Mary Ellen Lewis b April1842 in Guilsfield area.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

The index for the obituary on Failysearch notes children as Mrs Lamyra Wilkes, Mrs Mary Whitney, Elmer E Willis, Charles M Willis, Mrs Mattie Willits (I wonder if the Willises are Willitts?)

Here's Mary Willetts with her married daughter Lamaire in 1901 1910 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGJS-D69
It says place of birth Ohio, and English parents, but that could be because that's where her daughter was born

[*Sandra*]

Been trawling a few 1850 and 1860 census - possibilities for a Sarah Lewis always single but there are quite a number of them so couldn't be sure for definite. Similar with Mary Lewis.  Nothing for parents.
Might have another session tomorrow.

Sandra

[*Sandra*]

You may have seen this one - Nothing in this short piece for Morton H Willits - sometimes they give a good in depth obit or death notice in the USA - sadly not this time.

Omaha Daily Bee Omaha, Nebraska
14 Apr 1907, Sun    Page 2

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119696756/omaha-daily-bee/

Sandra

[amberly]

Thanks to all these wonderful people who have answered my article.   I've been busy in all free time I've had today reading them all & checking what each one of you has said.   I live in Canada so am out of your time zone.   I'll attempt to answer you 1 by 1.
DUNDEE, they had 3 children I believe, Mary Ellen b 1842 & Sarah b 1854 both in Guilsfield & John who was b in Bangor. 
MADDYS52, yes you are correct Mary b 1842 mmn Dicken.
GADGET yes 1841 parents in Broniarth & James is a publican.
Baptism on Mary Ellen is correct.
In 1851 they are in Bangor & in 1861 but James is no longer a publican but a fruit dealer.
I'd love to hear about your Curetons who migrated to the US please.
GADGET again, Yes there are several documents that give her parents as James & Mary & no I have not relied on just the ancestry trees as several of them are incorrect [as usual] I've checked everything out
SANDRA Yes I found Mary Ellen's death cert & it indeed gave the correct parents.
SANDRA again, I don't believe I've found any suitable people on passenger lists beside which I found Mary Lewis died in 1872 aged 57 & was buried on June 4th in Bangor.  James remarried in Oct 1872 to a Margaret Peers in Bangor.  Marriage cert said James widower 53 a fruit dealer & Margaret Peers 43 a widow, father's name John EVANS a cattle dealer.
GADGET you are correct with Mary's death date & James'.
DCB I think what you say is correct .

No time to answer any more of you but will do tomorrow but it will be after lunch with you by the time I get up.

Just to say I found a FT belonging to a Kathleen Willits & heard back from her today & she believes we're both talking about the same lady, but we have to communicate some more yet to establish certainty,
More tomorrow ladies & thanks again for all you efforts.
Amberly.

[Dundee]

DUNDEE, they had 3 children I believe, Mary Ellen b 1842 & Sarah b 1854 both in Guilsfield & John who was b in Bangor. 

In 1851 they are in Bangor & in 1861 but James is no longer a publican but a fruit dealer.

The LEWIS couple found in Bangor from 1851 were James LEWIS and Mary CHESTER, not your James and Mary. John was their only surviving child.

Birth

LEWIS, MARY  HANNAH
Mother's maiden surname: CHESTER     
GRO Reference: 1840  J Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 27  Page 262

Death

LEWIS, MARY  HANNAH
Aged 4 
GRO Reference: 1845  M Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 27  Page 264

Birth

LEWIS, SARAH  ANNE
Mother's maiden surname: CHESTER     
GRO Reference: 1843  M Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 27  Page 273

Death

LEWIS, SARAH  ANN
Aged 3 
GRO Reference: 1846  J Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 27  Page 209

Birth

LEWIS, JOHN
Mother's maiden surname: CHESTER     
GRO Reference: 1845  M Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 27  Page 277

The surviving 1841 census for Wrexham is not online.

The 1841 census returns for the whole registration district of Wrexham, Denbighshire, were believed to be missing. However, the original enumeration books for the town of Wrexham were discovered in a bookshop, and are now deposited in the Denbighshire Archives. An indexed transcript has been published by the Clwyd Family History Society, and a copy is available at The National Archives.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/census-records/

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=347766.0

Debra 

[*Sandra*]

As Dundee has mentioned the Bangor couple are wrong.  Your family left Wales in 1845.
Replies 15/16/17 which I have brought forward for you.

These are the passenger lists that show your couple leaving the UK in 1845.  James went first. Then wife Mary, Daughters Mary and Sarah followed.

BUT can anyone shed light onto her emigrating in 1848 when she was 6???   Any suggestions please as this seems to be quite a conundrum.
Thanks to anyone who replies with any info.
Amberly.

As a result of finding that I then searched just for Mary with those two children.

New York Passenger List - Sarah Lewis  - 1845 - aged 3 months.
Departure Port:   Liverpool, England - Arrival Date 25 Jun 1845
Arrival Port New York.
Ship Name John R Skiddy

also travelling (all born England) :- Mary Lewis  29 years -  Mary Lewis  aged 3 years  and infant Sarah 3 months


Sandra

Found you a copy in case you don't have ancestry.........

3rd - 4 th and fifth on the list

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-PQ9M-WC?i=469&cc=1849782&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQVRQ-W3S1

Sandra

Just slightly earlier - New York Passenger List - James Lewis - 1819  (aged 26 years)
Liverpool to New York on the Montezuma. 4 June 1845 -  (9th from the bottom)

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-PQ9S-MW?i=77&cc=1849782&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQVRQ-72G7

Sandra

[Gadget]

Has anyone found any records of James, Mary snr or Sarah in the US after 1848.  I've run census checks on them on 3 different sites and, so far, there doesn't seem to be any obvious mentions.

[DCB]

Something that might be of interest, is the marriage bond of James to Mary Dicken, although she signed the register as Dickin.

The bond is available at The National Library of Wales and may have names of other relatives or abodes: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01s51/

Although there are no other bonds for Dickens, there are some more Dickins, but mostly over the border in Shropshire: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01s52/

There was a Mary Dickin, of Pentre Aron (now Aaron), baptised in Whittington, Shropshire, in 1815, which matches her age on the 1841 census, although it may have been rounded down.

David

[Gadget]

The Whittington baptism looks correct. The details fit with the bond.

Add - also possible bpt in Pulverbatch in 1816  to Edward (farmer) and Mary