Jenkin & Catherine Davies,Llangeitho

[Amanda Melanie]

Hi,
 Follwing a recent family funeral I have been trying to track down my great grandparents and their family. They are both buried in the churchyard at Llangeitho.I believe Jenkin died on Christmas day,possibly 1917. They lived in a house called Brynawel but there is a link to another house called Bont Fach as my mother can remember attending the funeral as a child (?1928) of Catherine. I think Catherine may have been a Williams before her marriage to Jenkin and may have come from Lledrod .Catherine and Jenkin had four children, my grandmother,Mary (She married David Charles Davies of Lledrod) Martha (Married someone called Joe) but Dorothy and John are also buried at Llangeitho. At the recent funeral it transpired that John had married and had a daughter but we have no further details .
Can anybody help?
Many thanks
Amanda Melanie

[Arranroots]

Hello Amanda Melanie and Welcome to Rootschat! 

You are fortunate to have located some concrete evidence (or should that be stone?) of your ancestors.  Now you need to start recording everything else that is known about them!

Have a read of the Beginners board, if you have not already done so, it has lots of useful tips about genealogy in general and also 20th century research.

Are you trying to go backwards for Jenkin and Catherine, or forwards to see what happened to their children?  The latter is trickier, due to lack of census information.

DAVIES is not the easiest name to research, particularly in Wales!  There are 160 Jenkin DAVIES in Wales in 1901, 53 of them in Cardiganshire!  You need to establish some of the basic facts.  Does anyone know when their first child was born?  This would give you an idea of a date for their marriage & that certificate would provide info on their ages, his occupation and their fathers' names.  You can find marriage references on 1837online (payable) for example.

Make sure you interview and exploit all living relatives - they are often a mine of information.  did you record the details on the gravestones or is someone living nearby who could do that for you?  Again this would helpo establish ages for the couple.

Post specific enquiries on this board with as much detail as you can and rootschatters will do their best to assist.

Good luck!

kind regards, Arrnaroots 

[Amanda Melanie]

Arranroots,
Thanks for your tips. Very helpful as I'm a complete beginner!!We have some photos of the gravestones and I've found a website specifically for translating Welsh gravestones. I believe my grandmother Mary was the eldest born either 1884/1885(?26th September) and Martha was 7 years younger. John's DOB is possibly 1886/1887 as I think he was 30ish when he died in 1917. Dorothy,I'm not sure where she fits in but I think she died quite young.
I dont mind which direction I go in as it's all fascinating!!!
Many thanks for your help.
Amanda

[Arranroots]

That's great!

Run away now & look at the photos or ring whoever has them!!

There are so many of these people it is going to be difficult to pin them down, but Jenkin is the most promising as you have his date of birth (or can work it out hopefully).

I can't seem to find the family in the right location - do you know whether they moved about in the early days of their marriage?

I am still looking for you

A 

[Arranroots]

Jenkin does not seem to be in the village in 1891.

I cannot locate the houses you name in that census either, although the properties do seem to be named.  some are grouped together with a common name, though.

Will try 1901.

A 

[davierj]

Hi Amanda, welcome to Cardiganshire.

I agree with Arranrooots that the easiest to trace back initially would be Jenkin Davies - a not too common combination of names.   
By looking in freeBMD using the dates you gave, I came up with this possibility of Jenkin and Catherine's marriage........1882, March quarter, Tregaron District, volume 11b, page 83. (both Jenkin Davies and Catharine Williams appear on the same page).

IF this is (big if as yet) their marriage the certificate will give parents and occupations.

All the best with your future researches.

Cheers Dave

[Arranroots]

Well spotted Dave!

Ties in well with the birth dates too!

I did find a house called Hen Bont Fach in 1901 - it was unoccupied!  No luck with the other property, nor with Jenkin.

Do let us know if you find anything else out.

Arranroots 

[davierj]

Hi Amanda
Possibilities for Jenkin Davies in 1881, unfortunately no parents!

RG11/5451/75/20 - Llangeitho
Jenkin Davies, hd, u, m, 27, Llandysuliogogo, Elementary Teacher
Elizabeth Davies, sis, u, f, 25, Llandysuliogogo, Housekeeper
John Davies, bro, u, m, 14, Llandysuliogogo, Scholar
Address:   Erw, Llangeitho.   

RG11/5451/73/15 - Llangeitho
Jenkin Davies, sv, u, m, 25, Gartheli, Farm Servant(indoor)
Head of household - John Rowlands a farmer of 110 acres
Address:   Tyndolau, Llangeitho

Can't see any other eligible in Llangeitho, have not found Catherine ?Williams?   
Found using http://www.familysearch.org/

Cheers Dave

[Amanda Melanie]

Hello Dave and Arranroots,
You've been a great help so far. I've passed these details on to my cousin who has also been struggling with the family tree.She is going to send off for the copies we need. I have been trying my best 'Welsh' to translate the gravestones in the photos so they seem to make a bit more sense.Although two aunts now dont seem to have the surname  of Davies at all. And it seems we too have a John Jones in the family!! What have I started???!!!!!!
Thanks again and Blewddyn Newydd Dda!
Amanda Melanie