household as a 'sister in law'. This is probably irrelevant but one should note that Morgan was the surname of Ann Griffiths grandmother on her fathers side as is clear below.


Marriage of Evan Thomas and Elizabeth Morgan (the parents of Ann’s father)

http://www.anngriffiths.cardiff.ac.uk/biography.html


I know William Henry Evans is Owen's son because Helana Blodwen (misspelled on the transcript), also listed in the census is my great grandmother.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Offline Raido

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 16 September 11 21:03 BST (UK) »
Was wondering if it might be better to move this to the Wales forum?

Offline Morganllan

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 17 September 11 00:27 BST (UK) »
Hello Raido  :)

Welcome to Rootschat!

I will request that this is moved to Montgomeryshire

Kind Regards
Morgan

Offline Morganllan

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 17 September 11 00:45 BST (UK) »
If you don't receive any info from this Posting, I suggest that you write to E Wyn James at Cardiff University, as he may know the connection between the 2 families.

Modified: here is a list of publications, which include Penybontfawr Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials:
http://home.freeuk.net/montgensoc/pages/pubns.htm

Baptism of Owen Evans at Bethania Congregational Or Independent, Pennant Near Llanfyllin, Montgomery on 22nd November 1829. However marriages would have been recorded in the Church records. I've seen a marriage of William Evans and Elizabeth James in  Llanfihangel y Pennant on 4th July 1829, but this was an unofficial transcript so would need verification.

Best wishes
Morgan


Offline Raido

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 17 September 11 02:38 BST (UK) »
Hi,

Thank you for your help. I stumbled upon a family tree someone is trying to construct online related to this. At first glance I can't see anyone related to Ann's siblings who would fit.
http://www.btinternet.com/~lyndon11/anngriffiths/index.html

I'm beginning to feel that the link is through one of Ann's parents. Perhaps a sibling of one of them.

Might this be them?

groom: William Evans

brides: Elizabeth Morris Or Williams
date: 19 Sep 1828
Llandegai,Caernarvon,Wales

If it was Elizabeth Morris her parents might be Thomas Morris and Mary Jones. Thomas Morris being he son of Ann's sister Elizabeth Thomas. The location of the marriage is odd though I admit.

Actually there's another birth record that might be her under the name James.

A girl called Elizabeth James born in the district of Llanfyllin and civil parish of Llangyniew 1811.

Oh actually that's according to the 1841 census, thus it's probably not her.

Quote
17 November 1798

Edward, Ann’s brother, marries Elizabeth Savage in Llangynyw parish church, with Ann as one of the official witnesses. Elizabeth comes to live with her husband at Dolwar Fach.

Offline Morganllan

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 24 September 11 21:58 BST (UK) »
Hello  :)

I received this info from a kind Rootschatter:

"Hi,
I have now been through my PR and have found some possibilities:
William Evans bachelor married Elizabeth EVANS spinster at Pennant Melangell Church
4 July 1829 witnesses were Edward Evans and Sarah Jones

Elizabeth Evans baptised 9 Nov 1808 at Pennant Melangell
Parents Thomas & Elizabeth Evans

Siblings of Elizabeth;
Robert 1806
Edward 1804
David 1803"

Kind Regards
Morgan


Offline Raido

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 24 September 11 23:52 BST (UK) »
Hi thanks for that. I will see if it matches the trees.

There was another related point which I was looking for an answer for, one which actually led me to to do all this digging in the first place.

My aim was to try and find which relatives of mine went to Patagonia, Argentina. My great grandmother on my mothers side (on the Evans side) would go on to my mother about it when my mother was young.

I'm wondering if it might be Owen Evans brother- Thomas Evans. He was also a preacher and was trained at Bala around the same time that the whole nationalism thing kicked off.

The reason I think he might have gone to Argentina is two fold. Firstly have a look at his biography. it says:

Quote
He was considered a diligent pastor and a preacher with a kindly and homely style; he also worked hard for the foreign missions
http://yba.llgc.org.uk/en/s-EVAN-THO-1844.html

He was born in 1844 and like his brother in Montgomeryshire.
http://surman.english.qmul.ac.uk/resultDisplay.php?dbid=08631

Is there any chance the Thomas Evans in this list might be him? It has his middle name as Pennant which is the place they all came from.

http://www.bisa.btinternet.co.uk/welsh.htm

Sorry if this has digressed a bit. Also any ideas where it would be good to look for information on this? Foreign missions etc?

Offline Morganllan

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 25 September 11 00:42 BST (UK) »
The Pennant name indicates that it is a possibility but the biography lists where Thomas was in 1860s, e.g. "He was at  Bala Independent College , 1865-8," etc

I assume you are looking for family members who went to live in Patagonia?

Modified: Thomas Pennant Evans, age 29, was a member of the Crew of Mimosa, which took emigrants to Patagonia in 1865

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Re: Welsh Poet Ann Griffiths link to preacher Owen Evans?
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 05 October 11 15:25 BST (UK) »
Hi guys,

Thanks for all the help. I think I've stumbled upon a tantilising clue as to Owen's relationship with Ann.

Search for "Owen Evans" in the document below. Sorry but it won't let me copy and paste the text into this post.

It basically says she went to a sermon given by Benjamin Jones and was invited by a woman who became Owen Evan's grandmother (this would make sense in a generational context)

I'd hazard a guess the woman who invited Ann was probably her Aunt. It's a bit frustrating that the document doesn't actually tell us what this woman's relationship to Ann is. However it does tell us that this woman was the mother of Owen's mother.

If we're certain Owen's mother was Elizabeth then maybe this woman was the wife of Thomas Evans, who is Elizabeth below/

Quote
Elizabeth Evans baptised 9 Nov 1808 at Pennant Melangell
Parents Thomas & Elizabeth Evans

Siblings of Elizabeth;
Robert 1806
Edward 1804
David 1803"

What are the chances of being able to track down Elizabeth Evans' maiden name?  The other odd thing is why this woman is described as an 'old friend' not a relation...

http://web.mac.com/quintapress/PDF_Books/Anne_Griffiths.pdf