#10 Bryn Street, Talsarnau Wales (1901 Welsh Census)

This is a closeup of the 1901 Welsh census showing Robert David Williams age 11, and his brother Willie age 8. For years I didn’t think this was really them as I believed Willie was born in 1898 and should have been age 3! But after discovering Willie on the 1911 census age 18, I then knew this was indeed the little brothers, boarding with Mary Parry, a single mother age 32, working as a laundress. She had a young daughter age 2. 

They lived in the parish of Talsarnau in the rural district of Deudraeth in Merioneth. I can’t read the name of the ecclesiastical parish. They lived at #10 Bryn Street. It’s a complete mystery as of this date, April 25, 2016, as to why they were boarding out. Talsarnau is fairly close to Blaenau Ffestiniog, but I don’t know what happened to their parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Williams as I can find no trace of them on the census. John Griffith, their older brother age 13, appears on page 14 of this census, also living in Talsarnau but at Plasuehaf Farm as a cattle man with Ellis Jones Edmunds, a 47 year old farmer.

According to Google maps, this is #10 Bryn Street in Talsarnau Wales.

This shows how far away Bryn Street in Talsarnau Wales is from Blaenau Ffestiniog. It's 19 minutes, or 10 miles by car. So I guess by horse and cart it may have been one hour. 

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Every man remembered

A really lovely memorial website to remember the fallen soldiers in WWI:

Every Man Remembered

Tonight I remembered my first cousin 2xs removed, Alfred George Palmer.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Every man remembered...

I found a lovely website:

Every man remembered

If you click on the link, it should take you to a lovely video.

I found this link in a book I'm currently reading by Nathan Dylan Goodwin.

"The Orange Lilies" A Genealogical Crime Mystery

It's very well written.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

I've found William Williams on the 1911 Welsh Census!!!!

I just had to add this to my blog tonight!

I was browsing Findmypast records.

They sent me a Hint for Ellen Roberts, so I checked it out.

While staring at the 1911 Welsh census, trying to figure out if the word "nai" meant "nephew" in English, and what did "pentelue" mean in English, I decided to check them out in a Welsh English dictionary online. My heart nearly stopped beating as it dawned on me that this was indeed, my great uncle William, THE William; and his aunt, Ellen Roberts, the same aunt which the RWF wrote to in the newspaper to inform her of her nephew's death!

The VERY SAME PEOPLE!

(penteulu means head of household)

What helped to clinch it was the fact that Ellen Roberts was living at Dolgarregddu Street in Ffestiniog; the same place the ROBERTS lived at in the 1871 census, and the same place which Ellen lived at when the RWF sent her the letter about William.

The address isn't shown on the handwritten form, but shows on the transcribed form.

The original forms before and after Ellen's form are all listed as living at Dolgarregddu Street.

I was so excited when I realized this that I nearly fell off my chair.

I stared at William's age (18) and realized that he wasn't born in 1898 after all; he was born in 1893.

And he wasn't 19 when he died in 1917; he was 24.

For some reason I was so happy he was 5 years older!

Then I thought; why did I assume he was 19?

It was because my Grandma always said he was 19 when he died, but he wasn't!

And so this 1901 Welsh census I had found a few years ago is correct!

It shows Robert David (age 11) and little Willie (age 8) living as boarders on a farm in Talsarnau, the same area which John Griffith (my grandpa) was also living age 13 as a cattle hand.

(see below)

I also just realized that this 1901 census was filled out by the same person, and the above info on Robert and Willie is on page 4, while the info on John below is on page 14!

This is thrilling so I just had to add it here tonight.

What a day for research!

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Genealogy Tips: blank census forms

It took me a while, but I finally tracked down BLANK census forms!

Most of the time I can't decipher the real ones.

I especially cannot figure out the Welsh forms!

The above shows the England and Wales census form for 1911.

This is the blank census form for Canada in 1911.

This is the 1910 US Census blank form.

And here the rest are.

Have fun!

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Findmypast 1871 Transcription for ROBERTS family

I am enjoying using Findmypast subscription, however it isn't as easy to use as Ancestry UK!

