John Lewis and Elizabeth Pryce

[Sally4x]

My 91 year old dad recently died and had been doing our family tree since the 1970's. There was one branch that he was stuck on and I am not trying to complete it for him.  His grandmother my great-grandmother was an Amelia Edwards born in 1873 in Pontesbury the daughter of William Edwards and Anne Lewis. Anne Lewis was born in Kerry Montgomeryshire in 1836. On the marriage certificate it shows that Anne Lewis was the daughter of John Lewis a lead miner.Dad was never able to find the correct Lewis family, but I think I have  - her parents being a John Lewis born 1807 in Kerry, Montgomeryshire and an Elizabeth Pryce born 1815 in Bettws, Montgomeryshire. They married on the 8th Jun 1834 in Kerry, Montgomeryshire. They go on to have 8 more children after Anne and Elizabeth dies in 1862 and the same year John marries a Catherine Jones who was born Catherine Speake. I can't find a death for John or Catherine. I also can't find any information about John Lewis or Elizabeth Pryce and their parents. There is a marriage online, but the witnesses are hard to read. - maybe an Evan Pryce and a Rich Pryce but the Rich Pryce seemed to be a witness for all the weddings on the page. I am not stuck and any help with this would be really appreciated.

Thanks

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
The couple are in Pontesbury on Ppontesbury hill on  the 1871 census but don't appear 1881 so this may well be John's burial.
John Lewis 7.10.1877 Pontesbury Hill age 74 years at Pontesbury
In 1881 Bausley Hill Atcham
John Speake 47 farmer of 84 acres Worthen
Kate Lewis 68 servant widow ag lab widow Westbury
Richard Davies 17 servant indoors Westbury

I still can't find her death the only possible I can see is 1893 at Shrewsbury.The lady leaves a Will to Thomas Rodgers of London.

Ciderdrinker

[DCB]

Catharina Speak baptised on 19 Apr 1812, daughter of Samuel and Sarah at Westbury, Shropshire.

1891 at Mereshwood, Harley, Atcham, with son, Richard Jones and family, so probably the one in 1893.

David

[Sally4x]

Thanks - I had her on the 1891 census with her son Richard Jones, but not on the 1881 census so thanks for that. I think her death is in Atcham in 1893 and not the Shrewsbury one. Of course as is often the case her age is wrong on the death record, but I can’t find any others. I also had her baptism thanks.

My main issues are finding the baptisms and family of John Lewis and Elizabeth Pryce my third great grandparents. I have ordered the parish records of the places they were born and surrounding areas from Montgomeryshire Genealogical Society and am hoping they give me some answers

[ciderdrinker]

Hello
Have you got John's second marriage details in 1862 ? Wouldn't that give his father's name and occupation.
John Lewis is quite a common name and having info on his Dad would help.

Ciderdrinker

[Sally4x]

Oh of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Going to order the certificate thanks!

[Sally4x]

Well I think I am going to hit a dead end in this one. The marriage certificate arrived and it was useless. John Lewis’s father was named as the same father of the woman he was marrying and had a line through it. Typical!

The parish records also arrived and there is neither a John Lewis or an Elizabeth Pryce baptised in any of the parishes or neighbouring ones in the vicinity of the dates of their supposed ages on records. I say supposed ages because like many on these records John’s age changes by up to ten years on various records.

The only thing I have to go on is the two witnesses at their marriage - they are an Evan Pryce and a Richard Pryce. I have temporarily discounted Richard because he is also a witness on every marriage in that parish. So Evan is probably either Elizabeth’s father or brother. Elizabeth states in every census that she was born in Bettws, but in her marriage record she is living in Berriew parish. There are only two Evan Pryce’s that can fit - one on the 1951 census is a 64 year old shoemaker at Bettws, which could be her father and the other is 48 year old farmer in Berriew who could be her brother.

I have also looked at the children of the marriage to see if any names match possible parents, but they don’t.

I can’t get any further than this. I have only hit a dead end once before and that time it wasn’t a direct ancestor. It’s very disappointing.