Hello fellow listers,
As I'm new to this list, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Peter
APPLETON and I've been researching my ancestry for just over a year now. Let
me start by apologising for sending to two lists at the same time but there
seems to be some geographical overlap between them and I'm not sure which
one might be the most suitable.
My paternal side is very firmly based in the old North Riding of Yorkshire -
and I've made excellent progress in tracking them down (back 10 and 11
generations in some cases). My maternal side is a more polyglot lot - three
of the four great-great-grandfathers came from Norfolk (and here I've got
back seven and eight generations along some lines). But my subscription to
this list concerns the fourth of the maternal gggrandfathers.
His name was Evan EVANS and he was born about 1843-1845. At some point in
his life he migrated north and east to work in the Ironstone Mines in the
Cleveland area of the old North Riding of Yorkshire. This is where I found
him in the censuses. The date spread for his year of birth is derived from
his age as declared on the censuses taken in 1871, 1881 and 1891. His place
of birth in each of these censuses was given as follows:
1871 - Glammorganshire, Glammorgan
1881 - Breckonshire, Wales
1891 - see next paragraph.
In the 1891 entry his place of birth was partly obliterated by a statistical
clerk's strike-through mark. The best I could make out was that it was
either "R????n" or "P?????n". I have only just found the 1881 entry
because
his name had been transcribed as "Eran Erans". However, I'm satisfied this
is the right individual because the name, age and place of birth of his wife
and the names, ages and places of birth of his children all match with the
facts as previously established from the other censuses and various parish
records. In the light of the recently found 1881 entry, I now realise that
his place of birth in the 1891 census could also be "B????n" with an
indistinct lower loop on the capital B. Clearly this would fit with a place
of birth of Brecon.
Evan married his wife, Jane Ann HOWSAM, at Eston, Yorkshire on 21 Aug 1870.
The parish register entry shows his father's name as William EVANS and his
father's occupation as Labourer.
Now to the part where, I hope, some kind soul might be able to help me....
First the easy question: what is the correct spelling, is it Breconshire or
Breckonshire?
Secondly, is there a definite community called Brecon (or Breckon) or is
this just the name of a region (like Cleveland is just the name of the
region where my ancestors settled)?
Finally, could some one please advise me of any online sources covering
Brec(k)onshire for the period pre-1871?
regards,
Peter Appleton
Researching the following surnames:
Yorkshire (North Riding): APPLETON, BOWERS, COCKERILL, EVANS, FAWCETT,
LEGG(E), MASON
Norfolk: BOWERS, BRUNDLE, CARVER, MULLENGER, WOODS
Cornwall: ANNEAR
Lincolnshire: HOWSAM
Suffolk: MATTHEWS
Westmorland: MASON
My Family Tree website: http:/www.tribalpages.com/tribes/pappleton3