John,
First, I wouldn't assume the family was Jewish simply because the surname was JOSEPH
as this would fall into the patronymic system just as other surnames in Wales (i.e.,
WILLIAM(s), DAVID/DAVIES, THOMAS, EVAN(s), etc.)
Secondly, there are a number of "Llanfihangel" parishes in Radnorshire:
Llanfihangel Dyffryn Arwy (aka Michaelchurch-on-Arrow) - falls under the Diocese of
Hereford. PR's held at Hereford R.O., microfilm of PRs & Bishop's Transcripts
held at Powys County Archives, Llandrindod.
(Unclear if LDS have filmed the BT's)
Llanfihangel Helygen
PR's held at NLW, microfilm Chr. 1732-78 with gaps, 1781-99, 1806-1991 held at PCAO
(BT's should be on LDS microfilm)
Llanfihangel Nant Melan
PR's held at NLW, microfilm at PCAO
(BT's filmed by LDS)
Llanfihangel Rhydieithon
PR's held at NLW, microfilm at PCAO
(BT's filmed by LDS)
Regards,
Julie Preston
juliefpreston(a)sbcglobal.net
Joint List Administrator, Powys, BRE, MGY & RAD
Coordinator, Mid-Wales Lookup Exchange
http://home.clara.net/tirbach/johngareth.html
----- Original Message -----
From: John Hopkins
To: WLS-RADNORSHIRE-L(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 10:46 PM
Subject: [WLS-RAD] Thomas Joseph - Llanerhangel [Llanfihangel] (c1775)
Hello
I am a new subscriber, and I wonder if anyone can advise me on the following
please? I have found a census record for my great great grandfather, Thomas
Joseph, in the 1851 Gloucestershire Census. The following (between ---- )
was sent to me by kind researchers on a Forest of Dean list:
--------
"This looks like them in 1851. Thomas Joseph's age seems rather high and
needs to be checked. His occupation of Clerk often meant that a person was a
Clerk in Holy Orders rather than simply a book keeper. RAD Llanerhangel
[Llanfihangel] means that Thomas JOSEPH was born in Llanfihangel in
Radnorshire, Wales. The enumerator has written Llanerhangel (which does not
exist) and the transcriber of the 1851 census on my GFHS CD-ROM has decided
Llanfihangel is most likely the correct place. Radnorshire is today known as
Powys.
2444 1851 CENSUS HO107/2444 FF.0113-0137 ED.4B COLEFORD 1
Piece: 2444 Folio: 0128Schedule: 088
Address: Coalway
JOSEPH Thomas HD M 76 Clerk RAD Llanerhangel [Llanfihangel] (c1775)
JOSEPH Ann WI M 40- GLS Coleford (c1811)
JOSEPH Martha DA - 12- GLS Coleford (c1839)
JOSEPH Lewis SO -8- GLS Coleford (c1843)
JOSEPH Thomas SO -5- GLS Coleford (c1846)
JOSEPH William SO -2- GLS Coleford (c1849)
2444 1851 CENSUS HO107/2444 FF.0113-0137 ED.4B COLEFORD 1
Piece: 2444 Folio: 0127Schedule: 083
Address: Coalway
(edit)
JOSEPH Sarah SV U 14 General Servant GLS Coleford (c1837)"
----------------
Sarah Joseph was a daughter of Thomas and Ann Joseph, and was my great
grandmother. She married a William Hopkins, and emigrated to NZ in 1862. The
family have always said she was Jewish, which would certainly tally with the
surname, though she was not a practicing Jew in the religious sense.
I do not know how to locate records for anyone with a birth date of c1775 -
I doubt he will appear in the 1841 census in Powys, given that his children
are all listed in the Gloucestershire census with Coleford as their place of
birth, dating between 1837 and 1849.
My questions are:
Can you determine which Llanfihangel is referred to as his birth place? I
have assumed that it was Llanfihangel Nant Melan but I am not sure whether
that is necessarily correct.
Secondly, if Thomas Joseph was a "clerk", could he have been a Clerk in Holy
Orders in Llanfihangel, as suggested by the FOD researcher?
Does anyone on the list have parish records for "Llanfihangel ---" that
could shed any light on these questions?
Thank you for any assistance you can give.
John Hopkins
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