Williams/Campbell marriage

[Delly]

I have found a marriage on FreeBMD which I think is one of mine, --It fits in with census info etc. Is there any other way I can check this so that I don't order the wrong certificate ?
It was a marriage of Alfred Williams and Sarah Ann Campbell in the March Qtr of 1864 at Merthyr Tydfil. 
Delly

[Arranroots]

Hi Delly

Welcome to Rootschat! 

I assume you have the couple on the 1871 census?

Have you got a birth cert of one of their children, which would establish that Sarah's maiden name was CAMPBELL, or is this unknown at present?

If you have 1871 or later censuses, you could search for Sarah CAMPBELL on 1861 to see whether her details (age, birthplace) fit the facts as you know them for you Sarah.  You can also look at the naming pattern in that family, to see whether it fits with names chosen for Sarah's own children.

Once you have been all around the houses - you have to buy the cert to be absolutely certain.  The GRO offer a checking service, which would save you part of the money if the cert is not right.

Oh - one other thing - look at the other names on the marriage registration page and make sure Alfred did actually marry Sarah.  If you can find the other male married to the other female in 1871, that strengthens your confidence.

Let us know if we can help,

kind regards, Arranroots 

[Delly]

Thanks so much for your reply. I have done most of the things you mention and they all seem to check out.  It is because the name Williams is so prolific that I was having "insecurities "!  Also one of the reasons that I haven't bought a birth cert of any of the chn. --Names too common.

Thanks for the swift reply.
Delly

[shelley2010]

Hi
I know it was a long time since you posted this but Alfred Williams and Sarah Ann Campbell were my great grandparents.  I would be grateful for any info you have unearthed.  I know  her father's name was Henry and he was from Merthyr too.

Hope to hear from you

Hilary

[Lavinia43]

Hi Hilary

I'm writing to you for Delly - your great grandparents were brother and sister.....so you are very much  related.

I will pass on any information to Delly as we can't post emails here and she is nervous writing on a chat board.

She has a lot of information she can share. Hoping to hear from you.
Hildi

[Delly]

Hi Hilary,
After much help from Hilda via long distance phone calls I have finally worked out how to reply to you. Without her help I would still be puzzling over how to do it.
Apparently I was on the wrong page to start with as I haven't used this site since 2006.

Your Alfred Williams who married Sarah Campbell was a brother of my Mary Ann 
Williams who married Thomas Thomas.
Alfred & Mary Ann's parents were Thomas Williams & Mary Thomas mar 19 Aug 1834 by Banns at Merthyr Tydfil.

Alfred's wife Sarah Ann Campbell was the d/o of Henry Campbell & Mary Morris. Sarah was Bap at Merthyr Tydfil on30 March 1845. She appears to have had only 1 sibling, Elizabeth bc 1851. The mother , Mary was deceased by the 1961 census . She was the d/o John ? Morris & Sarah someone.
In 1841 Sarah was a shop keeper, widowed, living at Merthyr with her 4 chn,
Mary , Rebecca, Joseph & John.

I have been getting help with The Morris family from a lady in the USA (Beth ) who was also looking for Morris.(but a different family ) She discovered Sarah & family in the 1851 census at 107 High St Merthyr but on Ancestry it was mis-translated in the index as Marris. I wouldn't have thought to look at that name.

On the 1851 census it looks as if it says "Shropshire" for Sarah's place of birth.

I'd like to know more abt Alfred & Sarah Ann Williams. I have Alfred buried at Trelaw Cemetery in 1908 in Plot F12, burial no 17933 and Sarah in the same plot in 1919 with the burial no 28566.
The only one of their chn I have anything abt is their son Alfred who seems to have taken over his father's undertaking business at Tonypandy and married someone called Ellen Lavinia.

I'm only too happy to share info about Alfred's sister Mary Ann.
Hope I have done this properly
Delphine

[Arranroots]

Well done Delphine!

And welcome to our newcomers - especially helpful Hilda!  (Sorry, didn't mean to make a poem out of you!)

