Howdy
Many of you will be aware of my previous info re. wills and their
usefulness. Here's an update on one of my recent finds.
I had been scanning through various microfilms supplied by the LDS folk
over a period of time and the latest microfilm which covered the years
1841-44 for the diocese of St. Asaph, Wales, was particulary exciting, for
it came up with four wills that were connected to my research families. One
was the will of Sarah Jones of Trevor Arms Bridge in the parish of
Llangollen and the township of Trevor Uchaf.
I nearly bypassed this will, but the name Trevor Uchaf alerted me and I
back-pedalled to the first page of the will. Sarah Jones, widow, in 1844
left to her sons John Jones of Cilmedin, Edward Jones, joiner and publican
of Trevor Arms Bridge, and to the surviving children of her late son Thomas
Jones, joiner, certain sums and property, and to Sarah the daughter of
Edward her clock and case and feather bed and all clothes and the chest of
drawers. (Feather beds very expensive in those days!)
Well, this was an eye-opener. I'd had the details of my great-great
grandfather, Edward Jones and his family from the 1851 census and marriage,
baptism entries, etc.of the Llangollen parish, but didn't have a Sarah as
the eldest child. Previously I had wondered what on earth were Edward, wife
Elizabeth and children doing living lin a pub at Trevor Uchaf when he was a
joiner master?. Turns out according to the will he was not only a joiner
master but also a publican. Okay, so what about the missing Sarah?
The 1841 census solves the problem. In Church St. Llangollen in 1841 were
living:
Jones Edward, 40 joiner
jones Elizabeth 53
Sarah 14
Thomas 12
John 10
Margaret 7 (my great-grandmother)
Edward 5
Elizabeth 3
(and Henry yet to be born 1844)
So, Sarah, by 1851 would probably have been married, hence not appearing in
the 1851 census. Seems to me that there may be a lot of Jones persons out
there in the wilderness who are related to me as I only have "only known"
the one marriage of Margaret to my g-grandfather William Rogers, but also
family known links concerning Thomas who married a lady only known by the
first initials of M.E. (On the back of an old photo).
So, the will led me back to the 1841 census where I discovered Sarah at
last. The will also will probably lead me to the parents of Sarah, whose
maiden name has been revealed as Roberts as she mentions her brother Thomas
Roberts of Maengoron, Llantysilio parish, also her son John of Cilmeden,
who I have not yet found on the 1841 census, but as I have not yet
completed it, there is still hope of finding him and his family.
In my probate file folders I have 42 wills, mostly 1858+ from the Probate
Registery, but several from the Perogative Court of Canterbury - one in
particular of my ancestor Edward Peate of Maesbury, Shropshire, which to be
honest was very difficult to decipher as it was written in old English and
very small at that. If someone had some money, and indeed perhaps even
thought that they may have been someone they could have had their wills
proved by the Perogative Court of Canterbury. So, don't miss out on
checking this. Most good genealogical and state or county libraries have
these indexes for pre 1858 wills for you to peruse. Perhaps they may even
be on-line these days?
So, don't neglect wills,. They are valuable. Leading on from all of this it
so far seems that I have found my Edward Jones' birth and that of his
siblings, also the marriage of his mother Sarah. But softly, softly, and
one must take precious time to eliminate that which does not belong.
Meanwhile, I am in high spirits and very carefully checking out all these
new leads, and indeed all these new families!
What are you missing by not checking out wills?
Good luck
Graham
Melbourne
Oz