**Completed** 1881 Census - Deri

[Lyndon]

In February 1881, Mary Watts from Frome in Somerset married Samuel Thomas in the small mining town of Deri. Mary was 21 and I am trying to figure out what made her leave Frome and go to a small town so far off the beaten track. I can't find any relatives of hers in Deri. My only clue is that their witnesses at the marriage were the vicar himself and a Mary Davies. So I'm trying to find out whether Mary was from Frome. 

Hence my query:
Could someone please look up the 1881 Census for Deri or Gelligaer and see if there are any people with the name Mary Davies? If there are not too many, I'd love to know where they were born.
TIA Lyndon

[Necromancer]

Theres 91 Mary D's in the Parish of Gelligaer, only 4 of them state 'England' as their PoB    .... none born in Somerset 

[Lyndon]

I wasn't very hopeful, but had to rule it out. 'Tis a mystery.
Thanks very much.

Lyndon

[astley7]

Hi Lyndon.

Where was Mary Married too?. The families travelled to Deri from somerset as there was 3 pits within the small village of Deri. There was no workers from the area so they advertised in other mining villiages. Two familes of mine travelled from Buckland and Paulton Somerset to Deri for work. also Deri at the time was not known as Deri and the nearest church if they did get married in Church would be St Cattwig in Gelligaer.

Best Wishes
Lisa

[Lyndon]

Thanks Lisa. Mary and Sam were married in Gelligaer. What puzzles me is that Mary was very young, and moved to Deri apparently without any family support. I suppose if it was seen as a boom town, she may have thought there would be opportunities there, but it seems a big step to take.

It never occurred to me that the mines may have advertised in the Somerset papers. I shall look out for that. Thanks for the idea.

[astley7]

Hi Lyndon
Your family was married in St Cattwigs Church then it was the Parish church at the time. There are records of all the Marriage conducted out there. There are always so any questions to be answered with why they moved to different area's . Have you found were she was lodging at the time and who with in Deri, Perhaps it could have been another family from the area she grew up or a friends family. within my family one of my relations had 18 children and most of the children was moved around with other family members and family friends for a better life.

Hope this helps I will bear in mind the marriage next time I am down the RO office in Merthyr and have a quick look for you.

Best wishes Lisa

[astley7]

Hi
I have found a Mary ann Davies living at 14 cambrain Street Deri, in 1881 living with her parents aged 20 tho and born Gelligaer. Perhaps we need to find who your relation was lodging with .
Best wishes
Lisa

[Lyndon]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for keeping the ideas coming. Why Mary came to Deri is a question of great interest to me.

I'm going to Deri the week after next for the commemoration of the Deri disaster. Do they have the parish registers for St Cattwigs Church at Merthyr? I have the marriage certificate fo Mary Watts and Samuel Thomas, but it would be worth checking in the hope that there is some extra info in the parish registers. The Mary Davies you have found is the right sort of age to have been a witness at the marriage, and is living round the corner from where Mary and Sam settled.