Jenkin Williams Llandefalle wealthy family (Skreen, Velyn Newydd) 1760 to 1800s

[osprey]

The ink has faded and not easy to read. There are some earlier baptisms in better ink and writing
Samuel bp 13 March 1742 son of Samuel & Fortune
Elizabeth bp 25 April 1744 daughter of Samuel & Fortune
Fortune bp 11 Sept 1748 daughter of Samuel & Fortune

from the less clear pages of the register
William bp 20 March 1755
? son 1758 son of Samuel & Fortune
Ann? bp 1759 daughter of Samuel & Fortune 

further back, possible baptism for Samuel Bevan 12 April 1721, son of Samuel & Hannah on the same day that Samuel, the father, was buried.

NLW has marriage bonds for
Samuel Beavan gent, Newchurch, Radnorshire and Fortune Williams, spinster, Llandeilo Graban 18 May 1742

Samuel Beavan, Newchurch, Radnorshire and Hannah Cleiro, Radnorshire 11 Jan 1708.

[Redkite23]

Thanks Osprey

The 1742 18 May Marriage bond between Samuel Beavan and  Fortune Williams is important to me as I have been following the Williams Family tree on Theophilius Jone's book Brecknockshire published in 1809 (e-book on google) p320 is written oddly on the right hand side but is a line of siblings starting with Jenkin Williams Jnr then Samuel Williams right down via a right angle bend to Hannah. Which is my point of entry into this line. The information I have only makes sense if Jenkin Williams married Mary daughter of Samuel Beavan of Ty'n y cwm not Elizabeth as with Jones. I am a little reluctant to claim the eminent Theophilius Jones wrong. Samuel Beavan's marriage bond to Fortune Williams supports the case that Jones was incorrect and the list of Radnorshire Sheriffs showing Samuel Beavan of Ty'n y cwm Newchurch in 1766 also supports this as Mary was born in Newchurch. (Parish register does not mention Ty'n y cwm). Sheriffs seem to have been popular in this family. John Williams of Skreen was Sheriff of Brecon in 1736 and Jenkin Williams of Llandefalle Sheriff of Brecon in 1739 and now a Sheriff of Radnorshire in 1766. Anybody got any views on challenging Theophilius Jone's version especially as it may only have been a minor error but leaves a loose end which I do not like.
 Another question is did this branch of the Williams family have any connection to the Jenkin Williams on the sale notice of Wellbrook Manor in 1802.?

One point I have noticed Samuel Beavan and Fortune Williams were married in May 1742 but had a son in March 1742. The year end was changed in 1842 with25th March being last day of the year. So March 1742 would be nearly a full year before May 1842. On modern 31 st Dec year end marriage would have been May 1742 birth would have been March 1743.

[Llanfihangel]

Hi,

I have found two more wills at the Library of Wales

Elizabeth Williams 1767 Llandefalle Breconshire

https://viewer.library.wales/555216#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&xywh=103%2C445%2C1953%2C1296

I this will Elizabeth bequeaths all of her estate in Clifford Herefordshire to her godson Jenkin Williams (son of Thomas Williams, Skreen, Llandeilo Graban, Radnor) and fifty pounds each to Elizabeth Beavan and Fortune Beavan the daughters of Samuel Beavan Gent. of Newchurch in Radnorshire

The other will of Thomas Williams 1792 Llandefalle has many references to his brother Jenkin Williams (not Beavan!) , who has a hold of two thousand pounds on Thomas's Estate.

https://viewer.library.wales/669069#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=5&xywh=327%2C462%2C2363%2C1568

On page three of the will he states that his estate will inherit Willbrook in the Parish of Peterchurch on the death of his mother Bridget Wiiliams. On her death he directs Hohn Hughes and Hugh Bold to sell Willbrook and apply the proceeds towards the debt owing to Jenkin Williams on his estate in Radnor.

Onn page four Thomas directs that after the sale of Willbrook and the release of the debt to Jenkin Williams the whole of his estate shall be sold and the proceeds divided between his children and other relatives..

I think that was near the end of the long-standing and prosperous era of the Williams families at Skreen and Velin-Newyd.

It is possible that His son Thomas Williams emigrated to America after that, but there is no sign at all of that happening, as far as I can see.

Nevertheless there were many from that immediate area (Llandeilor Graban, Erwood, Gwenddwr, and Crickardarn) who emigrated to Radnor Ohio about that time.... Including David Pugh, Mary Pugh, and Isabella Pugh from Skreen Farm, Llandeilo Graban (not Skreen Manor, where the wealthy Williams's lived). There was also William Williams son of the Rev. John Williams, who married Isabella Pugh and went to Ohio as early as 1790.

Maybe the Williams family bankrolled David Pugh in order to buy a few thousand acres of land around Radnor Ohio in 1802 (see David Pugh, pioneer, Radnor Ohio)

Best regards to you all...

