Do you think this could be the same family?

[DebbieDee]

Hi Carol, Wendy and Mary

Thanks for your replies 

My only real reason for not being sure this is the right family is that on Amelia's marriage cert, her father Aneurin is said to be a Coal Miner. 

I suppose I am trying to think of reasons why she may have got it wrong.  Aneurin was in the workhouse in 1901 when Amelia would have been 12 and Amelia was definitely elsewhere by then. 

Maybe the family had gone their separate ways sometime between 1891 and 1901?  Amelia might have guessed at her father's occupation if there was no family to ask?  When I got married last year my husband had to do the same so maybe that's an explanation.

Assuming this is my great gran's family the other problem is that I can't find Amelia's birth certificate so I don't know who her mother is. 

Aneurin Rees married Mary Williams (both from Margam) in 1870.  In 1891 Aneurin's wife is called Jane, she is a couple of years younger and born in 'Brec'.  I am pretty sure this is a second marriage but I can't seem to find Jane apart from in the 1891 census.

I will just have to keep looking 

Debbie

PS Wendy, yes I have-I only wish it was one of the other spellings I think the Rees spelling originated in Glamorgan!   

[Timbottawa]

Hi Debbie,

Obviously the '71 and '81 families are one and the same.  I think the '91 Aneurin is probably the same fellow - evidently Mary had died and he moved east for some reason (have you found a likely Mary Rees death between '81 and '91?).  The children are a mess - the older ones must be Jane's from an earlier marriage, but Catherine seems to strengthen the link.

I don't think the '01 Aneirin is the same man - he's 10 years too old and his Christian name is spelt differently.

But the main question ... is your Amelia the one in the '91 census?  Quite likely, I'd say.

Cheers

Tim

[DebbieDee]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for having a look at this one.  There are a huge number of Mary Rees deaths between 1881 and 1891 so I haven't found her yet.  I ran out of credits on 1837online so haven't continued pursuing that one.  If I can track down the births of the children in 1891 then I can probably narrow down the time to look for a second marriage if there was one.  This raises a couple more questions but I'm going to start another thread for those. 

As for 1901, if that isn't 'my' Aneurin then he is almost certainly dead as the oldest one with the correct spelling is in their twenties and his is the only one with the correct place of birth.  Margam is now considered in Port Talbot.  I think the age and spelling are more likely enumerator or transcription errors.  The images would be useful so hoping Ancestry will put Wales 1901 on soon. 

I hope you are right about 1891.  Thanks again, it's good to have another opinion 

Best wishes

Debbie

[Timbottawa]

Hi Debbie,

You can see the image on the PRO 1901 site, of course.  For some time I couldn't find my great-uncle on the 1901 site.  Eventually I found him via a street address from a 1903 birth certificate of one of his kids.  His name was Hubert Butler and he had been transcribed as Herbert Butter.

Having said that, I looked on the PRO site for all females with surname Rees, aged 12 +/- 2 yrs, and born in Margam, Aberavon or Llanguicke.  There weren't so many - and none that I could see living in Monmouthshire.  There was one record of "* Rees", indicating that the forename was indecipherable.  I also tried Jane Rees 48 +/- 2 years, born Brecon, living Monmouthshire, without luck.

Good luck, Tim

[ozwendy]

Hi
I thougt that maybe the father was in the workhouse because his wife had died and the kids might have been farmed out to relatives or older siblings (this happened in my family in 1901 census) I had a look for her parents marriage to find her mother maiden name, on FreeBMD they were probably married in Sept 1870 in Neath, Glamorgan (11a 696) but there were 2 Marys so she was either Jones or Williams ( neither easy to pin down). You could try to find the marriages of the older sisters as the younger ones could be living with them and be in the census under their surnames.

Good luck
Wendy

[DebbieDee]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for looking.  I've just had another look for Rees females born in Port Talbot but no luck there either. 

I think I have found Aneurin Junior's birth in Neath district 1889 so I'm going to take the plunge and order the certificate.  As he is closest in age to Amelia I'm hoping they have the same mother at least.  Perhaps Amelia (and maybe Margaret) were registered under their Mother's previous name so I might find that out. 

Debbie

[DebbieDee]

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for the Workhouse tip - something I hadn't considered and a definite possibility. 

I think I may have found the older sister (Ann in 1881) as Annie in Llanfrechfa, Mon in 1891.  Luckily I live just a few miles down the road so I know it is very close to Llantarnam where the family are in 1891.  If I can find a marriage for her, then that might provide some clues.

I am pretty sure that Aneurin Rees married Mary Williams as you found in Sept 1870.  I know it's not definite proof but Thomas T. Williams (Brother-in-Law) was living with the family in 1881.  I've also found a David Rees living with his uncle Thomas Williams in 1891 so there's another possible household to check in 1901 

Thanks again

Debbie 

[DebbieDee]

Update:

I have finally found one of the children from 1891 and got a birth certificate.

Aneurin Rees born 11 March 1890 in Llanvrechva Upper, Monmouthshire. 
Father: Aneurin Rees Occupation: Tin Roller 
Mother: Jane Rees formerly Price

Fits perfectly with the 1891 census except the place of birth although that given on the birth certificate is near to where they were living at the time of the census. 

Now all I have to do is find Jane Price in an earlier census! 

Debbie 

[Timbottawa]

Well done, Debbie, and good luck with Jane!