They have millions of records but when trying to find the ROBERTS family yesterday and add the 1871 census details to their family tree, I couldn't locate John Roberts and his wife Mary in Ffestiniog, until I looked page by page in St. David's Parish, and then lo and behold I couldn't add the census to my tree! I had to start all over again, so I tried looking up Mary Jane and found the family that way! Yikes. It sure took a lot of time.

But here they are, and this is what the transcription looks like.

It's very nice, and if you click on each name, you get that person's transcription.

So I printed a page for each of the ROBERTS family as family names are few and far between for me, and so I treat them like gold! I'm so happy I found them, as I'd never thought to look for them before. Elizabeth ROBERTS married JOSEPH WILLIAMS and so began the WILLIAMS clan, and therefore she is very special indeed.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Ellen Roberts, aunt to William Joseph Williams.

Here is the copy of William William's death notice sent to Miss Ellen Roberts, living at 9 Dolgaregddu Street in Ffestiniog, North Wales.

I'm not sure what happened to William's parents. His mother Elizabeth was Ellen's older sister.

I'm still working on the clues.

However yesterday I noticed that Ellen Roberts appears on the 1871 Welsh Census, so I thought I'd put the newspaper clippings together with the census to confirm that yes, this is the correct Ellen Roberts. I assume she remained single and didn't get married as in 1917 when she was 58 years old, based upon her year of birth being 1859 according to the 1871 census and her age of 12 years, she was still addressed as Miss Roberts:

This is the piece of paper which came to light recently in my Dad's collection.

I love the words which C of E Chaplain, Henry Hargreaves wrote to Ellen.

Here is Ellen's name listed in a closeup of the 1871 census.

Here is the 1871 census full page, showing the Roberts family living at Dolgarregddu Street in Ffestiniog, North Wales.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

1871 Welsh Census showing Roberts Family in Ffestiniog North Wales

Here is a copy of the 1871 Welsh census showing the Robert's Family living in Ffestiniog North Wales, still on Dolgarregddu Street.

However, the family has two more daughters. 

They are not on the 1881 Welsh census so they may have got married.

They match in all other ways, except the age of the mother, Mary, is the same as her husband, while in the 1881 census she is listed as being two years older.

This is where you have to have really good eyes!

This is the snip from Ancestry, but it states that John Roberts is born in Ireland!

This is utterly false so I left a comment.

The transcriber read the country above John's, and put that down for him.

Oh woe is me!

But I'm thrilled to have found the Robert's family on two different censuses.

By Loretta Williams Houben

1881 Welsh Census showing Roberts Family in Ffestiniog, North Wales

Ancestry UK had the censuses available for free searching today.

So once again I hunted for my elusive ancestors.

I think I finally found Elizabeth ROBERTS living in Ffestiniog, North Wales on Dolgarregddu Street.

On her wedding certificate she is listed as living on Dolgarregddu street which was two years later than this date, and her father is listed as John Roberts, quarryman, and that's his name and occupation on this census, so I think this is a correct guess.

Here is a closer copy of the names:

John Roberts, head, age 54, quarry man, born in Capel Currig, Caernarvonshire. (about 1827)

Mary Roberts, wife, age 56, born in Bala, Merionethsire. (about 1825)

Elizabeth Roberts, daughter, age 24, domestic servant, born in Portmadoc, Caernarvonshire. (about 1857)

John Roberts, son, age 14, quarry man, born in Festiniog, Merionethshire. (about 1867)

A close up of the Roberts family.

I wonder who little Lambert Price was?

Ancestry's print out.

So this is a great feeling of accomplishment!

You never know what you'll find when you methodically search through the records.

I'll add the names of John and Mary to Elizabeth's family tree!

Elizabeth Roberts married my great grandfather, Joseph Williams, on August 3, 1883.

By Loretta Williams Houben

Robert and Loretta Williams Houben's 34th anniversary.

Robert Houben and Loretta Williams

Loretta and her father, Jack Williams, on April 3, 1982

The Williams Clan

Marie, Marlene, Leona, Loretta & Robert Houben, Susie, Jack

April 3, 2016

As we are now!

By Loretta Williams Houben