Brick wall

[zx123]

Hi,
I  have been  trying to trace the line of my Welsh ancestors but I seem to have hit a brick wall. I have for them in every census except 1841 and 1861. I think I have also found them in the parish registers.

The family I am looking for are:

William Bevan, b, 1837, Rassau, Breconshire
Margaret Bevan, b, 1837,
Thomas Bevan, b,1866,
William Bevan, b, 1869

William Bevan, 1791, Llangattock?
Ann Bevan, 1801?
William Bevan, 1837
John Bevan, 1845
Jennet Bevan,1843

Could someone help me find them in the 1841 and 1861 census or in the Parish records for Llangattock?
Also if anyone has experience of researching these areas, could you tell me if it is known to be difficult?

[CaroleW]

There are a number of enumeration books missing, or parts of enumeration books (usually start or finish), from the 1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census.

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/census-for-england-wales-and-scotland-missing-pieces

1841 missing

1369   Breconshire   Parish: Llanhamlach (Lower Division)
        Llecfaen (Upper Division)
        Parish: Vainor
        Coed-y-Cymmar
        Dyffrin
        Gelli

Were William & Margaret married before the 1861 census or after?

[CaroleW]

You say you have them on the 1851 in which case you will know that William's birthplace is not as given above.  The family were in Monmouthshire in 1851 and John was born Bedwelty

William Bevan 59
Ann  49
William  12 b Llangunider/Llangynider Breconshire
John  6
Jennet  8 b  Llangunider/Llangynider

[zx123]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I suppose what I am trying to do is to flesh out this line to see if I can find out any more information. I do get the feeling that official records for this branch are a bit sketchy, especially as you go further back, and their are a number of problems such as the similarity of names or missing census or parish record entries.

What I do know for certain is:

I have the family in the 1911, 1901, 1891, 1881, 1871 and 1851 census's.
I have a family in the Llangynidre parish records who seem to fit and I have the parish register entry for the marriage of William Bevan Jr to Margaret Griffiths in 1864.

According to the 1851 census William Bevan Sr was born in Llangattock in about 1791, but again no parish register entries that I can find.
I have the birth certificate for William Bevan Jr from 1837 and I have the marriage entry for William Bevan Sr to Ann Thomas from 1835.

I think the family may have been non conformists because William Bevan Jr and his wife were buried in the graveyard of an Independent chapel.
In 1851 they were living in the Beaufort area of Ebbw Vale, and from 1871 they were living in the Dukestown area of Tredegar.

Strangely, I have had trouble finding any parish register entries for William Bevan Jrs children including my great grandfather, who were all born between 1866 and 1874.

As you can see it is all very sketchy. I am beginning to wonder if this could be due to their non conformity and if this will prevent me from finding out anything more details.

[osprey]

I have possibles from 1841 for you

Llangunider HO107/1366/16 folio 62 pg 10
William Bevan 35 collier
Ann 35
Jennett 1 month
all born in county
birth reg for Jennett Bevan jun qtr 1841 Crickhowell vol 26 pg 327 mother's maiden name Thomas - should be 9 in 1851, not 8

William with grandparents, not unusual for a child to be with relatives when there's a young baby in the house

Mason's Arms, Llangunider HO107/1366/17 folio 12 pg 16
John Thomas 60 publican
Jennett 60
Thomas 20
William Bevan 3
all born in county

Baptism for Ann Thomas (& her twin sister Mary) in Abergavenny 31 Aug 1802 daughters of John & Jennet of Frogmore Street

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCTL-31R

1851 census Mason's Arms Llangunider HO107/2490 folio 143 pg 18
John Thomas head mar 80 innkeeper employing 1 servant b. Breconshire, Cwmdu
Jennett wife 72 b. Llangunider
+ servant & lodger

Not unusual for families to become non-conformist and records from non-conformist churches of that time often don't survive or are not online. By the religious census of 1851, more than half of the population of Wales was non-conformist.

[osprey]

possible burials in Llangunider

John Thomas bd 8 April 1856 aged 86 - village
Jennet Thomas bd 10 April 1857 aged 82 - village

William Bevan bd 14 April 1853 aged 60 - abode Tredegar

[zx123]

Hi,
Thanks for the information, that looks very promising. I hadn't thought about the children staying with grandparents, but that opens up an all other avenue to look at. I thought they might be non conformity in this line because William Bevan Jr and his wife Margaret Griffiths were buried in the graveyard of an independent non conformist chapel in Beaufort in Ebbw Vale. I had previously looked for the baptism of William Bevan Sr's wife ann Thomas, but I was unable to find it.

[zx123]

Thanks for your help,
I just thought that according to the 1851 census William Bevan Snr was 59 years so that would have made him 49 in 1841, a bit out for 35. Ann would have been 39 year old so that is closer. Some of the details seem to fit so I cant work that out, unless William Bevan got his own age wrong.

[osprey]

the ages in 1841 were rounded down to the nearest 5 for people over 15, so someone of 39 should show up as 35. Possibly William removed a few years to make his age nearer that of his wife. Not unheard of.