Llanfi

[Redkite23]

Hi Llanfihangel
I think your correct- this is the end of the line for the wealthy end of the Williams of Felin Newydd and Skreen. I have a burial date for Bridget Williams of 15th March 1802 in Peterchurch age 85 which makes her birth about 1717. Also there is an abstract at Canterbury passing all her wealth to her son Jenkin Williams except for £60 to her maid. Just before the sale of  Willbrook there were the grandchildren of Bridget (offspring of Thomas in 1792 will you found). Most got £1000 pounds from their father. There were 2 boys George the youngest died in 1801, Thomas (did not go to America) was a officer in the army ,killed in 1803. There were 2 girls. Elizabeth who married the Rev Eckley (A name I have come across before somewhere) and a daughter Bridget-who I cannot find anywhere. I presume the rest from the sale went to repay Jenkin Williams who then moved to Dorstone and bought his own farm (died 1809 aged 52).
The Williams family before 1760 seems worthy of investigation -who was the Elizabeth Williams in the 1767 will ? She stated that she was a widow so which Williams did she marry? and why leave money to Fortune and Elizabeth Beavan and not Mary Beavan ? I think I will eventually look at 1700 to 1760 at some time in the future.

Redkite23

[Llanfihangel]

Hello Redkite,

Here is a bit more about the Williams of Velinnwyd Breconshire, see attached.

There are Williams's and Vaughans all over the south-west of Breconshire. There was an especially wealthy family of Williams's at Penpont a few miles west of Brecon. The Library of Wales has this:

"In 1660 Daniel Williams, son of the Rev. John Williams (1580-1657), a descendant of the Williams family of Abercamlais, Breconshire, built the Penybont mansion and founded the Penpont branch of the family. The estate then descended in the male line, each heir being called Penry. The last male heir was Penry Boleyne Williams who died unmarried in 1893. According to the 1873 return of owners of land, Penry Williams of Penpont owned an estimated 7,010 acres, all in Breconshire, with an estimated annual rental of £4,370"


Cheers,

Llanfi 

[Redkite23]

Hi Thanks for the information-I will need to digest it. There are some things that need checking with John Williams and Jenkin Williams (who left a will in 1754). How were they linked to the Bois family and is there any evdence? Also I came across an advert in a London paper of 1779 which advertised the sale 0f 892 Oak trees on the Willbrooke estate of John Delahay in Peterchurch. Was the Esate being sold off in parcels and could this be the moment Thomas Williams acquired Willbrooke Manor House by borrowing £2000 from Jenkin Williams? It's an interesting thought.

I will leave those  questions for now as I am overwhelmed with Williams, in Breconshire, Herefordshire and Radnorshire where there is a possibility of some connections. However,there is another group of Williams stretching down the Conway Valley in North Wales who I am certain are not connected but are also my ancestors.

Redkite23

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Also I came across an advert in a London paper of 1779 which advertised the sale 0f 892 Oak trees on the Willbrooke estate of John Delahay in Peterchurch. Was the Esate being sold off in parcels and could this be the moment Thomas Williams acquired Willbrooke Manor House by borrowing £2000 from Jenkin Williams? It's an interesting thought.

I doubt the estate was being sold off. Usually these adverts are selling the trees for their timber (buyer to harvest) but not the land they are standing on

[Llanfihangel]

Hello Redkite,

Any chance that your Williams ancestors are on Rea Williams Website?
I am somehow related to Ellissey ap William ap Hugh of Ciltalgarth Merionethshire, North Wales.
Rea's ancestors emigrated to America in the mid 1600s, but Ellis ap William ap Hugh had a well -researched ancestry back to Madog in the 1500s. Rea's family assumed the name Williams in America.
Rea unfortunately died a couple of years ago, but his astounding research of the various Williams families are still on the Web. Worth looking at if you haven't already done so!!
http://rea-williams.com/getperson.php?personID=I17739&tree=tree1

Cheers!
Llanfi 

[Redkite23]

Hello Mabel

In most cases I would agree with you that the Timber and land would have been sold separately. It is just the number of trees (892) that made me speculate otherwise. On today's prices this number of trees is worth over £10 million.Would somebody have put that amount of oak on the market at one time. The methods of harvesting were slower then and it would have taken at least a year to clear the land.  This seems to me to be an investment opportunity where the trees would be felled when market conditions were most advantageous. There is also evidence at Gwent Archives that the Delahey estate was contracting around 1800. The estate in the 1600s consisted of four manors with Willbrooke being one of them. By 1903 there was only one Urishay Castle a fortified Manor House. By 1927 Urishay was in ruins.
All this is pure speculation as my own focus is only the question of how did Thomas Williams acquire Willbrooke. We know Thomas Williams(father of Thomas and Jenkin) married the daughter of .... Smith of Peterchurch. It now seems this was Bridget Williams nee Smith. Did she have a connection to the Delaheys ? as that would open a new root to my family tree. After all both the Williams and Delahey families provided Sheriffs for their respective counties so the social standing would have been similar.

Redkite23