I have brickwalls all round in Carmarthen. My three greats grandfather was Charles Henry Hughes, born around 1807 and died 1879. He was a solicitor, borough treasurer and Land tax commissioner, who served on the council too. Both his parents and his partner are brickwalls for me. His father was John Edward Hughes, dry salter, shipowner and merchant, who lived in Quay Street. He ws born around 1765 and died in 1829 in Carmarthen, having served as a councillor and three terms as mayor for the town. I've found lots of detail about this man, and his family, and have his will but I have never found any thing about his birth or parents. His brother was Edward Hughes, Vicar of Tenby, and his daughter Sophia married Lewis Morris.
Sarah Spence also from Carmarthen born around 1769, died 1847, is another brickwall. She had a Spence relative living with her, according to John's will, who seems to have been born in London, although most Spences seem to originate from Orkney. I have found no Spences in the region except for a Graeme Spence, Admiralty surveyor, whose dates seem a bit late for him to have been her father, although the newspaper report of her marriage in 1795 talked about her being of the town and peculiarly accomplished. Graeme Spence was born in Orkney, but I can find no birth of a Sarah in Orkney at the right date.
Charles Henry Hughes, like his brothers, never married his partner Ann Jones, although he had a number of children with her and never sought to avoid his parental responsibilities. He lived with the children after the death of his mother and the presumed death of their mother. Jones is a terrible name to research in Carmarthen. Her mother was Mary Jones, also a terrible name to research, and they were together with the Hughes children for the 1841 and 1851 census.
I would be grateful for any ideas of where to research, and especially if anyone knows of any headstones or memorials relating to this family. They all lived in Quay Street, Carmarthen.
