Apologies for sending this message to several lists, but Monmouthshire is so
well-served by lists I don't want to miss any!
A gentleman I know, Mr Watkins, is in his 70s and has done a lot of family
research into the Watkins family. He has traced many lines that stem from a
common ancestor William Watkins (born 1799) and his wife Charlotte (1849).
The family came from Herefordshire, near Symonds Yat. One of the sons,
another William, born 1841 (let's call him William II), moved to Llangibby
Usk where he and his wife Elizabeth Jasper raised 7 children.
William II and Elizabeth together with their 3 younger children were
murdered during one night in 1878. The three children who were murdered
were Charlotte b. 1870, Alice b. 1873, and Frederick b. 1874.
There is a small piece about it on a web page:
http://www.microwaredata.co.uk/murder-uk/bookhtml_g/garcia_j00.html
Whether the man who was hanged for the murder really committed the offence,
we will never know. Forensic science in 1878 was not what it is today.
The 3 surviving children were William III born 1861, Mary Ann born 1863,
Catherine born 1864 and Arthur born 1866.
Now Mr Watkins knows that Mary Ann, who at one time worked in a bank in Usk,
married a chap called Frank, but he cannot recall the surname of the man she
married. Mary Ann and Frank had 2 children, a daughter Alice and a son
called Harry. I *think* the story is that they moved from Usk to Vinegar
Hill, Undy and then to Magor. Alice later gave piano lessons and a lady, Mrs
Butcher, who was born in about 1905 recalled having piano lessons from
Alice. harry worked in a psychicatric hospital outside Caerleon in the
1930s.
Are there any descendants of these people reading the list? Or do you know
any of them? Please contact me if so, off the list - obviously - if you have
news about a third party.
Thanks very much,
Tina