Hello to everyone on the list.
My name is Neil Dorney and I am primarily interested in finding out more
about my great grandfather John Dorney who, at his death in 1910, was a
surface contractor at the Wyndham colliery. I put a letter in the Journal
2001 asking for information on his family and already, through the efforts of
Huw ( thanks Huw ) I have had a conversation with one of the girls who worked
in the Wyndham post office with my grandfather, Tom. I have sent her a
collection of photographs in the hope that some may stir memories of visitors
to Wyndham House during and just after the last war.
One problem is that John Dorney recorded in his census information that he
was born in Cardiff but no records of this have been found. The family story
is that he could have come over from Ireland at a very early age with his
mother. She, it is said, later worked in the Bishop of Llandaff's household
and was alive until at least the early years of the 20th century but again,
no records have been found to confirm this. Not knowing her name ( even her
surname ) has been one setback.
Recently Bert Jones ( thanks Bert ) forwarded a copy of the Glamorgan Gazette
of November 13th, 1914 containing a report of a presentation to Wendell and
Mary Ann (nee Dorney) Howe by the Loyal Ogmore Valley Lodge of Oddfellows of
which Wendell had been secretary for many years. This prompted a vague
recollection by my cousin, Peter Hart, of something that his mother had said
about her father - namely that he was also an Oddfellow. If any records of
this particular Lodge still exist where would they be held?
Through the Internet I have made contact with members of the Keagle, Howe and
Osborne families - these were some of the families that John Dorney's
children married into, I haven't found any direct relatives yet but I live in
hope. Anyone with a response to the letter on the last page of the Journal,
or who knows of other connected matters, please get in touch with me.
Conversely, I live in the north east of England and people needing local
knowledge or research here please ask. I also use a digital camera so
e-mailed images of local places are easy enough to send.
John Dorney 1851/2 - 1910 :::::::: Tom Dorney 1879 - 1974::::::::: Jack
Dorney 1905 - 1989:::::::::Neil Dorney 1948 - :::::::::::Tom Dorney 1983 -
::etc.
Best wishes to the Society,
Neil.