Benjamin NICHOLAS and Margaret PROTHERO Llywel

[Joanna Tolhurst]

but then in 1871 there's Thomas and Gwenllian Hemus in Llangattock Crickhowell but both born in Merthyr

[CaroleW]

Drat!!

Ignore that 1881 entry - found them in 1871 - wife was Mary Ann

[garfydd]

Dear Jo
I will check my resources bank=my MIs printed surveys, transcripts C18 PR/BT and family reconstructions. Will get back to you.
Garfydd

[Greensleeves]

Hi Jo

I can't immediately offer you any information on your specific queries but I thought you might be interested to know that I used to live in a house in Trecastle which at one time was owned by the Nicholas family.  the house in question at that time was The Bear Inn which was situated in TreEsgob (Bishopstown) which is a part of Trecastle.  Trecastle itself is a very small village - in effect just a ribbon development along a main road, but TreEsgob is a lane which runs off this main road and the land here once belonged to the Bishop of St Davids, hence the name.

According to my information, The Bear was owned by Thomas Robert Nicholas I until 1798 when it was taken over by his son, Thomas Robert Nicholas II; it was later taken over by Thomas Robert Nicholas III who I believe died in 1826.

It is highly likely that these members of the Nicholas family are related to your Nicholases - Trecastle as I said is a small village and all the families at that time were related. 

Regards,
GS

[Morganllan]

Hello Jo

Have you tried looking for pre-1858 wills on National Library of Wales site?

There are some Nicholas probate records for Llywel Parish 

http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=487

Kind regards
Morgan

[Joanna Tolhurst]

Thankyou GS. I've come across Thomas Robert Nicholas a number of times but haven't yet found the link to Benjamin.  As you said Trecastle is small and so it is more than likely that the link is there somewhere. I've actually been driven through Trecastle a number of times before I knew my maternal family connection as my paternal grandparents lived near Llandovery. I also went pony treking from school to Trecastle. I shall see if I can find anything else about the Bear Inn.
Thankyou Morgan. I hadn't realised the wills were indexed - a happy few hours to be had looking through and working out any connections.
Jo

[Greensleeves]

Hi Jo - I have a lot of information about The Bear, as we owned it for some years.  I will see if I can put it together in some sensible order and I will PM you with it.

Regards,
GS

[garfydd]

Dear Jo,
Was Mary Nicholas=Thomas Jones 11 Nov. 1843 described as a widow?
Mary had a dau. chr. 1832 by Benj.Powell a miller.
Garfydd

[Joanna Tolhurst]

Mary was a spinster on the marriage certificate when she marrid Thomas Jones in 1843 so I guess the Mary baptised in 1832 was illegitimate. I do have her in my notes but had forgotten about her and haven't tried to find out what happened. I haven't found Mary (the mother) in 1841 yet bit in 1851 she doesn't have a daughter Mary with her. In 1861 there is a daughter Mary aged 4 so I guess the earlier Mary died.