JOHN WILLIAMS was a master mariner whose family lived in Amlwch, ANG, in
the 1861, 1871, & 1881 census reports. John himself died between the
1871 and 1881 census reports, perhaps lost at sea. I don't know his
exact age or place of birth, except somewhere in Wales.
His first wife was MARY JONES and she probably died shortly after 3 May
1852, the date of birth of her daughter MARY JANE WILLIAMS
(1852-1905Liverpool); this birth was in 8 Court, Edmund St., Liverpool.
By the 1861 census the family was living in Amlwch, ANG and John had
remarried a MARY GRIFFITH (b.1827-28), and she and John had other
children: John G., William, Thomas R. Williams. It is possible that
there was a third wife named Mary between 1861-1881, but I can't pin this
down.
These are the known children of JOHN WILLIAMS:
MARY JANE WILLIAMS - b. 1852 Liverpool; m. G. M. HUGHES 1874
JOHN G.WILLIAMS - b. 1864 Amlwch - became a seaman (?)
WILLIAM WILLIAMS- B. 1865 Amlwch (became a joiner)
THOMAS R. WILLIAMS - b. 1869 Amlwch.
In the 1861 census, they lived at "Watermans Arms", Lower Quay St.,
Amlwch Trade directory says Watermans Arms owned/run by a RICHARD
GRIFFITH
In the 1871 census, they lived in Chapel St. (no house number), Amlwch
In the 1881 census, they lived at 20 Llaneilian Rd., Amlwch with MARY's
brother EVAN GRIFFITH (age 55, unmarried, sailor, b. Amlwch). John
Williams had died by now, but his son John G. Williams is also not in
that residence, perhaps at sea or married.
In Oct 1874 the ship Truant disappeared after leaving London, weathering
for sometime while off Deal (in the Downs). Her master and owner was a
John Williams, who seems to have been born in 1836, which would make him
about 16 years of age at the time Mary Jane Williams was born in
Liverpool. This John Williams had owned the Truant from 1872/73-1874/75,
according to Lloyd's Register. His certificate number was 22861, and he
became an only mate in 1860 and only master in 1864. Truants official
number was 22273. In October 1874, the Truant was sailing from London
for St. John's NB (New Brunswick, Canada?) with general cargo. She
sailed from Dartmouth on the 29th of October 1874 and was not heard of
after that. Before John Williams was owner/master, the ship had been
owned by a J. Jones, with a T. P. Jones as master. She was built in 1840
at Aberystwith and was owned first by T. J. Jones, then Jones & Co., then
T. Jones, then J. Jones, then J. Williams. The last port of Survey in
1872/73-1874/75 was Bangor, although the port of registry was
Abersythwth. Through her history, the masters had been E. Lewis, G.
Griffiths, J. Jones, D. Davies, Jones, T. P. Jones just before J.
Williams becomes master/owner.
Does anyone recognize this lost ship?
Betty Pace