Recently I posted a message seeking information about my Owen family in
Carmarthen in my search for John Owen's marriage to Ann, surname unknown:
"My 2 x great grandparents were Mary Owen from 'St Mary's par Carmarthen'
b
abt 1820/21 married to John Bridges b abt 1832 Bristol. Mary's parents were
John Owen (cabinet maker) b abt 1793 Carmarthen and Ann, also from
Carmarthen, b abt 1799."
I asked if there were a means of searching St Mary's parish register from
afar and also if there were any neighbouring parishes where the family may
have come from. I didn't have any responses from the list, so I then emailed
the very kind and helpful senior archivist at Carmarthen who told me that
the St Mary's in question is probably Llanllwch, which was a chapel-of-Ease
to Carmarthen St Peter on the western edge of Carmarthen.
He also very kindly told me about three possible marriages of a John Owen
and I tend to favour 1817 04/11 John OWEN Anne THOMAS St Peters. Can I say
that I am so grateful to the archive service for their helpful and friendly
attitude which provided that unique breakthrough.
I worked over 30 years in local government fighting cuts in NALGO & UNISON
and two members of my family still work for councils and I know only too
well the extreme pressures councils are facing, especially libraries and
archives. Also, my daughter teaches student librarians and my wife is a
libraries manager so I know only too well how much the current cuts are
decimating services.
With this in mind I am so grateful to these dedicated staff for helping me
and hope we will all speak out when our local archives and library services
are under pressure, as they will be. Thanks for the rant which I expect is
unacceptably off topic and I am very happy to apologise for!
Cheers,
Mike in Newcastle Upon Tyne