Griffiths Family, stonemasons of Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales.

[burrahills]

John Griffiths, born 1820, son of John Griffiths, mason, & Sarah, married Sarah Barber Jones on 24/11/1844 in Swansea & migrated to Burra, South Australia. We can find the Oz relatives, no problems but John's brother William, born abt 1828 and sister Sarah born abt 1830 are elusive after Welsh Census 1851. I also can't find anyone trying to find these Griffiths!
If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated!

[rosie99]

Hi
Welcome to rootschat

Could you please post the 1851 census details for this family so we know exactly which Griffiths family you are referring to. 

Rosie

[Romilly]

Hi
Welcome to rootschat
Could you please post the 1851 census details for this family so we know exactly which Griffiths family you are referring to. 
Rosie

I'd second that! Too many Griffiths to know which one to go for...

Romilly.

[osprey]

this looks like the family in 1851
10 Wellington Street, Swansea HO107/2466 folio 175 pg 21
Sarah Griffiths head widow 60 mason's widow b. Pembs, Hubberston?/Herbrandston?
William son 22 mason journeyman b. Swansea
Sarah dau 20 straw bonnet maker b. Swansea

1841 HO107/1426/2 folio 33 pg 18 with John age 21 stone cutter, Sarah & John not born in county

[burrahills]

Yes, that is my Sarah Griffiths! In the Census it says she is from Anston in Pembrokeshire but not such a place I believe, and on closer examination of the writing of the census on different websites it looks like Ambra! The family are also on the 1841 Welsh census ...again without husband/father John and she is of "Ind" category. They are living in Wellington Street in 1841 also.
I would imagine Sarah, a straw bonnet maker, would be married by the 1861
Census and William also. Perhaps William migrated overseas somewhere like his older brother John who also was a mason and built beautiful buildings in Burra, South Australia.

[osprey]

Ind(ependent) probably means she was already a widow by 1841.

Do you know if there more children in between John & William? A gap of 8 years is long enough that the marriage to Sarah may have been a second one, unless John's death in Australia gives his mother's name?

There's a possible death reg for Sarah senior March quarter 1859 Swansea vol 11a pg 418, GRO index gives age as 70.

I've had another stare at the place of birth for Sarah and the enumerator tends to write the county as a partial abbreviation so it's Pembrokesh ? parish, it may be Lambston, don't think it's Amroth.

 

[burrahills]

Our John Griffiths, mason, who migrated in 1855 and died in South Australia, is definitely the son of John Griffiths, a mason also. At John's marraige to Sarah Barber Jones in 1844 in Swansea, it states that John was living in New Street! WHY WASN'T HE WITH HIS MOTHER IN WELLINGTON STREET Swansea at the time? He said his father was a mason but not necessarily alive at the time, as Sarah's father was said to be Thomas and a butcher but he was definitely deceased! There is a John Griffiths record of death for 1839. It was interesting to note that in the marraige record there was no mention of any of his family!
In the 1841 Census in Wellington St, Sarah is there with John, William and Sarah...all Griffiths. Yes, there is a big gap between John and William. Why? Perhaps there were miscarraiges, perhaps another marraige! 
In the 1851 census...only Sarah, William and Sarah...mother is a "mason's widow" are left in Wellington Street. John is living in Ebenezer Street with our Sarah and children before they migrate.
This doesn't explain William's disappearance...I just can't find him at present...nor Sarah for that matter. Any other thoughts?

[osprey]

have you tried tracing Thomas Jones, the nephew in 1851? Does he go to Australia with the family?

There's a possible match for him in 1841 in Ebenezer Street
1841 Ebenezer St South Side HO107/1426/6 folio35 pg 18
Jane Jenkins 82 on parish
Thomas Jones 6
both born in county

I think the question was father's name & occupation, not if he was alive, so if he's not marked as deceased, it doesn't mean he was alive. I'm not surprised he wasn't still living with his mother at time of marriage. What parish was the marriage in? If he was living in the same parish as his bride, it would have saved money on calling a second set of banns. His mother was living in St Mary's.

 

[burrahills]

Have been away so not been doing much Ancestry. However I do think I have found Sarah Griffiths, born 1830. She was living with William and her mother in 1851 when the Census was taken in March but I believe she married John Jones, born 1831, in 1851. They had two sons John born 1853 and William 1855. They are in the 1861 census in Llanguick but can't find them in 1871. Still looking for William, her brother.