Captain William Jones, Porthmadog

[Glynm]

I wonder if someone in the Porthmadog area could check an inscription on a grave in Moel y Gest Cemetery although I am not sure how easy it is to find.
I have a copy of the grave inscriptions for the cemetery from Gwynedd FHS and the following is a copy of the transcription for the grave in question:
Record 360 Moel y Gest Cemetery
Er serchus gof am Capt. THOMAS JONES, Meistr y llong “Robert Morris” 35 Snowdon St., Portmadoc. Bu farw Ebrill 20fed, 1906 yn 67 mlwydd oed.
Hefyd am MARY ei anwyl briod. Bu farw Ionawr 28ain 1911 yn 74 mlwydd oed.
Er serchus gof am Capt. THOMAS JONES, (Ieu) 33 Snowdon St. A fu farw Ebrill 8fed, 1911 yn 30 mlwydd oed.
Hefyd y briod JANE JONES. A fu farw Ionawr 14eg, 1931 yn 70 mlwydd oed.
Hefyd Capt. WILLIAM JONES, 53 Portland St. Birkenhead. A fu farw Rhag, 10fed, 1897, yn 47 ml. oed. Hefyd am Elizabeth, ei briod, a farw Chwefror 29, 1934 yn 61 ml oed.

There appear to be a number of mistakes in the transcription but the main one is concerning the year of Capt. William Jones' death since he was married to Elizabeth (Lizzie) in 1900 and I have downloaded his Master and Mate Certificates up to 1913. William was born in November 1873 and if the age of 47 years when he died is correct it would be around 1920.
I would be grateful if anyone can help.

Glyn

[EmyrBorth]

Hi
Called at the cemetery late yesterday afternoon just as it was getting dark. Some parts of the inscription are difficult to read. Was not able to check all the inscription as it got too dark. Will have further look over the weekend.
In what I was able to read there were 2 errors:
Age of capt Thomas Jones (jnr)  50 not 30;
Death of Capt William Jones 1919 not 1897. There is a short obituary in Cambrian news & .....  26/12/1919.
Emyr
 

[wilcoxon]

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3414998/3415005/76/

[Glynm]

Hi Emyr good to hear from you again. I see you have come up trumps again and many thanks for going to the trouble of visiting the grave and confirming the information. The age 50 agrees with the 1911 Census which was 6 days before Thomas Jnr. died. The other glaring mistake is the date of Elizabeth's death (she was my Nain's eldest sister), 1934 wasn't a leap year. By the way my Grandparents inherited the house and retired back there in the 1950's.
Since you were originally from Borth-y-Gest I am not sure if you are interested in the history of the Porthmadog ships. After retiring Thomas Jones Snr. was major shareholder of the schooner "Miss Morris" launched 1896. William Jones was mate on her maiden voyage and my Father's uncle William Thomas, Clog-y-berth bosun.
Many thanks again.

Glyn

[EmyrBorth]

Hi
Tried to send a reply but something went wrong !
Link (hopefully) below to obituary of Capt Thomas Jones. Says he was a native of Penrhyndeudraeth and son of a mariner. I'm trying to find out who Capt Morris Jones c. 1808-1879, born Llanfihangel y Traethau (parish Penrhyndeudraeth is in) is. He lived at Porthmadog and married Margaret Roberts, born Anglesey. Do you know who Thomas Jones' parents were ?

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3409336/3409338/5/

Emyr

[Glynm]

Thanks for the link Emyr, there is a wealth of information in the obituary that needs investigating further.
With regard to William Jones, his father was Thomas Jones Snr. who died in 1906 and his mother was Mary originally from Pwllheli. At the moment I have traced the family back to the 1861 Census when Mary and her baby son Thomas are living in Cornhill. By the 1881 Census the family had moved to 33 Snowdon Street.
I have tried to find out who Morris Jones is. There are two mentions of a Captain Morris Jones in Emrys Hughes Porthmadog Ships. P.36 one of three Master Mariner sons of Captain Hugh Parry, Borth-y-Gest, the leading ship broker at Cornhill. Two of the sons are Jones and one Richards peculiar that none are named Parry or even Hughes unless Hugh married two widows. There is also a Morris Jones who was owner of the "Sydney Jones" which was built in 1856 and lost off Helgoland in 1869. There is no guarantee that either are the Morris Jones you are interested in.
Welsh Mariners Index is more promising although Dr. Reg Davies seems confused as to whether he has two different men.
Surname   Forename   Place of Birth   Year of Birth   CC or Cs No. Capacities   County of Birth   
 JONES    Morris    Penrhyn           1809                  41899       M51           MER   
     C21325Catherine & Margaret1858-65 & 1868-70, voyages to the Baltic. Pensioned 15 Dec 1865, certificate received [but do these details apply to this man?]. [MI at Salem, Porthmadog, CAE: Capt Morris Jones, 47 High Street, Portmadoc, marwodd Ebrill 13, 1879 yn 70]. [Morris Jones, late of 47 High St., Porthmadog, CAE, MM, died 14 April 1879. Probate 10 July 1879 by Edward Jones, son, <£300, (NPC)].
I have downloaded his certificate if it is any use to you.
Glyn

[wilcoxon]

At the moment I have traced the family back to the 1861 Census when Mary and her baby son Thomas are living in Cornhill.

Have you found the family in 1871.
I`m having trouble finding Portmadoc,  what do enter as "lives in "

How old was Mary and where was she born ?

[wilcoxon]

 The reason I asked about 1871 is this. I have now found it and see these children are with Mary, 

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3040109/3040113/39/


1871 Cornhill
 William Jones  39 ships carpenter  b Nevin
 Catherine Jones  wife  32
 Mary Jones  7
 Margaret Jones  5
 Catherine Jones  1
Mary Jones  wife  34 marr  sailors wife b Pwllheli
 Thomas Jones  10
 Jane Jones  8
 John Jones  5
 Dorothy Mary Jones  3
 Evan Jones  1

[Glynm]

Hi Wilcoxon

If you are using Findmypast it can be a bit inconsistent and rubbish with some Welsh names. Yes I have found the family in 1871 and still living in Cornhill, Porthmadog. Different years use different versions of the parish name: Ynyscynhaiarn, Ynys-cynhaiarn or Ynys cynhaiarn. In 1861 Mary was 24 years old and born originally in Pwllheli. I was going to use Keith Parry's Yffor.com which, once you know your way around it, is the best website for searching for ancestors from the Llyn area since it covers not only the census but also baptisms, marriages, burials and in some cases wills, and it is free.

Glyn