My name Tony Lewis, and I live in New Zealand. My partner and I will be heading to Wales next May and would like to catch up with my heritage and descendants if they are still around.
Attached is part of what I have from my father. any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
THE
LEWIS FAMILY
The earliest record found is of a marriage between
WATKIN LEWIS
and
ELINOR (maiden name not given) at Llanllugan on 30th. April 1726.
No record was found of the birth or death of either.
Record of only one child was found :
Watkin Lewis Baptised 12 Dec. 1739 at Llanllugan
Buried 29 Sept. 1823 at Berriew, aged 83
Married 14 July 1771 at Tregynon to:
Elizabeth Gittins
Daughter of Christopher and Mary (n. Jones) Gittins
Baptised 26 March 1742 at Llanllugan
Buried 19 Dec. 1829 at Keel, aged 88
The 4 Children of Watkin and Elizabeth :
wl/eg 1 Elinor Lewis bapt. 29 May 1775 at Manafon
wl/eg 2 Watkin Lewis bapt. 20 Sept. 1776 at Manafon
died aged 84, buried 6 April 1860, Bryn
record of 3 marriages found
wl/eg 3 Edward Lewis bapt. 19 March 1779 at Manafon
died 24 Feb. 1863
buried 2 March 1863 at Brynllwyn
married 23 Dec. 1803 at Berriew
wl/eg 4 Mary Lewis bapt. 25 July 1781 at Manafon
These records were found in villages and parishes adjoining the town of Berriew in Wales.
Some extracts from a couple of letters written by Graham Lewis (who was responsible for providing most of the research into the Lewis family in Wales) in March and April of 1977 :
“I am also enclosing a couple of photographs of Berriew, where the Bryn is situated about 1.7 miles from the centre of the village. Berriew is a delightful village and had won the ‘best kept village in Wales’ competition several times in recent years.”
“I now know that they (Watkin and Elizabeth) were married at Tregynon on 14.7.1771 (adjoining parish). Elizabeth (Gittins) was shown as ‘of the parish of Llanwythelan’ (Llanwyddelan), with Watkin in his own parish. The baptisms of both were however only found after searching parishes.
At Llanllugan - ‘12.12.1739 Watkin, son of Watkin Lewis and Elinor his wife.’
‘26.3.1742 Elizabeth, daughter of Christopher Gittins and Mary his wife.’
In the same register was - ‘30.4.1726 Watkin Lewis and Elinor his wife were married’, giving no clue to her maiden name.
There were many Gittins entries in the same register, allowing Christopher’s ancestry to be traced back three further generations to one William Gittings or Gittins, born about 1620.
Watkin and Elinor’s marriage entry was found in the Bishop’s Transcripts for the year, and the parish register doesn’t seem to exist for that period.”
