Dear Listers,
I am looking for anyone who might have information about my great
grandparents. They were both born in Wales. There are so many people with
the same names that it has been difficult
researching even locally. I am going to Ireland to attend a wedding and I
am hoping to come to Wales. It might be more helpful to research there.
But I think I will need more information.
Here is what I know:
Joseph Daffyd? Thomas Great Grandfather Born 1832
either Merthyr Tydfil or
Pontypridd ,Wales
Died 1910
Buried Akron, Ohio USA
Margaret Davis Great Grandmother Born 1840
Briton Ferry, Wales
Died 1882
Buried Akron, Ohio USA
I don't know if they were married in the United States or in Wales. Here
are some of the names of the children:
Elizabeth Thomas Bushman
Benjamin Thomas
Joseph Thomas
Nell Thomas McGinnis (my grandmother) aka Eleanor, Ellen
William Thomas
Melzer Thomas
Mae Thomas Grinnell (at her funeral the funeral card said Portia Sarah)
It's been difficult putting the pieces together because most of the people
who would be helpful
have long gone to their reward. And I'm not getting any younger. My
mother's cousin, Mildred Thomas Binkley visited relatives in Wales when I
was a child. I remember she brought pictures
to our home of that trip. Probably late 1940's.
I tried to contact another man on a message board who was researching the
same family. but got no response. He mentioned that Joseph Thomas sung
before Queen Victoria . I don't know anything about this or if he sang alone
or with a group. I do know that his first trip to the United States was
with a Welsh Choir. Also my mother's cousins included Porters and
Reeses(Rees). Some of the Thomases and the Porters were circus acrobats. I
remember seeing them when I was a child. I believe one named Buster Thomas
(deceased) held a record for one acrobatic feat. My grandmother was born in
what is now Akron, Ohio but was known as Thomastown.
If anyone has come across any of these people, would you be kind enough to
drop me an e-mail?
Thank you so much,
Generose
smarks1(a)neo.com
Akron, Ohio USA