Edwards family in Beguildy

Hello, 

I am delighted to hear from you. I think it must be some time since I made my post and since then I have found out a little more about Evan Edwards. As a young boy, Evan, was apprenticed to a carpenter named Edwards (I don't think I have a first name for the master) and he served out his apprenticeship in Old Radnor. Evan's father was a farmer,  also called Evan Edwards, and he farmed in Forden, I believe. At least there is a record of him renting land there.

Evan's son, Thomas, was also a carpenter. The apprenticeship scheme folded after 1813 and with it the tax relief a master would get from the government, and as Thomas' father was a trained carpenter there was probably no need for Thomas to serve a 7 year apprenticeship. I don't know anything about Evan's father's family. Evan (senior) may have had family in Beguildy and that's why he was there when his son was born? So a connection between us might be possible?

Another interesting thing is that the next generation i.e. Thomas' generation went to London as members of your Edwards family did. I think young people would not have made such a huge move in those times, without knowing other people who had taken the plunge, especially if they were family??

I need to find out more about Evan Edwards (senior's) family, particularly siblings.

Do you know which part of London your family went to? My Edwards went to Chelsea, which might sound glamorous but that area had it's poor parts as well and Thomas and his wife were just ordinary people.

Are you on Ancestry by any chance?

Good luck with your research and I love the photo of your dog, by the way. We had two Goldens and they are such wonderful dogs.

Best wishes

Gill

Hello Gill   lovely to hear from you...  The lovely dog isnt mine...I thought he was yours.  but thinking back I do sponsor guide dogs so he may be one of those.  Maybe picture I added.  Im Maureen but people call me Mo or Pols!!

Be lovely to know my Welsh family.   I'm in England...far east as you can go...I wasn't born here but "emigrated" here 45 years ago. from the north... my local other half tells me I'm still not accepted...cheek!  I can live with that..

Glad you said about other members of your family moving to London. Yes  I remember other family coming to live with William...I will get out my files and check that.  He lived in Bloomsbury.  I was told that if someone had livery stables chances are he would have somewhere to accomodate travellers.  Maybe thats where your family stayed.  I will come back to you..  

It would be really great to explore ,my fathers side. ... I belong to Ancestry and through DNA have found four 2nd cousins on my mothers side

Both James and my father were illigitimate ...it was only because James went back to his mothers name of Edwards I thought there might be a Welsh connection..

Mo

Hi Mo,

Great to meet you! I am on Ancestry and have had my DNA done. I've had Edwards matches 1st and 2nd cousins and also matches from another bit of my family with a Welsh name, Jones! Please do have a look at my Edwards on Ancestry. My user name is ghec2 and all my trees are public.

Thomas Edwards was married in London in 1841. I must look again at his marriage certificate which I ordered some years ago because his wife, Tabitha, led me on a merry dance. She changed her forename from Edith to Tabitha and called herself Edwards instead of Howard. Her mother's maiden name was Edwards, as it turned out, but there's no connection there with the Welsh Edwards. It would be amazing if William witnessed their marriage, or housed them for a while!

I was born in London and all my Edwards family are still there, though we're dwindling.  My parents generation are all but gone and I have the feeling that beyond, say, their grandparents they wouldn't have known much about their older family. 

I hope to meet you again on Ancestry! It would be lovely to share any info either here or on Ancestry.

All the best for now, Mo.

Gill 

Hello Gill from a rather damp and cool Norfolk...

Ive looked at what paperwork I have ...

on 1881 census  -  William Frederick Edwards..Williams son aged 54 is living in Islington   251 Upper Street with his wife Penelope aged 61!!     writing so bad I cant make out where she was born.. West something.. plus two children..Henry 26 and Ann 24.  with a servant  and Stephen J Reynolds 30 and George Reynolds 24..both born in Knighton Radnorshire..  Stephen was a draper and george a warehouseman .  Williams mother Maria is living with them as a widow..  I have copy of Williams will leaving everything to Maria..William Frederick is a corn dealer

On 1851 Wales census   Stephen J Reynolds..senior 42 and wife Jane 31 plus Stephen J Reynolds junior 10 months and servant live ??  London or..Knighton.. ... Stephen junior was born in Knighton..  Jane nee Davis in Ledbury..  address is Horse Shoes..pub??  Stephen senior is wine and spirit dealer..  

I have note on paper saying.    parents married in Knighton..in 1848..  the man died ..mother remarried. new husband is the wine dealer.   bit confusing this part.. George Reynolds was born in 1856.  so sounds like Stephen senior is father to both so Janes previous husband died..

Hope this is fairly clear and helps a bit

Pols

Hi Pols,

The weather isn't too good in East Anglia is it? I'm in Cambridgeshire. It's certainly chilly for May.

Even with the help of a large bar of chocolate I haven't made any progress today. On the Welsh side I went back to an Edward Evans b 1740, Forden, Montgomeryshire, who had a son Evan Edwards b 1765 (notice the reversal of first and second names!). Evan was a farmer in Forden but he went to Beguildy at some stage with his wife, Anne, and there his son, Evan, b 1790, entered the world. 

Thomas Edwards b 1816 the son of Beguildy Evan, married the flighty Tabitha in London, in 1841 but then returned to Wales. (This is a bit of the story I'd forgotten.). They lived in Broadheath, Presteigne, before returning to London sometime before 1851. Alas, I can't find any links between our Edwards' at the moment.

I mentioned my Edwards family tree on Ancestry but it is my Jones family tree which has more info with the London Edwards than my Edwards one.

Ah well, onwards and upwards (and perhaps more chocolate).

All the best for now.

Gill