Family tree tip!

A genealogy tip:

For all those of you out there addicted to family tree research, I would highly recommend Ancestry if you can possibly afford it. In August 2015 a relative (cousin of some kind) contacted me because he studied my Roberts family tree on Ancestry and realized we are related. He shared his photos and info with me, and I did likewise. This was highly satisfying I can assure you! He and his wife are visiting Vancouver in August to meet us and other family members in person.

For the past week I've been updating my Cork family tree. Emma Cork (1851-1931) married one of the PALMER family, and they are my great great grandparents, so I was working on her massive side of the family. There is a ton of info on Ancestry for the Corks, but they all had huge families with the same names of course, so it's hard to pin everything down. I used to copy family trees and save the info but that is NOT a good thing to do. I have to find my own documentation and this takes hours and hours.

I noticed that Emma's parents on some family trees seemed to have moved to the USA, along with many of Emma's siblings. So I contacted one of the owners of one of the trees, and she replied to me yesterday, stating that we are indeed related, and she has been researching the Cork/Palmer line for 40 years! She says that yes indeed, Thomas and Hannah Cork (Emma's parents) are my Corks too, so that opens up a whole world of possibilities, as they lived in WI. 

I find this hobby VERY ADDICTIVE.

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

Ancestry UK web site for genealogy research.

The above tree chart from Ancestry UK shows an 8th great grandfather, branching off through the Palmer/Bellamy/Bluett side all the way back to 1699!

Recently I tried out Ancestry for the first time, after Paul Williams, grandson of Robert David Williams, contacted me on August 30th. He found my Williams family tree by trying out one month's trial on Ancestry, and since then we've been emailing back and forth catching up on information.

I decided to try out Ancestry too, after they sent me a deal for one month that I couldn't refuse; only $2.00 Canadian for access to all their files.

I began to dig for Williams info but it's really difficult to find. I still haven't discovered the parents of Joseph Williams. So I began to dig around on the Bellamy side of things and I hit pay dirt!

The thing with Ancestry is that it's so easy to use. They do all the hard work. When you type a name in to search, voila! The name and dates are matched with other family trees, and those trees have more names and dates. It's so neat.

Of course they don't all match, so you choose "ignore" and the tree disappears.

I feel very important now that I've discovered the above branch of my Bellamy tree.

Here is a nice photo of Robert David Williams, discovered in my Dad's collection!

Yes, my Dad had this photo since 2004, when his mother passed away. Apparently Robert kept in touch with his brother John (my Dad's father) and he sent him a lot of photos!

I now have more old photos of him, than I do of my Grandpa when he was young.

Don't you think he looks quite dapper?

And just look at this! I'd never seen it before, but there it was sitting in my Dad's box.

This is Robert David Williams, and his young wife, Rose (Horrell).

I believe this is taken in 1920, and that is their first son, Robert Jr, born on December 22, 1916, so he would be nearly 4 years old. Little William Frederick, born June 6, 1920, is sitting on his mother's lap. William is Paul's father, the one I've been communicating with who lives in Perth, Australia.

I just love this photo. I immediately scan the photos and email them to Paul. He hasn't seen most of them, so it's a goldmine for him too.

This is the back of the photo.

When I read the name, "Aunty Nell" I nearly dropped the photo!

This is my grandpa's first wife. She died in 1926. So her hands would have held this.

Amazing. I guess my grandparents must have really been attached to Robert to have kept all the photos he sent to them, living far away in Canada. But it appears that no photos of Grandpa's family crossed the ocean to Robert or else they weren't saved so carefully.

Anyhow, I'm thrilled with all that's come to light recently.

I'm having the time of my life!

By Loretta Williams Houben