Hi Roger.
Here is a portion of the introduction to my Family Tree.
[Bryn Merllyd, itself lying in the administrative area of Mevenydd, including the parish of Lledrod Uchaf, contained a number of farms and most were, at one time, occupied by a generic Richard or Richards family. Attempts to link these various Richards branches, who all lived within a few minutes of each other, proved to be an almost insurmountable task.
To illustrate the problem, there were, in the early 1700's, a David Richards of Strygosfawr, a David Richards of Ffosybleiddiaid, and a David Richards of Ynysberfedd. Making matters worse was that they all had sons named David. There were also numerous Richards that were named Thomas. Here we have to include Edward Richard, the founder of the famous school at Ystradmeurig whose father was also named Thomas. Another David Richard and his family lived at Bronwenllwyd, a farm close to the previously mentioned farms. He died in 1668 and I see from his will of that date that, as well as bequests to his wife Mary and his two children, (Edward and Hanna David), he leaves money to another Richard family that bear the familiar first names of Thomas, John, Edward, Morris and Oliver. There is no indication in the will of the relationship between the two families but there is also a Mary Richard, shown as sister, and they may be her family. (The will was witnessed by a Lewis David). Also of interest is a David Richard of Clawdd Cerrig, Ysbyty Ystwith who died in 1722. His wife was named Magdalen and his father was Richard Thomas; his daughter was Jane Richard, his brother was Edward Richard and his cousin was Thomas David.]
You can see that I too had a suspicion that there were too many Thomases around for it to be pure coincidence. I'm quite satisfied with my own family that begins with Richard David of Strygos.There are positive links, through Indentures etc., from Richard David through to the Rev. John of Llanerchymedd, (my GX3 Grandfather) but I'm sure that there are other branches in the same area that have the same origins.
We followed the original family and descendants of the Rev. Rice Richards but could find no links to my family, however, as you say, he was the son of Morgan Richards, the son of David Richards who may well have been the son of David and Goley There are a few links to this family.
They lived at Ynysberfedd and later, Rice was involved in the founding of the School there before it was moved, first to Swyddffynnon and then to Ystradmeurig. Rice also had a son named Thomas so too Richard David of Strygos.
Looking at the families at Bronwenllwyd and Clawdd Cerrig illustrates the quagmire that we could fall into if we try to establish firm links that go back further than 1700 or so.
Looking for a death date for Elizabeth, the mother of the Rev. John has produced numerous possibilities. It seems that people from Lledrod were buried at Tregaron.
[There is a burial registry entry for an Elizabeth David Richards dated the 5th of Nov 1792 for Tregaron but it isn't know if this is Elizabeth, wife of David Richards].
Using English first names was almost compulsory in those days and this could help to explain the common-use names of Edward, Thomas, David, Jane and Elizabeth etc. in most families
Send your thoughts. Regards, Peter.
