Dear Allen,
My Welsh-American relations, who I have followed "forwards" rather than
"backwards" were christened with "forename - surname" and then later
adopted "forename - father's name - surname" which fits with an American
vogue to have a middle initial and also is more like the patronymic surnames that were in
use in Wales.
So could David have simply been David Griffith(s) "over here" and adopted the
"J" later?
It is a shame that you don't know more precisely where the family came from as this
will be a major stumbling block. What's the evidence for NW Wales?
For example: using the above supposition:
On Ancestry, in 1851 there are about 20 David Griffiths sons of John Griffiths (one in
Festiniog).
Ditto 1861 but the NW Wales one is in Trawsfynydd.
Using Griffith (no S), which is interchangeable as a surname for census and parish
searches, 1851 has "hits" in Llanbeblig, Llandegai, Penllech, Trefdaeth in NW
Wales, 1861 has "hits" in Llanbeblig, Festiniog, Holyhead, Llandegai in NW
Wales.
The options to pin him down further if you really know no more are:
Occupation - eg mining MIGHT fit with some of the above more than others.
Edward Williams - was he from the same locale? Was there a pattern in immigration to that
part of Ohio? Was one part of Wales more heavily represented than others?
Family and local histories - any local publications (the Library of Congress website is
useful for finding old books on Welsh states and counties). Again, even one mentioning
families other than David J's might be useful.
The National Library of Wales (email holi(a)llgc.org.uk) has some sources of use to
Welsh-American research.
Most notably for you, the Wales-Ohio project - look at collections -> digitisation.
http://ohio.llgc.org.uk/.
There is a Welsh-American Genealogical Society which might be able to share some tips and
experience.
Liverpool University Library has a 1968 MA thesis on letters from Welsh emigrants (a long
shot) and these are a number of published books (again, a long shot).
You have all the info you can on David J, right? Like gravestone inscription, will,
obituary (if applicable)?
I hope the above is useful.
Yours,
Ian
thx for you help all we ever knew was it was NW Wales and when he
first
came to Ohio he lived with a family named
Edwards Williams I have found this from i think it was the 1861 records
> > On a total diff note anyone related to an ancestor of mine? David J
> > Griffith born in 1845 on 20th of January I believe
> > he came to America in 1869