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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Montgomeryshire => Topic started by: AuntJet on Sunday 07 July 19 22:32 BST (UK)
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Hi, my great, great grandmother was called Mary Owens (born in 1873), she married a Hugh Davies in Towyn in 1898, and I've found both of them living on Gwalia Road in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. On these, her birthplace is listed as "Felinbyrhedyn" which I've learnt through this forum is sometimes called Melinbyrhedyn and is in Machynlleth. An older relative told me she moved from her village to Towyn to be a cleaner (I'm guessing Domestic Servant) for a doctor. I also have a copy of her marriage certificate to Hugh Davies, so I know that her father was called Owen Owens, he was deceased at the time of Mary's marriage and he was an engineer and fitter.
I thought this would be plenty to go on and I'd be able to find her in the 1881 and 1891 censuses, but boy was I wrong! I can't seem to find her at all pre-marriage, and not really sure how to narrow down the results I find as I have no mother's name, no idea WHEN her father died, or even where the family were living during this time.
Does anyone know of any way I can find out more about her before she came to Towyn?
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Hi
Machynlleth is in Montgomeryshire so I have asked the moderator to move your post to that board
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Hi
Was she registered as Mary Ellen Owens, Machynlleth Q3/SeptemberQ, 1872?
Also, I think Melinbyrhedyn was in the parish of Darowen. In 1891 the hamlet is on Piece 4588 Folio 6 Page 3 and 4. There are no Owens there then.
Gadget
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Found an Owen Owens, 50, widower, engine driver at mine, b. Cardigan
1971, Rydyfelinbyrhedyn RG10/5604/8/Page 9
Gadget
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This is the location on an old OS map:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/102187139#zoom=4&lat=1946&lon=1478&layers=BT
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1851 for Cardiganshire - looks like address was Cardigan Gaol
David Owens or Evans 55 debtor - married Farmer b Pembryn
Owen Owens prisoner 31 married - engine driver b Llanbadan Fawr??
HO107 piece 2481. Folio 497 page 20
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In 1861
Owen Owens 41 engine driver at iron foundry b Llanyanfelyer??
Winifred. 51 b Liverpool
Eliza either 11 or 18?? b Aberystwyth
RG9 piece 4195 folio 90 Page 40
Winifred was too old to have had a child in 1873. IF - this is the right Owen Owens perhaps daughter Eliza was the mother. Engineer & fitter versus Engine driver - not sure
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As I found, in Reply #3, he is the only Owen Owens in the area in 1871 so I think I would be buying Mary's birth cert:
Was she registered as Mary Ellen Owens, Machynlleth Q3/SeptemberQ, 1872?
Gadget
It is the only one listed that I can find. No mother's name listed.
Gadget
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Full details of the birth registration that I mentioned:
Mary Ellen Owens, Q3, 1872, Machynlleth Vol 11b, Page 174
It's also listed on the North Wales BMD. No baptism record.
Gadget
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Probably unrelated but just in case?? I can't see a birth reg that matches the bapt
Mary Ellen Owens
Baptism 10 Sep 1872
Eglwys Fach Cardiganshire
Mother Jane Owens Singlewoman
Residence Cumerfin Llanbarn Fawr
Kat
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It's tricky, Kay, but would fit :-\
Interesting:
Marriage Q3 1873, Machynlleth, 11b, 237
An Owen Owens married either a Margaret Edwards or a Catharine Lewis.
Margaret Edwards was a 25 year old, single person on the 1871 census that I found in my earlier reply:
Rydyfelinbyrhedy, Machynlleth RG10/5604/8/9
John Edwards, 57, lead miner, b. Towyn
Margaret Edwards, daughter, 25, house keeper , b. Darowen
,,,,,,
Owen Owens, boarder, 50, engine driver at mines, b. Cardigan
Gadget
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One of the problems here is that we're working across county boundaries - Machynlleth and Darowen are in Montgomeryshire and Towyn/Tywyn is in Merionethshire. Add to that the closeness of Cardiganshire and .... :-\
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Re my previous post #10:
NW BMD has an Owen Owens marrying Margaret Edwards in 1873 (Machynlleth Civil) :
https://tinyurl.com/y6eu25n9
Gadget
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This is my take on the family:
Births:
David Edwards, Q2, 1867, Machynlleth, 11b 217 mmn -
Mary Edwards Q2, 1871, Machynlleth, 11b 187 mmn Edwards
Bridget Jane Owens, Q4 1874, Machynlleth, 11b, 168, mmn Edwards
Margaret Elin Owens, Q3, 1877, Machynlleth, 11b, 170, mmn Edwards
****NW BMD has all of these births as in Darowen*****
This would fit with the marriage, given earlier:
Marriage Q3 1873, Machynlleth, 11b, 237
Owen Owens married Margaret Edwards (confirmed on NW BMD)
Possible death for an Owen Owens, aged 53:
Q2, 1878, Machynlleth, 11b, 144
NW BMD has this death as in Darowen
1881 Census
Skinner Street, Aberystwyth
RG11/5445/9/ 12
Margaret Owens, wid, 35, Washing woman
David, son, 14, apprentice painter
Mary, daughter, 10, scholar
Bridget Jane, daughter, 6, scholar
Margaret Ellen, daughter, 3
Place of birth looks like Paris (?Parish), and possibly Dorwen/Dorwen
Compare this with the 1871 census
Rhydyfelinbyrhedy, Darowen
John Edwards, widower, 57, lead miner, b. Merionethshire, Towyn
Margret Edwards, daughter, unm, 25, housekeeper, b. Montgomeryshire, Darowen
John Edwards, son, unm, 23, leadminer, b. -do-
David Edwards, grandson, 4, b. -do-
Owen Owens, boarder, 50, engine driver at mines, b. Cardigan, ??
Gadget
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:)
Some more:
1891
RG12/4558/39/24
Skinner Street, Aberystwyth
(same address as 1881)
Margaret Jones, wife, 43, b. Mont, Melinpenrhedyn (?)
David Owens,s, 23, Painter, b. -do-
Mary Owens, d, 18, b. -do-
Bridget J Owens, d, 16, b. -do-
Margaret E, d,13. b. -do-
Robert Jones, step son, 10, b. Cardgan Clarach
Ellen Jones, step d, 10, b.Cardigan, Aberystwyth
So Margaret Owens, nee Edwards possibly married a Mr Jones between 1881 and 1891.
Gadget
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Found :
Marriage:
Q3, 1888, Aberystwyth, 11b, 73
Margaret Owens and John Jones
Gadget
It would be great if AuntJet returned!
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I'm so sorry I was away but this is amazing work! Thank you so much.
A lot of the names you found for Mary's siblings are the names given to her children (like Margaret Ellen) which I know were common names but it makes me feel more confident that you've found the right one.
Thank you all so much!