 

[shelley2010]

Hi Delly
Thanks for replying so quickly.  The info that you gave me re Sarah Ann Campbell was great.  I had managed to get info her father and sister after lots of trawling. They weren't under Campbell but Cambell in 1881 and Camplett in1851 but the originals showed they were the right people.
Re Alfred Williams my great grandfather, he died before my mother was born.  He had six children, Henry, Mary Jane, Albert, twins Alfred and Elizabeth, and Gwilym.  Gwilym was born in 1882? and my gran was extremely fond of him.  However when he was a teenager he was out shooting with his father and as his father went over a stile the gun went off and killed Gwilym.  That's the story I was told.  He certainly isn't on the 1901 census. 
I remember visiting the cemetery and seeing the Williams grave which was quite grand with a large plinth and an angel standing on top.  However the last I heard was that the grave had fallen into disrepair and had been taken down.
My grandmother was Elizabeth and she married William Morgan and had two daughters Eunice and Katie ( my mother).
Alfred did take over the undertakers but it was eventually sold to the Cooperative Society. He had 1 son who we called Nobby who as far as I know has never married. 
Thanks again for the info I live in Scotland now and my gran was proud of the name Campbell and her Scottish roots but unfortunately they seem to come from Merthyr.

If there is anything else I can help with please get in touch.

Warm regards
Hilary

[Delly]

Hi Hilary,
Lovely to hear from you --a new "cousin". (I think it's 3rd cousin , once removed !)
I do have more questions as you have renewed my enthusiasm in the search for this branch of my family.

Firstly, I tried to find the death of Gwilym on Free BMD and came up with 3 "possibles" --1---June qtr 1892, Pontypridd reg dist, Gwilym Williams aged 11 (possibly a little young ) -- 2--March qtr 1898, Pontypridd reg dist, Gwilym Williams aged 19 (makes his birth year a couple of years out) --3--Dec Qtr 1900, Bridgend Reg Dist, Gwilym Williams, 19 (don't think he would be in the Bridgend dist though ).  Have you any thoughts on it ?

When and where did your Elizabeth marry William Morgan ?  I already have a whole family of Morgan's on my other side--including a few Williams. One branch of them went to America and I have met them and keep in touch with 2 of them.
Do you know Alfred's wife surname --Ellen Lavinia someone ? and following on from there do you know if (& who ) their siblings, Henry Thomas, Mary Jane and Albert married or when they died.

Now for my lot. --Mary Ann Williams  (bc 1835, Merthyr Tydfil, d/o Thomas Williams & Mary Thomas ) married Thomas Thomas on 13 June 1854 at Bethesda Chapel, Merthyr Tydfil. The witnesses were Joseph Williams & Jane Williams.  I don't know who Joseph was but think Jane must have been Mary Ann's sister.
Mary & Thomas had 5 children --1--Josiah William Thomas, bc 1855 Merthyr T. He married Rose Hilda Ball of Blaina. He was a Congregational minister and they had 3 chn --Mabel Isabella Thomas, b1892, Treherbert (married Idris Alsop Williams & they had 4 chn ) ----Justin M G Thomas, b 1895, Treherbert, ( married Doris Serrell in Somerset. They had 2 chn , one is Donald Serrell Thomas who was a Welsh Academic & author --you can find a bit more about him on Google )
Josiah & Rose's 3rd child was Rachel Lillian (bc 1895) but I don't know any more about her.

2 --Jane Thomas , b 25 Feb 1861, Blaenavon. Emigrated to Aust in 1878 when she was just 17. She married Joseph Spencer Steley in 1879 at a very small town called Howard in Q'land. Joseph had emigrated from Wales with his family in 1864. His parents were Abel Steley & Leah Bevan. (It was Leah's sister Margaret who married Richard Morgan.)  Joseph & Jane had 7 children and it's their dau Mary Ann who was my grandmother.
I can give you more details if you want them

3--Rachel Ann Thomas bc 1867 at Aberdare. She married William J Phillips in 1891 but died abt 1894 and her husband remarried. They were grocers at Ystradyfodwg--might have been Clydach --as I only know this from the 1891 census when they were living with her mother and brother.

4--David Thomas.bc 1869, Ystrad. Only found him in 1871 census but think he must have died young as he wasn't there in 1881.

5--Thomas Alfred Thomas, born 1872, Ton Ystrad.  He lived at Church Rd, Ystradyfodwg (possibly Clydach ) and then moved to The Parade Ton Pentre when he married a widow whose name we don't know. He took over his father's foundry but I can't find out when he died or anything else. The last time I was in Wales I found his house at The Parade and the present owner invited me in. I met the neighbour who was a little boy when the Thomas's lived there but he couldn't remember when they died --only remembers that Mrs Thomas was a very bossy lady !!

With this revived interest I spent yesterday chasing around the censuses etc looking for earlier Campbells/ Morrises etc. It was getting a bit far away from my lot but found it all interesting.

Do hope you keep in touch.
Cheers Delphine