Edwards in Froncysyllte

[pimpernel]

Hello everyone

Scouring the Censuses I've traced my Edwards line back to (I think!) Edward Edwards, born around 1803, although some of the connections are not clear. 

Through the 19th Century the family were based in Froncysyllte (the Vron), the men were all boatmen working on the canal. Charles Edwards (1829-1897) was definitely my GG Grandfather, as confirmed in existing family documents, although I can't find him in any census prior to 1871 (I understand the 1861 census for the area is missing).

His marriage document to Sarah Jones on 25th Dec 1852 says:
Llangollen Parish Church. Charles: Aged 21, a Boatman. Residing in Cysyllte, son of Edward, Boatman. Sarah Jones: aged 22, a servant from Cysyllte, daughter of John Jones, Boatman. Both sign with X

I've not found any definite record for Charles in the 1851 census. There's a Charles Edwards servant in Henlle, Shropshire, but no sign of a boatman.

The 1841 census again doesn't show Charles the boatman. There's a Llansillin born Charles in the censuses, consistently 2 or 3 years younger than my later Fron/Chirk born man. Evidence suggests it's a different person.

Working on the canal, it's possible he was travelling away from home during the time of both 1841 and 1851 censuses.

The confusion is compounded by the parents of Charles. Both these Charles have Edward Edwards named as father, (1841 census for the Llansillin man, marriage certificate for my boatman, who states his father Edward is also a boatman).

The 1841 Llansillin Charles shows his mother as Mary, father an agricultural labourer, but I don't think this could be our family.

In the Vron there is listed in the 1841, 1851 and 1871 censuses an Edward Edwards of the correct age just 2 doors away from Charles' house, a boatman, wife Sarah. This surely is my family, it's the only boatman of the name, though absolute evidence placing him and Charles together is lacking.

 I'm convinced that Charles Edwards was the son of this neighbouring Edward Edwards and Sarah of Vron, that he was born around 1829 in Vron and always worked as a boatman in the Vron/St.Martins area. I think the Llansillin Charles is a different family entirely, but census evidence is lacking.

Are there any other sources I could check?

[pimpernel]

Just to clarify a little more:

Charles' marriage certificate says his father Edward was a boatman. There are two Edward Edwards in the area, yet the only matching census that lists a son Charles is 1841, and indicates Edward in Llansillin as a labourer. I'm convinced this is a different family though (as mentioned).

There is an Edward Edwards, boatman, born Vron/Llangollen living in Froncysyllte in 1841 and 1851 living just 2 doors away from another boatman John Jones, the father of Sarah Jones (Charles' future wife). Edward's wife is listed in 1851 as Sarah (born Chirk) but there's no sign of a son called Charles. As Charles would have been 20 then it's likely he would have left home anyway, possibly working on boats and missed the census. It seems he married his close neighbour's daughter. This is the only Edward Edwards boatman listed in the region.

The 1871 census entry also lists Edward's household with 2 grandchilden, a Lloyd and a Roberts. I've not been able to match these with anyone on my tree yet.

Rationally, this boatman Edward is surely the father of Charles, but I've no direct evidence connecting him to Charles other than the wedding certificate statement saying his father is Edward and a boatman. This Edward is the only Boatman in the censuses, and age is correct. 

[wrjones]

They are notoriously difficult to follow in the Census these boatmen.My relative Sarah Gabriel was to marry a Thomas Davies(boatman) from the Fron area at Llangollen in 1865.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

[pimpernel]

I was wondering if there may be sources associated with the canal itself that might throw more light on the situation. Also of course Parish registers! Could anyone do a lookup?

It's easy to be inspired by the romance of the canalways, but in addition there's also the Aquaduct, opened in 1805. Were any of the boatmen involved in it's construction? If not, were they local people who adapted to work on the new waterway, or were they from other regions who moved into the area when the canal and aquaduct were built?

Was the Vron an extant community before the canal, or was the village built at the same time as the canal?

[gortonboy]

hi,,have you found Charles baptism?

[gortonboy]

a little confused by his birth year..you say he was b 1828-d 1897,,,but on his marriage in 1852 he was age 21,,,so should have been b c 1831 ?

[pimpernel]

I've not been able to trace his baptism unfortunately. Virtually every record gives a different estimate for his age, yet it's definitely the same person.

The 1852 marriage entry is the earliest record and states his age as 21 (i.e. born around 1831). The 1871 census lists him as 38 (born circa 1833), the 1881 shows him at Frankton Locks in Whittington, Shropshire, aged 54 (born 1827), the 1891 suggests 1828, and his death record (Jun 1897 Corwen 11b 279) states he's 68 years old, thus born 1829.

So the truth could be any date between 1827 and 1833, all seem to agree he was born in the Vron however.

[gortonboy]

hi,,there is a baptism in 1827  Rhuabon parish....parents Edward and Sarah,,,the abode is Acresfair,,which is in the area of  Froncyllte,,,,the fathers occupation though is  Dresser,,,,spelt drefser,,with the old stye f for s.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Just a suggestion - could Edward jnr and Charles be one and the same?