Thomas Jones, his wife and son Llanbadoc

[rickjt62]

The newspaper report of the drowning refers to him as William - aged 13 - stepson of William Watkins.

If his birth was registered as Willie Christopher I would have expected the death reg to be in those names but it’s William

Is Esther shown as nee Wood on the birth cert or as Esther Wood

I have the death certificate where it is recorded as William Jones, son of Thomas Jones (farm labourer) - my great-grandmother, his half-sister recorded the death and burial in the family bible, which is in my possession

Esther is shown as Esther Jones (formerly Wood)

[Milliepede]

Certainly all sounds "normal" doesn't it. 

Pity we can't see the 3 of them as a family together anywhere.

Was Willie with Esther and her new husband in 1891? 

[rickjt62]

Certainly all sounds "normal" doesn't it. 

Pity we can't see the 3 of them as a family together anywhere.

Was Willie with Esther and her new husband in 1891?

This is another issue - I cannot find Esther & William Watkins nor Willie on the 1891 Census, despite searching for many years

By the time the census was taken on 5th April 1891, the first child of her marriage to William Watkins was already born - she was Mary Ann Watkins (known as Annie to the family) who was born at Wollaston, Gloucestershire on 3 March 1891

Mary Ann's birth certificate (misspelt Watkings) lists the mother as Esther Watkings late Jones, formerly Wood

[Milliepede]

Right. 

Was William Watkins a widower when they married?

I see in 1901 there is a 21 year old son William and possible in 1891 these 2?

William Watkins head 42
William Watkins son 10

In 1911 the couple say married 25 years

[rickjt62]

Right. 

Was William Watkins a widower when they married?

I see in 1901 there is a 21 year old son William and possible in 1891 these 2?

William Watkins head 42
William Watkins son 10

Yes he was - his first wife (Eliza Dorrington) had died in 1889 - their son William was born in 1880 so this is a different William 

And yes William Watkins and his son William were in residence at Woodside in Woolaston with no sign of Esther, Willie or the one month old Mary Ann

Also, in 1891, both of Esther's parents were still alive and living in Hoarwithy, Herefordshire - Esther and the children are not on the census there either

And yes, the 1911 Census does say married for 25 years but that is incorrect - it also says nine children of the marriage but I've only ever found five

I think that they added up the children of both their marriages

[Milliepede]

have you the birth address for Annie in 1891 so we could search the census for that address

there is a private tree on ancestry with Willie on you may already know about

[rickjt62]

have you the birth address for Annie in 1891 so we could search the census for that address

there is a private tree on ancestry with Willie on you may already know about

Unfortunately not - the cert only says Woollaston, father's occupation general labourer

I believe that the Ancestry tree has been copied from mine