Stepside near Cardigan

[Flamingjune]

Does anyone have any information about a place called Stepside just outside Cardigan?  I am just starting to research my great grandmother's mother - Mary Jones - who came from Cardigan and on one census she states that she came from Stepside Cardigan.  From old maps I have discovered that there was a large house (possibly a farmhouse) and cottages on Gwbert Road and I believe a lot of the area is now covered by a housing estate.  With a surname like Jones it's like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially as her father's name was William.  When she died she was living in a small village just outside Cardiff.  If anyone can help at all that would be great. I would also be interested to hear from anyone who's looking for her in Glamorgan.

[cardibetws]

Hi. Just seen your message requesting information about Stepside, Cardigan. This is a farm just outside Cardigan on the road to Gwbert. I dont have any further information but know the current owners - James.

[Flamingjune]

Hi James

Thanks for your message.

You say you know the owners of Stepside - do you know if they have any information about the history of the farm?  I'm trying to find out about a Jones family who may have worked at the farm or lived in a cottage attached to it sometime in the early 1800s. 

[cardibetws]

I will try and contact them as soon as possible to try and get you information. If you want to find out yourself you will get their details by searching for Stepside in Google. They are agricultural contractors - Gareth James and Sons. Hope this helps.

[Flamingjune]

Thanks for your offer of help, if you can find out anything for me I'd be grateful.   As you can imagine searching for a Jones family so far back will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.  Do you know if there's a local history society in the area who may have some information?

[cardibetws]

I know full well what it's like to trace family members with surnames like Jones, James, Evans and Davies! Do you have any details of the person you are looking for apart from your original post?

There is a Dyfed Family History Society with a branch in Cardigan (Aberteifi). Their representative is
Mr Clive Richardson and meet 1st Monday in the month, 7:30 pm at The Guildhall, High Street, Cardigan. You can search for them on Google.

[Flamingjune]

Unfortunately, I don't have much to go on at the moment. 

My gt gt grandmother's maiden name was Mary Jones (don't know if Mary was spelled another way - that's how it appears on censuses etc) & her father was William Jones.  You can see how difficult it is with the names can't you.  On most censuses it says she was born in Cardigan, Cardiganshire except for one that says she was born Stepside Cardigan.  She was born about 1825.  She only spoke Welsh when she married my gt gt grandfather & I think she was a Non-conformist, possibly chapel.  There's a possiblity that she's related to a Winifred (sp?), Jones & an Elizabeth Jones who also came from Cardigan.  They all ended up in a little village called Leckwith, just outside Cardiff, where I grew up.  I wondered if it's possible her family worked at Stepside & maybe even lived nearby.  I've done some basic searching but it's not easy with so little to go on.

[cardibetws]

Just had a look at the 1841 census on Ancestry and checked the Parish of St Mary in Cardiganshire. In District 6, page 6, it shows the occupants of Stepside as Davies. You may want to check for yourself the surrounding properties but I didn't find a Mary Jones. But this is the page of the properties as I recognise some of the names. She may have moved from there by then.

[Flamingjune]

Thanks for that, I'll have a look on the 1841 census.  I don't know when she moved to Leckwith or how she got there.  What doesn't help is that she was born before birth registration in 1837.  I think I'm going to have to try to find her birth on parish registers if there are any available but there will probably be a lot of Mary Joneses with father's name William born around that time.