llangyfelach church records

[Romilly]

Hi LizR,

My G/Grandmother, Margaret Davies, was born in Aberavon in (Approx) 1837. I think that her father was John Davies, (Mariner) of Aberavon.

I must admit that I haven't got very far with my Davies relatives, - I don't find Parish Records very easy to negotiate...

Romilly.

[marinerclark]

My Davies families had a lot of wheelwrights, Carpenters and blacksmiths.  John Davies b. approx 1786 might have had a forge at the Plough and Harrow. This pub was run by Grey(his in-laws?) and Davies families.  William his son was also a wheelwright as was Morgan(b. approx 1828)

I have seen a maritime Davies family in Swansea.  Have you checked out the wills at the National Library website for FREE   I have really enjoyed reading them.   Thanks for replying        LizR

[Romilly]

Hello LizR,

No, I haven't checked out the Wills side of things as yet.

On the 1881 Census for Wales, my G/Grandmother Margaret Rees, (née Davies) is running a fruit shop, (presumably a greengrocers).

I must admit that I think that my relatives would have been too poor to have had Wills...but I suppose you never know! 

Best Wishes, Romilly.

[Bathonian]

Just to add to the Rees' of Llangyfelach, does anyone have any info on the parents of Elizabeth Rees, b.14 October 1787 who married William Lewis, a collier, b.6 February 1786, also from Llangyfelach. He died in 1862, and she died in 1875, and they seemed to have never moved out of the parish. I would appreciate anything on his parents too, if possible.

Regards

Ken   

[marinerclark]

Dear Romilly   Even laborors had wills.  It is seachable by place , date, Name, occupation and diocse.  People willed the spoons, furniture and feather beds and the clothes that went with them.   My family in the 1880's were railway porters yet we have wills in Llangyfelach and Pembroke going back to 1660   Good luck  LizR

[Romilly]

Hi LizR,

I must admit that I thought it was only people of property who made Wills! Hopefully I am wrong.

Do you have the Link to the Site please?

Cheers, Romilly.

[marinerclark]

Hello Romilly  I don't know how to do the link thing (teens laugh in background) but the site is the National library of Wales and use google  So put National library wales wills and it gets you to the page.  they have instructions.  There are only 157 wills in Llangyfelach when I just filled out parish on the search boxes.  Some wills have been misindexed so if you don't find them leave out the county( which is called a township).  Llangyfelach and the west part of Glam is in the diocese of St David   People had to travel to Carmarthen for the Consistory Court  But I've searched Llandaff just in case.  Hope this helps  Happy Hunting      LizR

[Romilly]

Hi Again LizR,

Thanks for the tips Heres the Link:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0892/

I couldn't find anything for John Davies, but there do seem to be several Wills for Evan Rees's

 Of course I have no way of knowing if any of them are related to my G/Grandfather Evan Rees...however, they are for Evan Rees's in Llangyfelach, & seem to cover the 15/16 & 17th Centuries...& names did tend to be passed on...& so its a possibility!!

Romilly.

[tudorrees]

I am trying to get more background on Morgan Rees (1720 - 1808) who founded Salem Baptist Chapel in Llangyfelach in 1777.  The Rees family were tenant farmers on Tynywaun farm for many years and had strong links to the Baptist church there for many years.

I believe that Morgan and his brother Thomas (1722 - 1808) were buried at Salem Chapel.  Is there any way to get information on the gravestones there without visiting?