.......................Mr John Williams born 1862 ish in Narbeth Pembrokeshire, Wales and he was an employee of GWR railways...
Martin (40)
Given that the ’81 is your family I would make the following observations.
1. It is lightly that John Williams would have worked/driven for what would become out of the many private rail companies the G.W.R.(Gods Wonderful Railway) The last time I researched an engine driver (one Thomas Oriel) the records where held at the National Archives Kew under
RAIL ~ British Transport Historical Records. A quick look now reveals thousands of references.
2. As the private companies where taken over and grew so the social side of the records became part of the Union records, who I believe may still hold information, but how early it is would take some research.
3. Turning to the family pre 1881. The period of the childrens baptisms was a period of transition here in Pembroke. The new town of Pembroke Dock to support the new secure HM Dockyard was began in 1814 under a different name changing its name to Pembroke Dock in 1817. The area known as Paterchurch given over by the Meyrick family was part of the Parish of Pembroke St Mary. The 1840’s saw a huge building programe of Chapels and a parish church to be known as Pembroke Dock St John. The parish began services in 1844 for baptisms, but would not be fully recognized for over another 20 odd years at about the time that the town of Pembroke Dock gained its own full status.
4. This then is the reason that John & Mary reside in the town of Pembroke Dock but appear to live in the parish of Pembroke Town St Mary. The district of Waterloo is a residential/industrial area of “The Dock” or “P.D.” and is but a short walk to the local railway station via the level crossing and bird cage walk, a location that has the honour of being the 1st in the world to have a police chase enacted on film. This film amd location still exists.
5. Richard Williams aged 11 was baptised at Pembroke Dock St John in the year of 1883, Richard was aged 4 yrs old at the time of his baptism. I have found a William Williams baptised in 1868 at Pembroke Dock St John and would hazard a guess this is their eldest Dock son shown in 1881. There are a number of Thomas Williams baptised at Tenby, but I would suspect that your Thomas was baptised at Tenby in Liberty St Mary’s on the 09 Oct 1864.
6. I wonder if John Williams was the engine driver on the night Sgt Horton fell to his death from the train between the Dock and Tenby in 1867, through no fault of the train staff I hasten to add, but forms one item in my talks on Pembrokeshire related Military headstones.
I trust the above is of some assistance and interest to your research.
Rgds
Orielbenfro
ORIEL a welsh window on a surname
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Topic: John Williams (Read 5933 times)