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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Cardiganshire => Topic started by: Special Needs Girl on Monday 09 December 24 12:53 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I have been going around in circles for the last couple of evenings so would welcome a bit of help which would put me in the right direction please in order to help a friend.
Thomas Elfed Davies was born 12th March 1915 in Pontypridd and died about November 1993 in Cardigan.
In 1939 he is still living with his parents at 11 Corbett Road, Caerphilly. Apparently he then joined the forces.
In Q4, 1948 Thomas married Nancy R.J. Lewis in Cardigan.
Sadly Nancy passed away in Q2, 1967 in Carmarthen hospital.
They had no children.
She is buried in Rhydlewis. (Thomas was later buried with his first wife.)
Where they lived is not sure.
Thomas re-married a widow - Mary Evans who was a house keeper for a Sea Captain and ended up marrying him. He was a lot older than her apparently.
I have looked for possible seamen and did find a record for a John and Benjamin Evans listed with Pendre, Cardigan. There were numbers after their names but what this indicates I have no idea, sorry.
I think I have found a possible marriage for Thomas and Mary in Q3, 1969 in Cardigan but it only gives her married name on the record.
I have tried to find electoral registers for the area to see if I can find Mary living with her first husband in order to find her maiden name.
Mary and Thomas lived in the house Mary lived with her first husband when they first got married but later sold up and moved to Stanley House, Pendre, Cardigan which is where Thomas was living at the time of his death.
Mary was known by “Aunty Molly” when she was married to Thomas and after not hearing from her in about 2006 my friend and her brother went to Cardigan to see if they could find out what had happened to Mary.
Stanley House had been sold.
I have found a couple of possible death records for the name Mary Davies in Cardigan but it is such a common name, who knows.
(No disrespect to any Mary Davieses. It’s a common enough name in my ancestry!)
Any help with finding links to Mary and Thomas so I can find more would be most grateful.
I subscribe to both ancestry and FindMyPast.
Many thanks
SNG
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There is a William J S Alderson, a retired vice admiral living in Cardiganshire in 1939.
He has a housekeeper Mary Annie Evans (Davies)
When was Mary born?
Cathy
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Have you purchased the marriage certificate for Mary & Thomas :-\
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Thanks Cath151 but I would have thought he would be too old to be still alive in the 1960s however I will take a look.
As Mary’s surname was EVANS when she married Thomas Davies I was looking for her on the election registers under Evans in the late 1950s early 1960s.
She married Thomas in 1969 so her Sea Captain must have died about 1965 - 1968.
My friend said that Mary’s first husband - Sea Captain Evans was a lot older than her. She didn’t say about Mary and Thomas.
No rosie99 she hasn’t purchased the marriage certificate for Thomas and Mary although I have suggested it to her.
Thanks SNG
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In '39 was it Corbett Crescent, not Road?
Western Mail 24 Nov 1954
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There's a lengthy funeral report in the Merthyr Express, 4 Apr 1936 of a William Davies, 11 Corbett Crescent. The mourners include son T Rowland Davies and 3 grandsons, Thomas Davies Bsc, Penry Davies and Elfed Davies, B.A.
Available on FindMyPast.
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Searching on "11 Corbett Crescent" quite productive, especially since Thomas Elfed referred to as Elfed only in some articles.
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Thomas left a will. Downloading a copy for £1.50 may possibly provide some info
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There is a William J S Alderson, a retired vice admiral living in Cardiganshire in 1939.
He has a housekeeper Mary Annie Evans (Davies)
When was Mary born?
Cathy
1911 .Cardigan
The 2 females in 1939 are sisters. Not sure if this will eliminate that one, but she was born 1901 ish..
John Davies 35 Head
Elizabeth Anne Davies 34 Wife
Mary Annie Davies 10
Eurfron Elizabeth Davies 6
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Oh wow. Thanks for the newspaper report. I’ll send that to my friend now. She will be delighted.
It is her Uncle (mother’s brother).
I’ll go onto FindMyPast now and find the funeral report. (I did offer to do her tree for her but she hasn’t taken the bait yet.)
I’m not sure whether it was Crescent or Road, sorry. I may have made a mistake. I did find the 1939 register entry.
Apparently my friend’s grandfather was a station master.
One of Thomas’s brothers was a Baptist Minister as was / is my friend’s brother.
Does anyone know which ward / area Pendre, Cardigan would be on the electoral register?
I have trawlled through the 1965 ones but not found anything. Mind you a**** was glitching so I didn’t get through it.
Thanks for all your help
SNG
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Are you aware there were 2 births in 1915 for a Thomas Elfed Davies? The one b March qtr died 1997 & is on find a grave.
The 1939 occupations of John R Davies & John E b 12.3.1915 don't really fit the 1954 newspaper description although it was 15yrs later so things may have changed
There is a 1936 ER showing that John E Davies of Corbett Cresc was a BA.
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Thanks CaroleW
The family living in Corbett Crescent are correct.
My friend said that it is her family.
Her Uncle Thomas Elfed Davies is buried with his first wife in Rhydlewis.
She said that all the family were very talented.
Thomas Elfed Davies was a teacher and had a law degree.
It is his second wife that I am trying to locate. As I do not know when or where she was born I have been searching for her first husband.
There is a possibility that she was Irish.
She was the housekeeper for Sea Captain Evans before marrying him.
I was hoping to find her on an electoral register for the area she lived in - Pendre, Cardigan.
I have found her as Mary Davies but not as Mary Evans or with her husband.
SNG
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You need the 1969 marriage cert to establish her maiden name
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She said that all the family were very talented.
I certainly got that impression from the various newspaper items I came across. Tickled to see the local "rag" in 1942 reporting eldest brother receiving "a commission in the R.E.M.E (on secret radio location work)."
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Ooo I’ll have to look for that Hanes Teulu. Thanks
I planted the seed about getting the MC and I think that is now on the cards.
SNG
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There's a wealth of stuff in the papers. However, nothing to assist your search for Mary/Tom in Cardigan post war apart from snippet already posted with his Aberystwyth Road address.
Tom Elfed's father was very well respected - council work, conductor of a choir, adjudicator at Eisteddfods etc
Merthyr Express, 22 Apr 1939
Only snipped part - check FindMyPast for rest which mentions his link to GWR.