Dear Ann,
Sorry to hear that you've had no reply to your message of 7th January
seeking details about the birthplace of your grandfather's brother and also
information about your grandfather's second wife.
Although I'm based in Suffolk I spend quite a lot of time in Llandrillo, so
I was interested in your query.
Regarding Maerdy Gate in Llandderfel, I've looked through all Llandderfel
in the 1881 census & looked at several maps but to no avail - also not
shown in Ordnance Survey Gazetteer. I have written to some friends in
Llandrillo about your queries, & I shall be visiting them next week, so
they may be able to help. 'Maerdy Gate' suggests to me that it may have a
connection with a one-time toll-gate house on a road to Maerdy. Which
Maerdy? - presumably the one a few miles west of Corwen on the A5, though
north of Gwyddelwern there are also a number of 'Maerdy' dwellings. To
further confuse the issue, a map of the Ecclesiastical Parishes of
Meirionnydd shows that Llandderfel parish includes 2 small areas situated
within the parish of Llanfor.
I can't help feeling, however, that lack of response to your message may be
due to lack of information in the message itself : the more detail that you
provide, the more chance of readers being able to grab hold of something on
which to base a search. In particular, you refer to a recently acquired
copy of the birth certificate of your grandfather's brother : all the
detail that you provide is the place of birth (Maerdy Gate, Llandderfel) &
the fact that in the 1891 Brymbo census he is shown as having been born in
Llanfor - you don't even give his name! I'm sure that if you were to give
ALL the details shown on the birth certificate this would help a great deal
- in particular, his parents' names would presumably show up in the 1881
census.
Regarding Jane Ellen JONES, again more information would help : either of
her marriage certificates (to 1st husband MILLINGTON or to 2nd husband
Robert William JONES) should show the name of her father. Her birth
certificate would give names of both her parents - again they will show up
in the 1881 census. This would give a good start to investigate her
'cousin' connection with her 2nd husband. Certificates either from local
registrars or via Family Records Centre in London - quarterly indexes of
births/marriages/deaths at the FRC would help here.
All in all, the more detail you can give the more chance someone can help
you.
Best wishes,
Jeff Delves