Jenkin Rees or Rees Jenkin

[sally75]

Hi There

I've been trying to find my ancestor DAVID JENKIN in the Llangynwyd parish records, however, there is only one DAVID I can find who has a father with the name JENKIN, however the baptism records clearly states that DAVID is the son of JENKIN REES and his wife ANN.  Would you suggest this is the same DAVID?  I found no marriage for a JENKIN REES and ANN or REES JENKIN and ANN for 30 years before that, so they obviously moved to the parish after they married.  However, David's record does say he was a farmer.

I think I'm at a dead end with this one.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Many thanks.

Sally.

[Garethboxing]

Could you give us the dates involved? I presume that as you talk of parish registers you are pre-1837.

   Gareth

[sally75]

Hi Gareth

The date of the baptism for DAVID JENKIN is 24 Apil 1802.

Sally.

[Garethboxing]

Sorry, I'm getting nowhere with this. I've looked at the Glam FHS CD of baptisms and can't find David - there's a David Jenkin, son of Thomas and Anne, baptised in St Bride's Major on 29 Apr 1802. but that's all.

The marriages CD is no help either. Any marriages between a Jenkin Rees/Rees Jenkin(s) to an Ann(e) are way out geographically.

At that period, in rural areas (and you say David was a farmer), it would certainly have been common to use patronymics, so that David the son of Jenkin Rees would be David Jenkin(s). If he was a farmer, it's logical to think he would have inherited the land from his father (or, at least, that his father was also a farmer). The marriage would in all probability have been in the bride's parish, but given the lack of mobility in those days, particularly for those who had a fixed job in a fixed place, such as a farm, it's unlikely to have been far away.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

  Gareth

[sally75]

Hi Gareth

Many thanks for your help.  It's very useful to know that people did take on their father's christian name as their surname.  That's perhaps what happened.  I don't think I'll ever know though.  DAVID was actually a plasterer and tyler in the 1841 census.  He died in 1850 in Bettws.  I would have thought too that David would have had something to do with the farm, if his father had been a farmer.  I did find another christening for a JENKIN son of JENKIN REES, in 1809, so maybe this was DAVID's brother, and he took it on?  Or perhaps their father died when they were young, so lost the farm.

I guess I'll dig for a while longer, but won'tworry myself too much if I don't find anything else, as it looks like the end of the line.  There are plenty more lines to follow back.

Thanks again.

Sally.

[GarethMorgan]

I done a search for a Rees and Ann Jenkins here's what I came up with

REES JENKINS ANN

Children's name and birth date with their age in 1841

REES   25   JAN   1834   7
MARGRET   23   MAY   1835   6
REES   20   MAR   1835   6
REES   15   AUG   1836   5


Not everyone who was born in the Parish was recorded in the church records.  These records were taken from the Later Day Saints database for Llan so why not try them?

Gareth

[sally75]

Hi Gareth

Thanks for that information.  I'll certainly give it a go.  You never know!

Sally.

[GarethMorgan]

HI Sally

I don't know if this next bit of information is of any use, but here goes. BETWS is in the Llynfi valley. It is one of two mountain top villages that face each other, the other being the village of Llangynwyd.  At the bottom of the hill on the Llan side is a pub called the Tyler’s.  This pub is situated on the border of Llan middle, Cwmdu and Betws.  Everyone around here regards the half dozen or so farms in that area as in Llangynwyd.  The problem is that even today they are in another electoral division Llangeinor.

To summarise Betws is in the Llynfi valley but in another parish.

As for your man having another profession apart from farming.  The practice of supplementing a living doesn't change, this practice has been going on for centuries.

Gareth

[sally75]

Hi Gareth

That's REALLY helpful.  I have also been looking at the FORD line of my welsh family (which I started when I gave up on REES and JENKIN/S for a while), and I've come to a dead end in Laleston.  After looking at GENUKI yesteday to find out what other parishes were near Bettws and Laleston, did I realised that they are both close to Llangwynyd and Llangeinor (and each other).  I've already had records out for Bettws, Laleston and Llangwynyd, but didn't look in any for the other relations I'm researching.  That's one big mistake I won't make again!  So, I plan to get Llangeinor out next, looking for anyone by the name of REES, JENKIN/S and FORD, and hopefully make a connection, before going back to the ones I've already looked at.  Fingers crossed, I'll have better luck soon.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Sally.