Bevan family in Gower

[normanbev]

Hello I am brand new to Roots.Chat. But I saw a few chats, via Google Oxwich Castle, about the Bevan family in Oxwich, Gower. Ref was made to a Bevan family bible.
I have started tracing my family back from my grandfather Fred Bevan and who served on HMS Defence in 1908 and was born about 1887.
He emmigrated to South Africa about 1915.
I have traced possible family to Oxwich and poss Francis and Mary Bevan were my great grand parents.
I would really appreciate any assistance anyone can give me.
I am happy to pass on the little information I think I have found in my research.
Thanks Normanbev.

[Romilly]

Hello Normanbev,

And Welcome to Rootschat.

Have you had any success with tracing your Grandfather Fred Bevan's Naval Service? (Could be a good starting point).

Romilly.

[armek1]

Hi normanbev,

I have Frederick BEVAN (b1886 Oxwich) on my tree as a third cousin to my grandfather. Frederick is one of eleven children born to Francis and Mary BEVAN. I've got quite a lot of information on the BEVANs which I can let you have. Just let me know what you require.

Regards,
Lee.

[normanbev]

Hello Lee,

Thanks for your response re Frederick Bevan. I have been researching my Bevan family tree from my home in South Africa using the records of the Latter Day Saints and from that source Ihave found only 8 children from Francis and Mary Bevan as follows:

James born 1870,Rosa born 1871,Mary Jane born 1874,Rowland Sylvanus born 1876, John Francis born 1878, Robert born 1880,Elizabeth born 1884 and Frederick born 1887.

As you have 11 recorded in your tree I have obviously somehow missed 3 children!
Can you kindly provide me with their details i.e. names and birth.

Many thanks,
Norman

[normanbev]

Hello Romilly,

Thank you for your suggestion of the Naval Service Records 
I plan to visit the National Archives at Kew when I am next in the UK.

from Norman

[Romilly]

Hello Norman,

It looks as though you're making some progress on here with your Bevan's already!

Theres some info about HMS Defence on this Link:

http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/armoured-cruiser/hms-minotaur.html

Some Naval Records are available on-line. If you go to :

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royal-navy-service.asp

You might find something.

Best Wishes, Romilly

[armek1]

Hi Norman,

Just a friendly warning - by tackling the BEVAN family you are taking on a task of seemingly huge proportions. I hope you've got plenty of time on your hands! One of the main problems is the constant repetition of forenames leaving you plenty of room for errors. Another one is intermarriage of separate strands of the BEVAN family - kissing cousins! Also, remember that, while I try to be accurate, I have followed false trails quite a few times and there's no guarantee that I'm right. Just treat everything I write as a possible guide!

It seems that you and I share common 4xG Grandparents, Samuel BEVAN and his wife Agnes LONG, but we've got plenty of time to get there.

Back to the moment:

Francis BEVAN, b.1837 at Oxwich, bapt. 12 Nov 1837, m. 10 Jan 1869 at Swansea to Mary BEVAN of Oxford St, Swansea, d. 08 Feb 1917 at Oxwich.

Wife Mary BEVAN, b. 30 Oct 1845 at Horton Penrice, d. 09 Jan 1916 in Gower.

Children:

James George BEVAN, Farmer, b. 1869 at Slade Cross Oxwich, bapt. 27 Jul 1869 at Oxwich, m. Jane MORRIS 1898.

Rosa BEVAN, b. 1871 at Slade Cross Oxwich, bapt. 01 Jun 1871 at Oxwich, m. Thomas Taliesin CORKER 1892. (Thomas became Mayor of Swansea prior to WW1 until his death in 1916)

Mary Jane BEVAN, b. 1873 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 12 Nov 1873 at Oxwich.

Rowland Silvanus BEVAN, b. 1876 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 24 Jan 1876, m. Louisa BEVAN 24 Aug 1903 at Penrice (2nd cousin), d. 1948 at 2 Long Oaks Sketty.

John Francis BEVAN, b. 1878 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 10 April 1878 at Oxwich, m. Emily Mary THOMAS 1907 at Gower.

Robert BEVAN, b. 1880 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 17 Jun 1880 at Oxwich, d. 1888 at Gander Street and bur. Oxwich 03 Feb 1888 age 7.

Mansel Thomas BEVAN, b. 1882 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 29 Nov 1882 at Oxwich, d.1888 at Gander Street and bur. Oxwich 01 Feb 1888 age 6.

Elizabeth Matilda BEVAN, b. 1884 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 14 Apr 1884 at Oxwich.

Frederick BEVAN, b. 1886 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt. 09 Aug 1886 at Oxwich.

Robert Mansel BEVAN, b. 1888 at Gander Street Oxwich, bapt 07 Oct 1888 at Oxwich, d. 1888 at Gander Street and b. Oxwich 09 Oct 1888 age 2 days.

Hedley BEVAN, b. 1891 at Oxwich Castle, bapt 02 Aug 1891 at Oxwich, d. 07 Feb 1915 at Bridgend. He was a Private in the Glamorgan Yeomanry and was a casualty of WW1, age 23.

I think that'll do for starters - give me a shout when you've digested that lot and are ready to go further.

Regards,
Lee.

[maryp]

I've been working on the Bevan family from Oxwich for quite a while. I have the parish registers on permanent loan at the family history center, plus I have purchased fiche for parish registers and monumental inscriptions.

I do not have this Francis descending from Samuel and Agnes Long. Based on parish records and census, I have a Francis b. 1830 who married a Ruth as a decendent of Samuel and Agnes.

I have the Francis b. 1837 who married Mary a son of George Bevan and Jane George who lived at Oxwich Castle. George's parents were Francis b. 1780 "of Oxwich Castle" and Elizabeth Dunn. That Francis's parents were Francis b. 1757 and Ann Beynon (resided at Oxwich Castle).   That last Francis' parents were Francis b. 1730 and Mary who lived at Oxwich Castle.. making Samuel his sibling.  The descendents of Samuel lived in Penrice and Porteynon but not at Oxwich Castle.

I'd be interested to know if you have information that proves otherwise. I'd love to share info. I have Bevan, Beynon, Morgan and Kiefts in Porteynon, Penrice, Oxwich, Penmean etc..

[armek1]

Hi Maryp,

I've been meaning to get in touch for a while; your excellent web-site is one of my occasional ports of call, though I was disappointed that you felt that you had to remove the BEVANs (before I had discovered the site!). It would be very interesting to hear the story behind your decision, perhaps by PM.

I will work my way through the points that your post raised and post back to you; I'm always glad to pick up pointers and/or corrections. As I said in an earlier post, I've found that trying to sort out the BEVAN family is a recipe for errors leading to immense frustration. It was tempting, at one stage, to just draw a big arrow leading from my family tree to a large box labelled "THE BEVAN FAMILY". 

Regards,
Lee