Hi. I’m very new to family research - just a few weeks in. I was delighted to stumble on this thread today because I think I can contribute, and I’ve certainly got a heap of great leads from the conversation about Henry Jones. Here’s what I have:
I am the great granddaughter of Thomas John Jones, born 3/3/1874 to Elizabeth Jones and ‘Henry Jones, deceased, Mariner’. He’s the younger brother of the Henry Jones you’re focusing on. He was the fifth child of Elizabeth, followed by Ellen and then Morris. Like you, I’ve been wondering about the mysterious Henry Jones senior, invisible father of so many. Like younger Henry, Thomas John names Henry Jones, Mariner, as his father on his marriage certificate, and on his naval service record, both of which I have.
I have also found Elizabeth (their mother) in each census record from 1851 to 1881, including the 1871 one where she’s listed as the wife of Hugh, and has three of her four children with her, the missing one being Henry, who, as you’ve discovered, is with his grandparents Hugh and Ellen. Did you notice on the original record that the three children are listed as ‘relatives’, which is then crossed through and replaced by ‘son’ and ‘daughter’? The mystery deepens.
I have considered a few possibilities, involving a sailor husband gone missing and a brief liaison with Hugh, but the information in this conversation which shows that the children, including the youngest two, seem to be registered as illegitimate, leaves me wondering again. And there is the fact that both Henry junior and my Great Grandpa Thomas John claim Henry as their dad. In fact, on Thomas John’s naval record, he’s recorded as ‘Henry M’. Another mystery. Could Henry senior have been a fictitious father to keep the children happy?
I’m about to order Thomas John’s birth certificate, and I still wonder about the possibility of a later marriage for Elizabeth - I’ve found two likely ones - Carnarvon Mar 1866 - 11b 673, and
Carnarvon Dec 1874 - 11b 813. However I’m now wondering why the last two children, Morris and Ellen, appear as illegitimate.
On a related note, Thomas John married Martha Roberts at Colwyn Bay in 1897, was still there for the birth of their first child, and then moved to Holyhead. He’s at 22 Porth y Fellin Rd in 1901, 3 Armenia Terrace in 1911 and 1 Fairview on the 1939 Register. He was at that address until at least 1948 and beyond. So he’s not the Thomas living at Tylywyn in Well St during that time.
I hope all this is of some use. I’m very glad to have found this conversation.