18th History of Matthews family

[Patricia Short]

Hi all, I've done all I can for my missing grandmother with good results. Found someone who knows my mom and her father, thou my mom don't know who he is. As he still living, I've contacted him myself and see if I can get a response back.

Anyways, I wonder if anyone can help me in finding records of my great-grandmother. She was Annie Matthews whose father was a Abraham Matthews - General Labourer. Now from my research I noticed back in the early days sometimes names are misspelt and found many surnames of Mathews in the late 1880's. Annie (Spinster) married my great-grandfather William E Jones in 1903. I found his death records BUT with Annie, it's complicated in tracing her death records and birth records. Now I do know she was born in the years of either 1882-1883. But trying to find an Annie with a father of Abraham, comes to nothing. Anyone got any ideas? FreeBMD gives me no clues either.

Many Thanks,
Patricia

[jacquelineve]

Hello Patricia
                    What areas? I take it that you have the info re. Annie's father from marriage cert.
Any Matthews witnesses?

Jackie

[Patricia Short]

Hello there,
I got marriage certificate my great-grandparents that has Annie's father name on there and 1 Matthews witness. Here are the info on Marriage cert:
8th June 1903 - William Edmund Jones 23yrs a Bachelor who worked as a coal miner lived in Bedwas. His father (my great-great-grandfather) was a William Jones and he worked as a coal miner too.
Annie Matthews 21yrs a Spinster also lived in Bedwas but at a different address. Her father (my great-great-grandfather) was Abraham Matthews and he worked as a general labourer.

Married in Heph33ibah Baptist Chapel - Bedwas. In the presence of Alf Matthews, Thomas Langford, Mary Langley and Mary H Rees.

[Annie65115]

Do you mean 19 century history?

It appears that both William and Annie were born in Bedwas and the 1911 census backs up the ages given at marriage.

Now in the 1891 census there is an Annie Mathews b Bedwas 1882, and she has a brother Alfred. But the parents are James and Elizabeth --not an Abraham in sight, and James was a "stationary engine XX" (??driver? but you don't drive a stationary something, do you? Unless this is a mining term, which it may well be as in 1901 he was a above round labourer in a coliery). This Annie wasn't with her parents in the 1901 census but I can't find her elsewhere either.

What was Annie's address on the marriage cert?

[jim1]

A stationary engine was driven by steam & drove mining equipment.
We see lots of stationary/static engine drivers/fitters post Industrial Revolution.

[Patricia Short]

Hi Annie, sorry didn't see your post for some reason. I only noticed when Jim replied to my post :/ Annie lived in Mount Pleasant, Bedwas. My great-grandfather was married to her but on marriage cert it to shows a different address.. He was living at Hillside Cottage, Bedwas. It's definitely Annie Matthews who had a father of Abraham Matthews. He was a General Labourer at that time of 1903.

[jim1]

I've got the same as Annie.
There are births registered for Annie & Alfred & they are the only one's in the Bedwas district.
On the census they must be the one's to James & Elizabeth.
There is an Abraham Matthews b. 1847 Mon. but he disappears after 1871.
It's quite possible he was born James but used the name Abraham on a daily basis only reverting to James for official documents.

[Patricia Short]

  This history gets more twisted than ever. Why do you think that back in the days people used different first names and middles names? Cos I found out my grandmother was actually Mabel. But she used 2 different names in the army and on my mums birth certificate 'Margaret Mabel Walton & Margaret Mabel May Walton'.

[jim1]

People still do. There are probably people you know by one name but were born with another.
Being a Baptist he may have preferred an Old Testament name.
When faced with misinformation, which happens all the time the best way to proceed is to try & debunk it.
I can't & I'm sure Annie can't either.
You could get Alfred's marriage cert. & see who he puts down as a father.