Llaethdy Pontyberem/Mary Ann Evans

[Dafydd Hywel]

The Carmarthen Goal records for 1888 are at West Glamorgan Archive in Swansea.  I will go there to have a look as I have an archive member card.  It will be about 5-6 weeks before I can go as I am having work done on the house until then.

I'll contact Glamorgan History Society in the mean time to see if they have access to them.

I found a James Williams of Llanegwad, born 1875.  In 1881 Census he was an Inmate pauper at Llandilo Fawr Work House.


Hywel

[roycymru]

The Carmarthen Goal records for 1888 are at West Glamorgan Archive in Swansea.  I will go there to have a look as I have an archive member card.  It will be about 5-6 weeks before I can go as I am having work done on the house until then.

I'll contact Glamorgan History Society in the mean time to see if they have access to them.

I found a James Williams of Llanegwad, born 1875.  In 1881 Census he was an Inmate pauper at Llandilo Fawr Work House.


Hywel

Sounds like a good plan. It may be worth emailing them in advance to have a look for you westglam.archives@swansea.gov.uk. Some archive services are more helpful than others. From memory I think Swansea are pretty good. They could at least potentially check for you before hand to see if there is an entry for James and it may in turn save you a visit and/or make your visit more worthwhile.

James Williams 1875 of Llanegwad would only have been 13 in 1888. There is a James Williams born 1873 Llanelly, living in Dillwyn Street, therefore 15 in 1888. However, as said previously his looks might not be an accurate indicator of his age and he could well be older

[Dafydd Hywel]

Look what I found on Ancestry.

James Williams, Bastardy Arrears on 13 June 1888 at Llanelly.  Age 17 from Llwynhendy, Carmarthenshire.

Hywel

[Dafydd Hywel]

and again

[roycymru]

What great finds Hywel, well done. In which Ancestry collection were these? I presume he continued to refuse to pay, hence the 2nd entry. In the first he is 17 and the 2nd 18, so his birth month must be between Jun and Sep therefore born around Jul/Aug 1870. Searching the GRO for James Williams born “Llanelly” in 1870 only brings up 3 entries

WILLIAMS, JAMES       mmn LAWRENCE 
GRO Reference: 1870  J Quarter in LLANELLY  Volume 11A  Page 704
WILLIAMS, JAMES       mmn THOMAS 
GRO Reference: 1870  S Quarter in LLANELLY  Volume 11A  Page 619
WILLIAMS, JAMES       mmn JAMES 
GRO Reference: 1870  D Quarter in LLANELLY  Volume 11A  Page 613

If he was born around Jul/Aug 1870 then the middle one registered in sep Qtr with mother’s maiden name Thomas seems the most likely. You can now get instantly downloadable copies of birth certificates from the GRO for £2.50. If you purchase this it will give you the names of his parents and you know he was in Llwynhendy in 1888, so, hopefully, from this information you will be able to find him in census records.

[roycymru]

P.S. I think you can definitely discount the first James Williams entry. This James was the son of William Williams and Elizabeth Lawrence born Blaengwasted, Pembrey. He was 10 months old in the 1871 census and I have him dying Mar Qtr 1872.

[roycymru]

There is this James Williams, 8 months old in 1871 as a candidate.

[roycymru]

There is this James Williams, 8 months old in 1871 as a candidate.

I think this family is a strong contender as from the GRO entries for siblings of this James their mother’s maiden is indicated as Thomas as well e.g.

WILLIAMS, AARON       mmn THOMAS 
GRO Reference: 1869  M Quarter in LLANELLY  Volume 11A  Page 682

WILLIAMS, HANNAH       mmn THOMAS 
GRO Reference: 1860  D Quarter in LLANELLY  Volume 11A  Page 506

[roycymru]

The census entries for this family are recorded in Berwick District. James from his goal records is from Llwynhendy. I have found this which links them together “ Llwynhendy, a place in Berwick hamlet, Llanelly parish, Carmarthenshire, 2½ miles SE of Llanelly. It has a post and money order office under Llanelly; telegraph office, Bynea railway station. It has a church attached to Dafen ecclesiastical parish, and Baptist and Calvinistic Methodistchapels.”