George Charles Degen Lewis-Rhosneigr.

[Viking666]

Hi, I'm looking at my GG3's daughter, Mary Richards, B 1804-1838 at Llanerchymedd, his 5th child. I have a note that she married the above who was, at that time, a Customs Officer, Lt. R.E., based at Rhosneigr. They had 2 children, Thomas and John Lewis. (I have no DOB s) Reading his extensive family tree I see that he was married 4 times and had 1 legitimate child and 2 illegitimate children. I have traced 3 of his wives ... was Mary the missing one?,( or were they not married and their 2 children  illegitimate?)
In his will he requests that a memorial tablet be erected and that it should contain his coat of arms, with the coats of arms of his 4 wives placed at each corner. The Richards family were without a coat of arm and why were the children not shown in the family tree, most especially the eldest son who would be the next in line for a disputed Baronetcy. Any ideas out there?

[Mabel Bagshawe]

I'm not sure she was amongst the four wives, as I have found four possibles

1. Jane Lempriere, of Jersey connections. Married 1829, mother of William Lempriese Lewis christened Gillingham, kent, 1830, died Montreal 1831 

2 Maria Annabel Scott - married 1834 in Hove

3 Eliza Richards - married 1847 in Clifton

4 Sarah Mawson or Emily Spedding - married 1859, Whitehaven

[Viking666]

Hi Mabel, Thanks for your input. I have had a look at all of the wives that you listed ... I didn't realize that
Eliza Richards was one of the wives, (She was the daughter of the Rev. Griffith Richards and not the daughter of the Rev. John Richards, Mary's father) I'll look at the will again, he had an estate of £66,000, (Oct. 1871) and there are quite a number of beneficiaries.
 On the face of it, it looks as if he wasn't married to Mary Richards, and that their 2 children were indeed the illegitimates referred to in the family tree. Notice too that the women didn't live very long after marrying him!
                        Thanks again for your help.

[Viking666]

Re-opening an old topic. I have recently stumbled across some documents that cast some doubt on the entry in Williams, Tomlin, Charlier that shows Mary Richards living with Degan Lewis and bearing his 2 illegitimate children, Thomas and John Lewis.
 In a bond that relates to William Williams, Chemist of Caernarfon, dated 1837, (the husband of Mary's sister, Elizabeth) she is shown as Mary Lewis, Widow of Llanerchymedd. In the Parish record of her death, she is also shown as Mary Lewis, her death being at Plas Llanfair, the home of her mother Anne. Shown in the 1841 census for Plas Llanfair is John Lewis, aged 12.
Degan Lewis's 3rd wife was Elizabeth Richards, daughter of the Rev. G. Richards whereas Mary was the daughter of the Rev. John Richards.
 I'm wondering if the WTC entry has the 2 Richards ladies mixed up and that Mary actually married a Lewis, but not Degan Lewis.
 Does anyone have a marriage of a Richards and Lewis in Anglesey at around 1825.
       regards, Peter.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

With a bit more detail the story seems quite unlikely - Mary, a reverend's daughter, having a number of illegitimate children and then being back in with the family in a fairly substantial gentry dwelling. Would have been a big scandal.

were they actually in Plas Llanfair or on the estate? I can't see mention of any Richards living there in this history.
http://www.nuffieldanglesey.org.uk/history/

[despair]

Wales Marriage Bonds at NLW has

George Lewis bach,Llangefni,1825 Nov 2,at Llanerchymedd,Mary Richards

Regards
Roger

[Viking666]

Thank you Mabel.
   Plas Llanfairmathafarneithaf was the home of Anne Parry, the wife of the Rev. John Richards. They lived there from 1796, (marriage) until the last know Richards mentioned as being there in 1891. Their 10 children were born there. The Plas Llanfair that you quote is the one at Llanfair PG.
   Roger to the rescue again ... many thanks. I have a journal of Baptisms written by the Rev. John up until his death in 1832 ... it confirms his date of birth as being 1758, not 1760 as I mentioned in the Strygos topic. The Parish written record of his death also shows him as 75 at death in 1832.
                         Regards and thanks, Peter.