John Davies - Frances Agland, Son Glyndwr...1909

[BinturongBethy]

Ok here goes, I am well and truely stuck on this one.

My grandfather was Glyndwr Morris B: Jan 1909, his mother Frances Elizabeth Morris (nee Agland).
Sounds simple enough. Heres where it gets interesting.

My grandfather found out as an adult that his mothers husband, John Benjamin Morris was not his father. He found this out when in 1939 he ordered a copy of his birth cert and it lists his father as John DAVIES.

So the plot thickens...

I checked out our ms Agland on the 1901 cencus when she was about 12 and low and behold, John Davies is the Boarder and some 18 years older than Frances, she had Glyndwr when she was about 19. But other than Mr Davies name being on the 1901 cencus, and on my grandfathers birth cert, i can find no other trace of any of the family after that. I would dearly love to know more about mr D where he went but i am at a loss as to where to look as John davies is a very common name.

Any help on this would be very much appreciated!!

Regards

Beth

[CaroleW]

Hi

The 1901 image shows John Davies as aged 30 and married.  His birthplace is no real help - just shown as Cardiganshire

You are going to struggle tracing him later than 1901 - particularly as the 1901 has numerous entries for John Davies in Glamorgan who were born 1885-1889 so nearer to Frances's birthyear and possibly likelier candidates

As you say - it's a very common name and you can't assume that the John Davies in 1901 is the same one who fathered her child

[BinturongBethy]

Thanks for your reply!

Gosh, I never realised it said he was married! I've looked for any marriage info for Frances and cant seem to find anything either to a Davies or a Morris. I guess thats the problem with these names

You might well be right there that I may well be barking up the wrong tree with this Mr Davies, although it does seem very coincidental....

Also very frustrating!

Thanks again much appreciated

[CaroleW]

What is odd here is that Glyndwr's birth was registered as Morris - not as Agland.  If he was illegitimate, you would usually expect his surname to be Agland

EDIT - I have just looked at the free 1911 index and there are other Glyndwr Morris entries in Glamorgan for around 1909

[BinturongBethy]

My understanding of the story is that he was registered as Glyndwr Davies, with John Davies as his father on his birth certificate.

For some reason it is thought that his mother may have remarried when Glyndwr was around 2 and changed his name, and destroyed his original birth certificate. Also it says on his birth cert that he was born in port talbot.

But I have been told that he moved up to bargoed at the time when his mother was with this Morris chap.

I am very confussed with this whole thing to be honest!

[CaroleW]

This is the 1901 for Eglwysilan you mention

H W Agland 34 b Devon (Henry William per previous census entries)
Elizabeth  32 b Caerau, Glamorgan
Frances E  12
Elsie May 10
Ida  9
Lily   8
Percy   6
Beatrice May  2
John Davies 30

I have been looking for Frances on the free 1911 index without success so decided to look for her parents instead.  Using the instructions below shows a 5yr old Glyndwr Agland in the family (indexed as Glyardwl) but no Frances so she appears to have called her son after her brother

USING THE FREE 1911 INDEX TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT HOUSEHOLD

http://www.1911census.co.uk/search/tnaform.aspx

Once you find a possible match - make a note of the county and district in which the person was living

Return to the index and in PERSONAL DETAILS - just put the surname of the family - nothing else

In LOCATION - Select the county and below it - type in the district

In OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD - show the full name of the person you have found on the index

Click SEARCH

The 1911 census is strictly pay per view so you will have to buy credits to view the full entry - the above instructions will only help to possibly show others of the same name in the same household