I have stories of two Richard Hugheses of Oswestry and would like to be able to prove they refer to the same person.
The only things regarding (my) Richard Hughes I'm sure of are that:
1817 Richard Hughes was born son of an Agriculrutal Labourer John Hughes just over the Welsh border near Llangedwyn;
In 1887 as a 'retired farmer' he made a will in Oswestry leaving at least £1500 between various brothers before retiring as a widower to live with his brother very near his birthplace of Llangedwyn
The question has always been how did the son of an Agicultural Labourer come to be a wealthy retired farmer?
A a result of some help (thanks Colin) A plausible story has been assembled, but I wondered how likely is it and, as an extra, what story (if any does the legalese) below tell:
In the parish of Llanforda near Oswestry around 7 miles from the birthplace mentioned:
In 1841 a Richard Hughes age 20 to 25 is a Male Servant at a farm in the township of Llanforda/Llanvorda (which is roughly around the old Oswestry racecourse). He is servant to farmer Andrew Rogers, 68 his daughters Mary 35, Eleaner, 25 and a John Rogers who is 3.
In 1844 this Richard Hughes married Mary Rogers, ten year or more his senior, her fathers residence given as 'The Hills'. Then through 1851, 1861 and 1871 the couple - without any record of children - farm in the Llanforda area before, by 1881 retiring to Weston Grove Oswestry where Mary's sister Eleanor is a 'visitor'.
If it were possible to show that: the reitred farmer Richard Hughes of Upper Brook St who made his will in 1887 and lived the rest of his life with his brother; was the same Richard hughes who married Mary Rogers and farmed in Llanforda reriring to Weston Grove, Oswestry; are one and the same that would neatly complete (for now) the story.
Free BMD shows the registered deaths of eight Mary Hugheses between 1881 and 1887 and It could be one of these was the wife of the Richard Hughes of Weston Grove or of Upper Brook Street.
Richard Hughes of Llanforda may have retired in 1879 based on this description of an item in The National Library of Wales.
https://archives.library.wales/index.php/hills-farm-otherwise-park-uchaf-oswestry which, recalling the John Rogers age 3 in 1841, ends " ... conveyance by John Rogers and another to the trustees of the marriage settlement of the late Lord Harlech of a m. farm and lands called Park Uchaf otherwise The Hill Tenement situate in p. Oswestry, 25March 1879".
Presumably conveyance here means sale? if so where does the 'marriage settlement' come in?
