Hello Morgan, thank you so much for taking the time to help me, im genuinely touched by peoples kindness during research over the last two years.
have an amazing heritage but the Maddock line stubbornly refuses to be found enraging when I can trace other lines of my tree back to the mists of time.
I have been using Ancestry and find them very good apart from the very specific Welsh Valleys.
Both my grandfathers hail from the Rhondda+Rhimney so its as Welsh as it gets and proud of it to boot.
Apparently the Maddock motto means spread out to defend and it makes me grin everytime I think about it. How can invaders find a place if they cant pronounce it and the spellchecker renders all Welsh place names into sandscrit!!! lol
The marriage you found between Blanche and Thomas both b 1889 in Maesycwmmer has been documented and in fact produced my grandfather Kenneth 1915-1997. Thomas was a miner and Blanche was the cook at the local school so the locals told me when I visited the area.
Blanche and Ken crossed the bridge probably looking for work? and are buried together in Trowbridge cemetery in a family plot but where is Thomas.?
He is documented for the marriage+birth but has no death cert or military record.
As a miner Im assuming he was exempt but have no idea how to trace exempt lists or which mine he worked at. Do you know?
Grampy (Ken) would never discuss his father so I asumed he lost him in the war and was too sad to talk about it, also when we were kids we simply didnt ask did we? but like I said no war record.
Im led to think he must have emigrated and I simply have not found where yet.
There is also some confusion as to, was it, his Aunt Mary Ann who died in Monroe Iowa he went to or his sister Mary Ann who im told emigrated to Canada post war.(repeating names are as much a hinderance as a help)
Many did apparently, perhaps a local historian would know, the Welsh Valleys is a specialised subject I find. Post War Wales was particularly hard hit and Canada was begging for skilled workers.
I still visit relatives in Bridgend and drive up the mountains as often as I can just because I can, roots and all that I recken. Perhaps Thomas did get drafted after all and the records simply went up in the famous fire that destroyed a lot of the war records but I dont think so.
I really feel for Thomas what a choice leave all you know and risk a brave new life or stay with family in post war valley life, grim eh. My instinct tells me he wanted to go but Leah refused due to family pressure....its kinder than thinking he simply abandoned a new wife and baby son. If you have even a wisp or trace of info I would be truly grateful as im haunted by his absense.
Yes I have Richard b Merthyr 1800 and I think his parents were William and Mary because I saw a baptismal record but like a fool I noted the details not the resource. Any other candidates you find Id really appreciate a lead.
William Maddock born in Llangynwyd 1773 seems to fit the bill but so many William Maddock how can I tell? I know it should be Maddocks but I hate it when people put an s on the end of my name!
It appears to be between Evan+Gwen ne Hopkins m 16th Oct 1784 (Llanfabon?) my scribble is appalling Glamorgan or
Rees b1722-d 1788+Jennet ne Thomas b1735-d1883
I really need a fresh pair of eyes on this line,its frustrated me for long enough so I really hope that your expertise can set me off on the right path again. If this fires your interest I could send you an invitation to my tree at Ancestry where all the details are kept rather than this as hoc rambling!
Thankyou for listening and best wishes
Helen Maddock
