1. My name is Doris A. Smith, and I live very near Houston, Texas, US.
I'm searching for two JONES families and two WILLIAMS families and an OWEN family.
Here is what I already know:
2. JONES and OWEN
Hugh O. JONES - in 1871 Wales Census he was 24 years of age. His birthplace is listed at
Llanfaelog, Anglesey, Wales. He is listed as the Head of the household and is a widower,
and his occupation is listed as a laborer. I know that he came to the US in 1884 and
landed in NY. I don't know how long he stayed there, but he moved to Chicago, ILL. He
filled out his papers for naturalization 11 October 1884 at the Superior Cout of Cook Co.,
IL.. I do not know when he was actually naturalized
Ann (Owens) JONES - in 1871 Census she was 3 years old. Her birthplace is given as
Llanberis, Caernarvonshire, Wales, and she is listed as the daughter of Hugh O. JONES. She
and her father, Hugh O. JONES came to America in 1884, landing in NY. I don't know how
long she and her father stayed in NY, but they wind up in Chicago, ILL.. Ann and John H
(below) were my great grandparents. My mother remembered Ann saying that the house they
lived in in Wales was made of rock, and there was a lot of brass to be polished. There was
a maid named Hannah whose job it was to polish the brass. Ann said that the house had been
in the family for over 200 years (this was told in the 1940s). She said a lot of her
family went to Australia, but didn't mention any family other than herself and her
father coming to to US.
John H(ugh) JONES and his brother Evan JONES came to the US in 1880 or 1881. They landed
in NY and evidently remained there for a few years before moving to Chicago, ILL According
to his Bible, John H. JONES was born 17 August 1860 in Llansanan, Denbighshire, Wales
(although his tombstone gives his birth year as 1861). I do not know when Evan was born,
nor do I know anything at all about him other than he worked with John.
John H. JONES and Annie (as she was called then) JONES married in Chicago, IL 5 February
1887, and then moved to Omaha, NE. In Omaha, John and his brother Evan worked as
contractors and had their own business, Omaha Slate and Roofing Co., Jones Bros. &
Humphry, located at 604 Paxton Building, Omaha. John H. and Annie O. Jones were
naturalized in 1887.
According to Ann JONES' death certificate, (she died 15 June 1953), her mother's
maiden name was Grace WILLIAMS. I know nothing else about her.
Now, back to the 1871 Census of Wales. The members of the household were the above named
Hugh JONES, head; Ann JONES, daughter; Mary OWENS, mother-in-law; Mary OWENS, daughter of
(looks like "d") although I imagine it refers to the mother-in-law.
THIS is perplexing to me - as the death certificate of Ann JONES says her mother's
maiden name was WILLIAMS.. The person who provided information for the death certificate
was the oldest daughter of John H. and Ann JONES, Catherine. This would certainly explain
Ann's middle name of OWENS.
Grace WILLIAMS remains a mystery to me.
The 1871 Wales Census shows Mary OWENS as aged 48 and her birthplace as Llanddyfnan,
Anglesey, Wales, and the other Mary OWENS aged 13, born in Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales.
The entire household was living in the town of Coed y Ddal in the Civil Parish of
Llanberis and the Registration District in the County of Caernarvonshire, at the time the
1871 Census was taken. The Census also shows that the Sub-registraton district was
Llanrug, the ED, Institution or vessel of 11. The Census Page was 17 and the Folio was 81.
The Household schedule number was 92. The address is Pen Y Graig, but I cannot decipher
the number, as it looks to me like "h".
WILLIAMS
The first WILLIAMS I'd like to know about is the one mentioned above.
My knowdedge of the other WILLIAMS family is as follows:
Timothy WILLIAMS was born 5 February 1721 somewhere in Wales. I've seen Ruthin and
Llangower or Llangow given as his origin before coming to US around 1740. This is
basically all I know of him, and since he was the first of our WILLIAMS to come to
America, I truly want to know more about him.
3. What I would like most about the families above is who their parents were, where they
lived, what they did for a living, and anything that might give me a clue for further
research.
Thank you,
Doris A. (Williams) Smith dormarbil(a)yahoo.com