Help needed as to where to look for John Owen

[alan o]

So I have a great uncle John Owen
 Born June 1881 in Haverfordwest 11a 974 surname of Richards.
Mother was Jane Richards who moved to Cwmbach Aberdare and married Alfred Owen in 1883.

I am assuming Alfred was not his biological father.

In 1901 they are living in 9 Sion Terrace Aberdare.  John is a coal miner.

Family lore is that John emigrated and was not seen in Wales again.

Where should I start to look to find any record of where he might have gone to?  John Owen is such a common name that does help.

As a coal miner then the USA might be likely unless he left to get out of mines of course.

Grateful for any pointers.

[hanes teulu]

Had you seen this newspaper item - no mention of John?
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3579050/3579054/33/9%2BOR%2Bsion%2BOR%2Bterrace

[alan o]

That's the family.

He is not in the family home on the 1911 census so I assume he may have left UK by then.

[*Sandra*]

The 1911 census says 7 children born - 5 survive and 2 have died ?  Could one of those be John ?

Sandra

[alan o]

Supposedly the family received a crate of peaches from him during the war (I am assuming first as the parents were dead in 1939).  To my knowledge there were only 5 children and a cousin (listed a nephew George Owen (born Richards to Jane's sister) on the 1911 census).

There are no other children on the 1891 or 1901 census but they may have died very young.

There are some large gaps between births of the survivors so it is quite possible these were the periods that the deceased children's were born.

[amondg]

Is it possible he used his real name when he became an adult, John Richards.

 

[alan o]

That's a thought.  He may have emigrated using that name.