I'm looking for any information on my 4th great grandparents, Thomas Edwards and
Elizabeth Watkins. They married by license on 18 May 1789 in the parish of Glascwm, in
Radnorshire. Thomas was described as a farmer from Llanfihangel Nant Melan (information
from the Glascwm parish register). The witnesses were William and Thomas Watkins.
It's possible Elizabeth's father was named Walter Watkins, because they named
their oldest son Walter and that was not a name used anywhere else in the Edwards family
tree.
Thomas and Elizabeth had 3 sons before leaving for America with his father, John
Edwards, Sr., and most of his siblings. The sons were Walter (b. 1790), John (b. 1792),
and Thomas, Jr. (b. 1795). Their fourth son was born in Ohio in 1803, so they left
sometime just before or after 1800.
I think that the rest of Thomas Edwards' family must have lived in the same area
at this time. His father John, Sr. was married to a woman named Ealinor or Elinor or
Eleanor - probably a 2nd or 3rd wife and not the mother of the sons. John, Sr.'s
children who went with him to America, in additon to Thomas and Elizabeth, were John, Jr.,
James, Mary, and Elizabeth. A daughter Ann, who married John Jones, stayed in Wales.
If anyone has any information about either the Edwards or Watkins family, I'd
really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Joanne Gaudio
Wilbraham, MA USA