Mabel, thanks for that. I don't think that it's our "William" (or John!) as he wasn't born until 1870. But if he is related, I don't think that it would surprise me, our William/John has many pages of misconduct in his Army file! I can't read them as it's blurry and lot's of military abbreviations, though I'm looking to getting it transcribed by a military history expert.
I will look at the John Bumford with a Sarah Jane aged 11 months. Thank you!
Osprey, thank you, yes I did think that it must be Aberdare. That 1881 census looks promising, it looks like the right place, and round about the same birth year.
So many people in Monmouthshire all with the same names together in one family!
I'm amazed and grateful for all of the help I've received on forum so far. Thank you everyone!
Before I delve very much deeper, possibly having the wrong families. Would anyone mind looking at this for me?
I only got this far because I know my grandfathers birth date, which I obtained from his death certificate.
He is William James Davies. DOB 20 September 1922. I know he was from 'the valleys' in Monmouthshire. His son doesn't really know anything him other than thought that he was from Bryn Mawr, and he remembers mention of an Emelyn and a Teddy.
Luckily for me, I only one William James Davies born 20 September 1922 in the area.
That was on the 1939 register, 22 Clarendon Row, Rhymney, Monmouthshire. And there is mention of an Emlyn on this too as a younger brother.
From that, I found his parents were Francis Davies and Margaret Davies (nee Bulson). It is from this that I started to trace Francis Davies DOB 18 Feb 1900 beginnings and got to John or "William".
So, I am hoping that I'm on the right track, especially looking at various census, birth records and Army records.
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=TNA%2FR39%2F7464%2F7464A%2F016&parentid=TNA%2FR39%2F7464%2F7464A%2F016%2F42Thanks again.