Hi Swansea Listers,
I'm putting up my Swansea interests in case anyone comes across these. There a few
holes despite using the St. Mary's Parish records, 1841-1901 Censuses and the BMD
records.
Samuel RICHARDS 1821-1872 - Cratemaker, married Elizabeth MATTHEWS (1820-1903) m 15 Feb
1846. Had 5 children John (B.1846/47); Mary 1849; Leyshon B.1850; Jane 1856; Elizabeth
1859. They lived in the Waun Wen/Camarthen Road area with their first house in
Greenhill.
My GGGrandfather was John who married Mary OWENS on 21 October at Swansea Register Office.
He was a "doubler"at a tin works and they lived at Waun Wen Terrace in 1868,
Pentregethin Road in 1871 and at 23 Bond Street in 1874. Mary married again in Bristol in
1883 but I have no record of John's death. They had two children Elizabeth (b. 1870)
and Annie my GGrandmother (7 Feb 1874 in the Robin Hood Pub in Fleet St) just around the
corner from Bond Street.
Mary OWENS was the daughter of Owen OWENS, a copperman, and his wife Mary who I believe
lived in Greenhill. Mary Jnr had a sister, Elizabeth and, after Owen OWENS died, a half
sister Jane DAVIES around 1855 after Mary senior appears to remarried. Jane lived with
her widowed half sister, Elizabeth ANDERSON at 54 Catherine Street.
In 1874, Jane gave birth to an illegitimate child, Bessie DAVIES at 23 Bond Street. The
family story alleges that Bessie was the child of Lord Swansea where Jane was in service
and that they "were well provided for". I've taken this at face value
although the fact that the entire female side of the family suddenly turn up in Bristol at
2 County Street on the next Census in 1881 with just the Elizabeth earning a living for 6
of them as a dressmaker, gives this story some credence.
The story continues in Bristol where my GGrandmother had 15 children; the largest family
in the City during the Great War.
The questions I have are:
1. Were OWEN and OWENS names often mixed up as I'm finding the Owens side very
elusive?
2. There's very little OWENS material in the St. Mary's Parish records. Were
there any non-conformist churches in the Waun Wen/Swansea Town area at the time. (The
fact that John RICHARDS and Mary OWENS married in a register office in 1868 my be a
clue).
3. Are there any people on the list with an interest in these families?
Regards
Phil Lines