Daughter of OWENS, Thomas L and JENKINS, Ann, Wales>Scranton Penn

[ela119]

Please help me find the birthplace of Jane (Owens) Morris daughter of Thomas L Owens and Ann (Jenkins) Owens. Ann gave birth to Jane and her brother John in Wales before the family emigrated to Pennsylvania around 1857.  After arrival in the US, Ann bore five other children (David, Thomas, Edward, Winifred and Mary Ann). In the US Census records, there are widely varying estimates of birthdates for the family members born in Wales, which has complicated my search. Below is a summary of those estimates:

Thomas L Owens Senior

b 1824 (US Census 1860, Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania)

b 1818 (US Census 1870, Hollenback Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania)

b 1816 (US Census 1880, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)


Ann (Jenkins) Owens

b 1830 (US Census 1860, Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania)

b 1823 (US Census 1870, Hollenback Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania)

b 1825 (US Census 1880, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

 
John Owens

b 1849 (US Census 1860, Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania)

b 1850 (US Census 1870, Hollenback Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania)

 
Jane (Owens) Morris

b 1854 (US Census 1860, Butler Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania)

b 1852 (US Census 1870, Hollenback Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania)

b 1851 (US Census 1880, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

b Feb 1854 (US Census 1900, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

b 1850 (US Census 1920, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

b 1855 (US Census 1930, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

b 1850 (US Census 1940, Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania)

b 10 July 1854 Pennsylvania Death Certificate

d 15 Sept 1946 Pennsylvania Death Certificate

[Sam Swift]

Owens is a surname I associate with Mid and North Wales, but with Thomas Owens being a miner, the likelihood is that he was at least living before he emigrated, in a coal minng area around an iron works in South Wales (possibly Monmouthshire, given the date).  Having said that, there is a baptism at Meliden North Wales. near Prestatyn, of a John Owens to a Thomas and Ann Owens, but the mmn is not Jenkins.

There are no obvious births for John and Jane to a Thomas & Ann Owen(s) mmn Jenkin(s).
So I would say it was likely that Ann Jenkins had 2 illegitimate chidlren in Wales, or else they were children from a 1st marriage.

I haven't been able to find the couple and 2 children on passenger lists together under surname Owen(s). There are a couple of entries for a Thomas Owens, a miner of about right age, travelling alone and a possible Ann Jenkins aged 28 and 2 children Jane aged 2 and John aged 6, travelling together on the Wyoming in 25 Aug 1856. On that list is also an Elizabeth Jenkins aged 28 with children David and Salen (only birth whose name is vaguely like this is a perhaps Solomon Jenkins). Not sure if they are related, since Elizabeth's mmn is probably Harris and she is likely to have married an Abraham (Abram) Jenkins born in Llanidloes 1831.

There is a birth of a John Jenkins on 2nd Nov 1849 at Sirhowy, Bedwellty Parish to an Ann Jenkins with no father being named. vol 26 page 47 of Dec Q Abergavenny Registration District.

Jane's death certifcate gives a date of birth of 10 Jul 1854, but there are no births of any Jane jenkins who might be illegitimate in the same registration district as John's birth.

There is a birth in the right year and quarter (or 1852 +/- 2 years in Sep Q) for a Jane Owen:
OWEN, JANE       No MMN   
GRO Reference: 1854  S Quarter in CARNARVON  Volume 11B  Page 452

There are also marriages of a Thomas Owen in Caernarvon around 1850-55, but none to an Ann Jenkins, but there are Annes of different surnames in the list of possible brides.

[ela119]

Hi Sam
This is terrific. I very much appreciate all your work.

Some of those hits you mentioned came up on my search but you found some new leads I should follow. I especially appreciate the emigration data.

The illegitimate child idea is interesting. I wonder if John was a half brother to the rest of the clan. In the 1953 1919 obituary for Mary Ann Owens Jervis Winifred Owens Thomas it provided details for every sib and their spouses and their kids, but John is not mentioned. I did find a Pennsylvania death cert for another guy (possibly John) who listed Ann Jenkins and Thomas Owens as his parents. I found other records i think are for the same guy, but he sometimes gives different names -- sometimes Owens and sometimes Jenkins. I'm at work right now but when i get home I'll give you the details. I'd very much appreciate your opinion.  I'm always afraid i find what i want just out of wishful thinking.

With that additional information, maybe we can narrow down the candidates for a place of origin. More later.

[Sam Swift]

Do you know what Thomas L Owens's middle name was by any chance?

[Sam Swift]

Don't know as yet if it is your Ann Jenkins, but there was a report in May 1 1852 The Hereford Times p.7 re the illegitimate child of an Ann Jenkins - doesn't state the sex of the child or when the child was born, but that the order was made in August 1850 (so would have been born before that).

Abergavenny
Neglecting to support an illegitimate child

David Davies was brought up and charged by Ann Jenkins with neglecting to obey and order of Justices, made upon him for the support of her illegitimate child. The complainant deposed that she obtained an order upon the defendant on the 3rd of August, 1850, or the payment of the sum of 2s 6d, a week, towards the support of her child, of which, he was the father; that he absconded at the time and had never paid her any money under the order. – The defendant said that, when taken into custody he paid the constable 10s; and if time were given him he would pay the money up; he had no goods to levy on, and was living in lodgings – The Justices committed him for two months’ hard labour.

[ela119]

Do you know what Thomas L Owens's middle name was by any chance?

No I'm sorry I don't know his middle name.

[ela119]

In the 1953 1919 obituary for Mary Ann Owens Jervis Winifred Owens Thomas it provided details for every sib and their spouses and their kids, but John is not mentioned.

Please note the modification I made to the reference to the obituary. It was Winifred's in 1919 not Mary Ann's in 1953.

[ela119]

Don't know as yet if it is your Ann Jenkins, but there was a report in May 1 1852 The Hereford Times p.7 re the illegitimate child of an Ann Jenkins - doesn't state the sex of the child or when the child was born, but that the order was made in August 1850 (so would have been born before that).

Abergavenny
Neglecting to support an illegitimate child

David Davies was brought up and charged by Ann Jenkins with neglecting to obey and order of Justices, made upon him for the support of her illegitimate child.

The guy I mentioned with the many name variations was listed as "John Jinkins Owens" on his 1939 Pennsylvania death certificate, which said he was born to Thomas Owens and Ann Jenkins of Danville PA in 1857. Through a very complicated series of documents I won't summarize here I can say with confidence "John Jinkins Owens" is another name for David Owens listed in the 1860 US census along with his dad Thomas Sr, his mom Ann, and his sibs John, Jane and Thomas Jr. I can also say with confidence he is buried under a gravestone with the name "DJ Jenkins."

Do you think the reason David changed his name has something to do with illegitimacy?

[Sam Swift]

It could be that John's use of the surname Jenkins (Jinkins) was due to illegitimacy, if Thomas was not the father and possibly why Winifred does not name him. Children who were in effect step-children would often be documented under the step-father's surname, but then appear under their original surname later on official documents such as censuses etc. Some did retain their step name, or used both, but not all, maybe it depended on the sort of relationship they had or them finding out they had a different father etc;