Mary was still a THOMAS in 1861. See below
I have this family on the 1871 census for 28 Udale (?) Street,
Workington -
Edward Davis age 42 born Swansea, difficult to read occupation but
something to do with Tin
Mary Davis wife age 44 born Aberystwyth
Edward Davis son age 18 born Swansea
Elizabeth Thomas step daughter 18 born Aberystwyth
Mary Thomas step daughter 14 born Abbercrane (?) Wales
John Thomas step son also 14 born Morristown Wales
Benjamin Thomas step son age 9 born Morristown Wales
Does anyone recognise this family ? Did they possibly also have a
daughter Letitia Sophia Davis born in Swansea ?
The THOMAS family was in Morriston (not Morristown) in 1861, close to
several large tinplate works.
Glamorgan Family History Society 1861 Census CD
4097 1861 CENSUS OF CLASE LOWER. REF.R.G.9/4097, E.D.3.
Piece: 4097 Folio: 069 Schedule: 037
Address: WYCH TREE STREET
THOMAS WILLIAM HD M 37 LABOURER CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1824)
THOMAS MARY WI M 34 - CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1827)
THOMAS MARY DA - 8 - CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1853)
THOMAS ELIZABETH J. DA - 6 - CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1855)
THOMAS MARGARET J. DA - 4 - CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1857)
THOMAS JOHN E. SO - 1 - CGN ABERYSTWYTH (c1860)
"This lookup was made using material published by Glamorgan Family History
Society, details of membership and their research service with a full list
of published indexes and transcriptions for sale can be seen on
http://www.glamfhs.org/ "
I suspect that this may be young Edward, but it may be someone quite
different.
Glamorgan Family History Society 1861 Census CD
4105 1861 CENSUS OF SWANSEA UPPER. REF.R.G.9/4105, E.D.18.
Piece: 4105 Folio: 065 Schedule: 053
Address: GREYHOUND ST.7
MORGAN MARY HD W 70 - CMN ABERGWILI (c1791)
DAVIES EDWARD GS - 8 SCHOLAR GLA SWANSEA (c1853)
DAVIES DAVID GS - 6 SCHOLAR GLA SWANSEA (c1855)
EVANS WILLIAM BO M 25 TAILOR PEM FISHGUARD (c1836)
There was an Edward DAVIES, at number 11 Greyhound Street, furnaceman in a
copper works, aged 31, but he not only had a wife but also 4 children,
including a boy of 9 and a girl of 7. He was also in Greyhound Street in
1851 newly married with a mother-in-law called EVANS. I don't think he was
the one in Workington in 1871.
You may be looking for Edward DAVIS b about 1828/29, Swansea or nearby,
possibly a widower, possibly in work in Workington area, or looking for work
somewhere, in 1861 census. If your Letitia is his daughter then there is no
obvious reason why she should be with him while the boys are with their
grandmother, especially if she was about the same age as the boys, if it is
the same young Edward.
A Google search on 'Workington' and 'tinplate threw up some oddments,
including this
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/features/viewarticle.aspx?id=169896 which
seems to indicate that a group of Welshmen came to Workington around 1870 to
set up a tinplate works at 'Barepot'. William Ivander GRIFFITHS, mentioned
in this connection, seems to have come from Pontardawe, where he was
choirmaster of a (Calvinistic) Methodist Chapel and led a famous Swansea
Valley Choir. In 1861 he was 'Clerk Tinworks' , b abt 1830 in Aberavon,
living between Clydach and Pontardawe. Maybe if you research how the
tinplate works started you may get clues to Swansea people moving to
Workington.
Jeff