August 11, 2018; ninety years ago.

90 years ago, on August 11, 1928, my paternal Grandparents, John Griffith Williams and Alma May Palmer were married in Naicam, Saskatchewan at the Pastor's Manse.

They had eloped from Spalding Saskatchewan in John's horse and buggy, but they had to wait until nearly midnight as Pastor Kemlo wasn't home! 

The photo above was taken in Vancouver BC in 1942. There are no wedding photos, nor was there a wedding dress. I think my Grandma's mother didn't want her to marry a man who was 20 years her senior! But the marriage lasted until 1974, when John passed away in June. They were married 46 years and had 7 children.

By Loretta Houben

How to find death certificates in Vancouver BC

DEATH CERTIFICATES

Well, this isn't really exciting, but ever since Family Search web site no longer shows the death certificate images (and I have no idea why) I wish to provide another way of accessing them, which a genealogy group member showed me.
Here is the link:
RoyalbcMuseum/Genealogy

You can also find marriage certificates here.
This is a link to my Grandfather's death certificate:
John Griffith Williams

Ellen Williams maiden name is EGERTON!

Today, May 5, 2016, the most exciting thing happened to me.

I recently joined the Saskatchewan Genealogy Network on Facebook in order to ask kind people for help in my ongoing research for my Williams family.

Someone said I should also join the Naicam Homecoming Facebook group so I did.

Today, Gord Neish sent me the above copy of Ellen Williams death certificate, which he found at the Naicam Museum today. Apparently these things are on file!

This document solves the mystery of Ellen's maiden name. Her father is listed:

EDWARD EGERTON

I immediately went to Findmypast and searched for his name on the censuses, and found the above on the 1891 Welsh census. His wife's name was Hannah, and little Ellen was 3 years old. She was born in Bettws-y-coed, Caernarvonshire, Wales.

They lived at #91 Station Cottage in Bryneglwys, Bettws-y-Coed in Denbighshire, Wales.

Here they are on the 1901 Welsh census, but Ellen's mother died between 1891 and 1901. She now has a little sister named Hannah.

This is the most exciting day in my genealogy research yet!

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

#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

Remembering great uncle William J Williams.

Today, November 6, 2015, I searched again on UK Ancestry site for records of William Williams, and I actually found two more I had never seen.

I am very pleased. I would love to become a life long member of Ancestry.

It's so easy to search their records.

I created the above collage today.

The above record is from the army register of soldiers' effects.

Notice the "to whom authorized" box on the right.

Notice the red pen notation on the right.

Here is a close up; it shows Bro: Sole Legal, Robert David Williams, HMS Violet.

That would most likely mean the parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Williams, are dead.

So this is another big clue.

By Loretta Williams Houben

John Griffith Williams...my grandfather.

My grandpa, John Griffith Williams on the left above, was born

on February 17, 1888 in Blaenau Festiniog, North Wales, to Joseph and Elizabeth Williams.

This is the earliest photo I have of him.

He appears with his family on the Welsh 1891 census, age 3. 

John was known as Jack. He is 2nd from the left in the front row, with a friend known only as "Jones" in this photo. Date unknown.

I don't know the name of the ship, or the date John came to Canada.

But he arrived in 1910, so the above information may be true.

It shows a John Williams sailing from Liverpool on April 21, 1910, to Quebec, Canada, on the Corsican, part of the Allan line steamship company.

This was found on FindmyPast website.

Ticket # 33652 shows a John Williams, which I like to imagine is my grandpa.

An old postcard found online showing the SS Corsican.

John at an early age, most likely in Canada, on his horse Tim.

John, with dreams of being a cowboy.

He settled in Three Hills Alberta, on Hugh Parry's ranch.

I'm not sure if that is Hugh on the left or not.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Joseph and Elizabeth Williams' children.

This is one of the earliest photos I have of the three Williams brothers.

My paternal grandpa, John Griffith, is on the left.

Robert David is seated in his navy uniform.

William Joseph is on the right.

I find it unusual that they all had a middle name.

The photo was taken at 59 High Street in Blaenau Festiniog, North Wales.

This would have been before 1910, the year in which John sailed for Canada for a new life on the prairies.

Isn't John handsome? I don't know the date of this photo.

It was either taken before he left for Canada, or shortly after he arrived.

I will write about each of the brothers separately, but wished to have them all in one post.

I discovered this photo today, Sept 9, 2015, in my Dad's box of old photos.

I'd never seen it before. It was taken in a studio in Stonehouse, Plymouth, which is part of Devon in England. I searched online and discovered the photographer, George Thomas Bayley,

in Kelly's Directories for 1902.

This is young Robert David Williams, a sailor in the navy.

The ship's name is HMS Warrior.

William Joseph Williams, who went to war 100 years ago, and gave his life at age 19.

This is part of a professional photograph.

The brothers all have similarities.

I don't have a photo of their sister, Elizabeth Ellen, known as Ellen or Ella.

She is the mystery!

Now that I've been in contact with Paul Williams, a grandson of Robert, I have hope that one day I'll find Ellen's descendants. Paul is my 2nd cousin, and we have been emailing back and forth now for over a week. Genealogy research is never boring!

By Loretta (Williams) Houben

Joseph and Elizabeth Williams, my great grandparents.

Welcome to my Williams/Palmer genealogy page.

I've decided to put everything I've learned since 2011 in one spot so it's easy to access.

My great grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Roberts) Williams appear on the 1891 Welsh census.

This is a cropped part of the census, showing Joseph Williams on Line 4, age 37, occupation quarry slate man, born in Caernarvonshire, ? (I can't figure out the rest of the writing).

His wife is Elizabeth (shortened spelling by the enumerator) age 34, born in Porthmadog, Caernarvonshire, North Wales. They have three children at this time.

Elizabeth Ellen, age 6, born in Merioneth, Festiniog. 

(which would mean she was born in 1885)

John Griffith, (incorrectly listed as "Thom") age 3, born in Merioneth, Festiniog, 

on February 17, 1888.

Robert David Williams, age 1, born in Merioneth, Festiniog, on February 21, 1890.

They lived at 394 Geufron Terrace, Blaenau Festiniog, North Wales, in the county of

Merioneth, and they all spoke Welsh.

I cannot locate the family on the census after 1891. Joseph and Elizabeth had one more son,

William Joseph Williams, born in 1898 in Merioneth, Festiniog.

I don't have Joseph and Elizabeth's date of marriage, but hope to solve that mystery soon.

I don't know when they died, or where they are buried.

I don't know the names of their parents or their siblings.

I am hopeful though, as on August 30, 2015, a relative of the Williams family contacted me through Ancestry.com where I have my Williams family tree on public view. It turns out he is a grandson of Robert David Williams and he is supplying me with photos and details of dates.

I'm completely thrilled with this major break through, so I thought it was time to create a blog for my Williams family clan.

By Loretta (Williams) Houben