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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 21:45 BST (UK)

Title: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 21:45 BST (UK)
Hi all
I do hope this is the right forum for this post. Apologies if it's not.
I'm looking for my great grandfather/mother and I cannot find a marriage record or much else at all. My nan was placed in the cottage homes along with her brother before WW1 and I can't find much info on either of her parents. I've tried putting in as much info as I have and also minimal info. Is there anything else I can try?
Many thanks for any help/advice
Carin
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: avm228 on Friday 19 August 16 21:48 BST (UK)
Carin, give us the relevant names, dates and places to the extent you can, and I'm sure there will be plenty of Rootschatters ready to help you take your research further.
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 21:55 BST (UK)
That would be great. I didn't like to presume...but I'd be very grateful.
My nan was Catherine Mary Walters her brother Thomas (Tommy). I've found them on the Church Village Pontypridd cottage homes 1911 census under Catherine May Walters and William John (Thomas crossed out) Walters :( Their parents were Rachel (Ann) Davies and Thomas William Walters. My nan was born on 29/7/1904 in Treorchy (Treorky) Wales. I have her birth certificate. She always wondered why she was placed in the homes and never spoke about it as she found it too painful. I would love to find out why. Family rumour is her father left and her mother put them in the homes and she went to London, but not sure how much truth there is in this. Any help would be MUCH appreciated. Carin
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Spidermonkey on Friday 19 August 16 22:01 BST (UK)
I think your great grandparents married in Mar qtr of 1902 in Pontypridd 11a, 859
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 22:05 BST (UK)
Good grief how did you find that - you little Columbo you.
Thank you....how do I find that record? sorry to be a numpty!
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Spidermonkey on Friday 19 August 16 22:09 BST (UK)
Use www.freebmd.org.uk for the free index of births, marriages and deaths.  You can then use the info to order the marriage cert which will give Rachel and Thomas' ages and their fathers names.  Make sure you order from the GRO rather than via ancestry or any other website

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: jim1 on Friday 19 August 16 22:09 BST (UK)
Quote
I think your great grandparents married in Mar qtr of 1902 in Pontypridd 11a, 859
Ditto.
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 22:12 BST (UK)
I'm so grateful for that super quick info......thank you  ;D
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: jim1 on Friday 19 August 16 22:16 BST (UK)
1 for the back burner;
1911 census.3 Dane St Merthyr Tydfil Glam.
RG14; Piece: 32469; Schedule Number: 91
Rachel Walters 31  widow school caretaker b. Carmarthenshire
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Friday 19 August 16 22:25 BST (UK)
Oooh amazing thank you Jim!
I wonder if that's her......I'd so love to find some background on the whole cottage homes story, thanks to your info I have a great starting point. I must be doing something wrong, I wasn't having much luck at all. Having more luck on my Mothers side of the family but my dad's not so much.
Thanks again.
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: jorose on Friday 19 August 16 23:02 BST (UK)
A very sad and painful story, I'm sorry to say:
http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3434089/3434093/68/
http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3830389/3830391/7/
http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3646583/3646588/

Three cases of Thomas William Walters being charged with neglect of wife and children - Feb 1907 (mentioned, no article found yet), May 1908 (first two articles), and then Jan 1909 (charged also with breaking the windows of his mother, Mary Walters of Tynewydd).

In 1908 Rachel Walters was staying with her mother of Parry Street, Ton-Pentre, so her family were about to some extent.  In the last article it is mentioned there were three children of the marriage.
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Annette7 on Saturday 20 August 16 02:48 BST (UK)
As detailed in the newspaper reports there were 3 children of the marriage - and there were actually exactly 3 Walters children at Llantwit Fardre - the 2 you've found i.e. Catherine May aged 6, William John 4 PLUS Thomas aged 8. These must surely be the 3 siblings.

Annette 
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Cas (stallc) on Saturday 20 August 16 08:38 BST (UK)
Looks a good possible for Davies family in 1901 at 74 Parry Street

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSMG-BW2

1891 at 23 Parry Street

Marriage cert will confirm if father

Rachel not with them in last census, family have also moved to Gelli, comes under Pentre/Ton-Pentre area.

Cas
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Spidermonkey on Saturday 20 August 16 08:54 BST (UK)
Perhaps this is the Walters family in 1901

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSML-Y9L
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Spidermonkey on Saturday 20 August 16 08:59 BST (UK)
A possibility for death of Thomas is in Mar qtr 1922, Pontypridd 11a 963, aged 39
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Saturday 20 August 16 11:34 BST (UK)
I can't believe what you've all found for me, I'm truly touched Thank you.
I am in tears reading the newspaper articles, I never ever thought that this information would ever be found. To say I'm grateful seems a bit weak, but I truly am. thank you all so much for taking the time and effort to search for this information, it means such a lot. I am itching to tell my Dad he will be as thrilled as I am.
Thank you all again <3
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Annette7 on Saturday 20 August 16 12:05 BST (UK)
As has already been suggested, you will definitely need to get the marriage certificate of Thomas William Walters and Rachel Ann Davies to be able to trace back their respective families.   There are too many possible birth entries for either of them and as there is no census of them together their ages/birthplaces are not actually known so with fathers names you should hopefully be able to correctly identify their respective families.   Good Luck and let us know the result of this.

Annette
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: charris13 on Saturday 20 August 16 16:19 BST (UK)
I have ordered the marriage certificate and with info given I can order Thomas' death certificate too. I'm over the  moon with all the help, and will keep this post updated with any more findings. thank you all so much, you're amazing!
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: Gibel on Saturday 20 August 16 16:44 BST (UK)
Have a look on www.workhouse.org.uk site where there is information on the Cottage Homes. The site also shows the Glamorgan Archives hold records including Admissions and Discharges1892  - 1955, and Creed Registers for a similar time. The records are usually closed for a 100 years. You could contact the Archives and ask about getting the records for your family.
Title: Re: Can't find great grandfather/grandmother
Post by: iolaus on Saturday 20 August 16 16:57 BST (UK)
http://www.formerchildrenshomes.org.uk/pontypridd_cottage_homes.html

Glamorgan Archives carry the records ( http://glamarchives.gov.uk/collection/ )

It may be worth contacting them as they may have details as to why they were admitted

One of my husbands relatives was in the Cottage homes in 1881, but in his case I can kind of see why - my husband great, great grandfather's first wife died in 1880 and he remarries in June 1881, his 5 year old then lives with him and the new wife - I'm guessing he couldn't cope on his own with a young child and work