Research done by others indicates that the Dando family moved from the area
of Bath, Somerset Co. England to the Blaen Avon area of Monmouthshire and
the coal mines. Their ancestors supposedly arrived in the UK ca 1066 with
William the Conquerer, from Normandy.
In the 1850's my Dandos were located in Eckhart Mines, Maryland, USA. My
great grandfather, James Dando, was born 1839 in Varteg, Wales - it says so
on his tombstone.
His wife, Sarah Price, was born 1841 in Blaen Avon.
Thanks to an article written about Sarah's brother, John Price, I know they
came here in the 1850's:
From Cumberland Times News
CAME IN SAILING VESSEL IN 1854
John Price, 84, Native of Wales
Happy in Green Old Age
Lonaconing, Md. Dec 4 - Recalling events of more than three quarters of a
century ago, the day he set sail from Newport, England (Wales), after
traveling many miles from his home in Bon (Blaen) Avon, Wales, to the
seaport, with America the promised land, his goal, John Price, a resident of
Lonaconing for more than 60 years, and one of the oldest men in the town,
celebrated his 84th birthday anniversary this week.
Mr. Price, boss roads man in Jackson mine here for more than 23 years, and
then night watchman in the First National Bank at Frostburg, came to
Lonaconing in 1867 from his former home in Eckhart Mines.
When nine years old Mr. Price came to America, along with his mother, and
sisters and brothers, to join his sisters who had preceded them, and had
written such glowing letters of the wealth, happiness and prosperity, to be
found in this country, that the remainder of the family disposed of their
worldly possessions there and set sail in 1854, with 25 other emigrants,
Welsh, Irish and English, on the sailing vessel "Matilda."
The trip took forty days and forty nights and was made with out even the
single exception of one storm which kept them battered down in the forward
hold of the vessel for several hours.
Mr Price recalls vividly the night before the vessel came to anchor in New
York Harbor, when he, with others of the party, and a sailor, kept vigil in
the 'eyes' of the ship, watching for the first trace of land, sighting in
due time, just at the break of day, Ambrose Lightship, at the entrance to
the Narrows, which gives access to New York Harbor.
Landing at the dock in Brooklyn the family immediately boarded a train for
Cumberland, MD. "The first square meal I had in America was eaten in Widow
Walker's Boarding house near the Queen City Pavement," said the aged man.
At the time the Dandos and Prices came here, Western Maryland was rich in
coal. One of the coal companys sent a ship/ships to Wales and other mining
areas in the world, to induce the miners they would be better off sailing to
the US and working in the mines here. They were offered transportation to
the US, housing and good pay. It's only certain that the transportation was
real. The housing belonged to the mining companies who charged rent. So
life here wasn't a whole lot better until finally the miners organized a
Miners' Union.
James Dando worked at making life better for his children. At the time he
died in 1905(at age 66) he was a Judge of the Orphans' Court for Allegany
County, had been one of the local delegates to represent this county in the
Maryland Assembley and was a major force in bringing a college to Frostburg,
MD. One of his sons also served as a delegate to the Maryland Assembly.
All but one daughter obtained a degree in teaching.
Many of the prominent families of Allegany County, MD came from Blaen Avon,
Wales and were proud enough of it to engrave it on their tombstones.
Connie