Employed as a PUDDLER

[osprey]

the lodger may have been a cousin or not related at all. I found him with his parents, Walter & Mary, & there was no Margaret with them in 1841, although she could have been working away from home. As you say, best to send for the cert.

 

[wdytya]

Good job I did not guess that the boarder Thomas Davies was Margarets brother as it would have been incorrect. I sent for Sarah Jane's birth certificate, the one Osprey suggested and it arrived today.  It states that Margarets maiden name is Jones (why could it not be an easier name to research!!)

The certificate states that her father William is a farm labourer which matches the early census records before he went to work in the ironworks.

I have had a look online for the baptism record for a Margaret Jones of Goytre born around 1828 but no luck so far.

[osprey]

I think I may have found their marriage. Using FreeBmd, there's a marriage registered in june qtr 1848 Pontypool vol 206 pg 203 for a Margaret Jones with William Williams on the same page. There's a marriage in Panteg parish church 2 May 1848 for William Williams & Margaret Jones, both of Race Ground Farm, his father John Williams, labourer and hers William Jones, cordwainer. One of the witnesses looks to be Ruth Jones.

I can see a possible William cordwainer in Mamhilad in 1841 HO107/744/1 folio 9 pg 12 with a 6 year old Ruth in the same household, but I suspect there will be others so I'll search some more.

 

[osprey]

well, he's still the only cordwainer/shoemaker I've come across

1841 Mamhilad HO107/744/1 folio 9 pg 12
William Jones 40 cordwainer
Ann 35
Martha 10
Ruth 6
Mary 3
Eliza 10 months
all born in county

1851 The Common, Mamhilad HO107/2449 folio 583 pg 11
William Jones head mar 63 shoemaker b. Glascoed
Ann wife 48 b. Penrose
Ruth dau 15
Mary dau 12
Eliza dau 10
Harriett dau 8
John Williams workman 26 shoemaker b. Panteague
daughters all born Mamhilad

Birth reg for Harriett should give Ann's maiden name, but it could be a second marriage for William.
Harriett Jones june qtr 1842 Pontypool vol 26 pg 126
Glascoed is in the parish of Usk, next to Penrhos
http://www.dustydocs.com/linkSpecial/197/143724/parish-map.html

The family is enumerated next to the Horseshoe, picture on link
http://www.simonandsteve.com/