Hi Dennis,
I am very sorry to have missed replying to your question of nearly 2 weeks ago.
I got a bit preoccupied with other correspondence recently and am still
trying to catch up on old mail.
You did send me good info many months ago about the FRANCIS family of lead
mining experts, which I have filed away for future reference.
At present I know of nothing to relate my ancestors with mining. They seem
to have been farmers and rockmen.
Of course being located in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant for so many generations,
it seems quite possible that some FRANCISs might have been into mining in
the Tanat valley or at least attracted to the valley for that reason prior
to, say, 1700.
I find it somewhat frustrating that their lives were scattered across the
borders of Montgomeryshire, Denbighshire and Merionethshire, with the
result that the area seems to have been a bit of a no-man's land for
record-keeping.
I assume that it was a natural resources area for Shrewsbury and the
pre-industrial English midlands.
Has anyone written a book about the Tanat Valley area?
Does anyone have any info about the shifts in the borders around here?
Again, thanks for your interest,
Tony
----------------------------------------------------
From: DCLEATOND(a)aol.com
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 03:58:43 EST
Subject: Re: [POWYS] Need to contact - Anthony FRANCIS
X-Mailing-List: <POWYS-L(a)rootsweb.com> archive/latest/11835
Hi Tony and Lizzie,
Did we chat re the Francis men as lead miners,etc, recently? I have sent Liz
some 1851 data on the Bont people of her's.
Best wishes,
Dennis Cleaton, Powys