Author Topic: Welsh roots? Family tale  (Read 2224 times)

Offline Hazel17

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Welsh roots? Family tale
« on: Sunday 05 February 17 21:10 GMT (UK) »
I was always told that my maternal grandmother claimed that her grandmother was Welsh. As a Welsh girl - born here, living and speaking the language it does irk me that I can't actually find any Welsh blood in my tree, just English plus a lump of German.

All I know about said Welsh great x2 grandmother is that she was small, dark and liked to cook Christmas puddings all year round... None of which really helps identify which grandmother could possibly be the Welsh one.

I have researched this branch of my tree fairly thoroughly and there are no Welsh birth places or residences in it no matter how far I go back >:( >:(
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One greatx2 grandmother has a maiden name of Smith and born in Birmingham. Her father had a middle name of Griffin but I can't work out where he acquired the middle name from but it gets used quite frequently for boys in the family. Can't take his line back too far because of Smith in Birmingham but his maternal grandmother was born in Bass Church, Shropshire which is as close to the Welsh border as the tree gets.

The other greatx2 grandmother was born in London with a maiden name of Weatherill. (Her mother in law has a maiden name of Jones but born Essex) . Her mother however had a  maiden name of Roberts, born London. The Roberts family, as far as I can trace them are Londoners but again common surname, large city so a reliable trail goes cold. Its possible my grandmother would have known this grandmother a little better but not necessarily.

So... what I'm trying to ask is could the Welsh link  be 4+ generations back? Would someone call themselves Welsh on the strength of the original link being that far back? Or should I just accept it's a mangled family tale with no truth to it and I should give up on a Welsh link? Does anyone think there's any clues here except plain old clutching at straws?
Rolph/Bird/Hilliard Writtle & Highwood Essex
Lister/Fitch/Kitteridge/Coote  Ashdon Essex
Coote Castle Camps Essex
Jones Kirby le Soken Essex
Kinch London/Swanbourne Bucks/Oxon
Burt Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset
Smith/Bant  Birmingham
Weatherill London/York
Hill/Habershon Sheffield
Roberts - London
Stringer - Leicester
Frost Castleton Derbys
Hall Wirksworth Derby
Allcock/Parkes Calton, Staffs
Meisenheimer Germany
Crossley/Adams Hidcote, Gloucs
R(o)ycroft Brown Malpas
Pratley BurfordOx

Offline Gadget

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Re: Welsh roots? Family tale
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 05 February 17 21:16 GMT (UK) »
Hi Hazel

I think the Roberts and Jones links seem the most likely. Have you got more details of them so that we might be able to help you with your searches. 

They could be a long time back.

Gadget
Census &  BMD information Crown Copyright www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and GROS - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

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Offline Hazel17

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Re: Welsh roots? Family tale
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 05 February 17 21:29 GMT (UK) »
The Jones was a mother in law of the grandmother so if Mary Jones was originally Welsh then her daughter in law wouldn't have used it to claim being Welsh but the furthest back I have with the Joneses is James Jones (1803 - 1866) born in Thorpe le Soken Essex, married Charlotte Wass. Not done much research on this line lately. Had a younger brother called William, b 1817.

The furthest back I have with the Robertses is a John Roberts. Married twice, 1st wife unknown, 2nd wife Lydia Sophia Pearman married 1798 St George in the East, London. Lydia died in 1841 as a widow.

Not a lot to go on I know...
Rolph/Bird/Hilliard Writtle & Highwood Essex
Lister/Fitch/Kitteridge/Coote  Ashdon Essex
Coote Castle Camps Essex
Jones Kirby le Soken Essex
Kinch London/Swanbourne Bucks/Oxon
Burt Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset
Smith/Bant  Birmingham
Weatherill London/York
Hill/Habershon Sheffield
Roberts - London
Stringer - Leicester
Frost Castleton Derbys
Hall Wirksworth Derby
Allcock/Parkes Calton, Staffs
Meisenheimer Germany
Crossley/Adams Hidcote, Gloucs
R(o)ycroft Brown Malpas
Pratley BurfordOx

Offline Romilly

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Re: Welsh roots? Family tale
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 05 February 17 22:14 GMT (UK) »

Another possible is to have a DNA test, - to see if you can find any Welsh %?

Romilly.
Any census information included in this post is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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