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I am trying to find info on My mother (Above) and her family. I believe she had a brother known as Brin and 2 sisters Nita and Esther who I think married someone called Hurley.
I am told that her father was a Minister and her mother a School teacher and that they lived in Mardy .My mother moved to Peterborough after having her first child and lived here til her death in 1990 she had eight kids in all.
not too much to go on I know but I am hopeful
thanks
Steve

Here's Esther's marriage (unless this is where you got the idea she married a Hurley!):


Name: Esther M Thomas
Year of Registration: 1918
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Spouse: Frederick Hurley
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 925

That might help somehow ... ;)


This could be a child of theirs:

Name: David M Hurley
Year of Registration: 1919
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Mother's Maiden Name: Thomas
District: Cardiff (1837-1974)
County: Glamorgan, Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 882

-- the only Hurley with mother Thomas born after the date of their marriage and in the right place. Hafta wait for FreeBMD to move forward with the transcriptions to find any more potential kids -- or read through the GRO images!

... oh, nope, FreeBMD has got a bit ahead of Ancestry's mirror here:

Hurley Doris E
Thomas
Cardiff
11a 872

There are a couple of other Hurley-Thomas births, but in Llanelly and Pontypridd. I've assumed that Cardiff is more likely; don't know the geography, so could be quite wrong.


Whew. What a load of Esther Thomas-s were born in that area in the late 1890s. I'd thought it might be possible to identify her birth -- and thus find her in the 1901 census -- but not likely. Her marriage certificate would provide the father's name, though. Do you not have your mother's marriage or birth cert for that info? --


Name: Elizabeth Meiriona Thomas
Year of Registration: 1908
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 707


How extremely amazingly lucky that she had that unusual middle name.

There's only one Nita in the ballpark --


Name: Nita Adeline Thomas
Year of Registration: 1897
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Swansea
County: Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 976


Of course, Nita could be short for something -- there are a dozen Anita Thomas-s born in the right-ish time and place. Not to mention Bryn Thomas-s.


I'd start with your mother's birth cert, which will give you her parents' names, including her mother's birth surname, and it should be possible to find them in the censuses then and track them back.

So ... we now know that Elizabeth's parents were

John Benjamin and Elizabeth formerly Evans

-- I don't understand this bit: "which is strange as that is mothers married name". Oh, I see -- your mother Elizabeth married Evans. Well, I'm not surprised. As far as I can tell, there were four surnames in Wales, Thomas and Evans being two of them, and they used them well!

Address when she was born:

24 Thomas St
Mardy
Ystradyfodwg
Glamorgan


There's this household in 1901:

Bossie Thomas 2 (Bessie, for pity's sake!)
Elizth J Thomas 22
Esther J Thomas 10 months
John Thomas 23

Right parents' names, daughter Esther -- but occupation and location don't match up.


There's no Thomas born in Maerdy (which seems to be how it's spelled in the census) that matches. The damnable thing is that although Maerdy is given as the town name in census records for people living there, it doesn't seem to be possible to search by that criterion. Ferndale doesn't work either.

The address shows at google maps as:

24 Thomas St
Maerdy
Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff, UK

The 1881 census is searchable by address -- I thought this way I could at least figure out how to search for the right place in 1901 -- but I'm not finding it that way either.

I'm stymied! I think you need someone who knows how to search the Wales censuses. Assuming that your people were in roughly the same area in 1901 as in 1908!


I've tried the kids' names -- Brin* (probably Brinley), A/Nita, Esther. None with matching parents. in Glamorgan that I can spot. However, there's an Anita and a Brinley living (separately) with aunts/uncles.

I'd maybe wonder whether your Elizabeth was a child of a second marriage for one of the other of her parents.

I'm thinking you're going to have to wait for the 1911 census to come out so you can find the household and then trace the parents backward!

Since you think John was a minister -- doesn't Elizabeth's birth cert give his occupation? -- you could try identifying churches in the area and seeing what records they might have. 24 Thomas is right near the corner of Church St in Maerdy, but on hybrid/satellite view I'm not seeing any churches in the immediate vicinity. ;)

Here's a list:

http://www.therhondda.co.uk/general/churches.html

(a longish list, but these are the ones specifically in Maerdy)

Bethania Welsh Calvinist Chapel 1880 Maerdy Rd, Maerdy demolished);

Silah Welsh Independent Chapel 1881, Maerdy Rd, Maerdy demolished);

Seion Baptist Church Maerdy The church was erected in 1882, as a Welsh-speaking church, but in more recent years has used the English language.

Caramel English Baptist Chapel 1895 near Ferndale St, Maerdy (altered to warehouse);

Ebenezer Welsh Calvinist Chapel 1910, Ceridwen St,, Maerdy (demolished);

St. Luke's Church In Wales 1896 James St, Maerdy (demolished);

English Wesleyan Chapel 1899/1901 Oxford St, Maerdy (demolished);

And that's my best effort at that point, I'm afraid ... a bunch o' demolished churches ...

thankyou so much for your help with this I cant believe how far youve got. Ive allowed you acces to my tree in the hope of lots more!
Id love to know where you have Brin and Nita living in 1901 census and ages at time if you can, I appreciate that it can only be a guess on that info but it may give me a push in the right direction.
Fathers occupation stated as coalminer on birth cert. so maybe wasa lay preacher or maybe a big white one!
regards Steve

Hi Stephen ... I wandered off there for a bit.


Here's an Anita who is a niece in a 1901 household:


Name: Anita M Thomas
Age in 1901: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1885
Relation: Niece
Gender: Female
Where born: Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales

Civil Parish: Roath
Ecclesiastical parish: Roath St Saviour
County/Island: Glamorgan
Country: Wales

Registration district: Cardiff
Sub-registration district: East Cardiff
ED, institution, or vessel: 25
Household schedule number: 361

Household Members:
Name Age
Anita M Thomas 16
Catherine Thomas 42
Ebenezer Thomas 34
William H Thomas 36


And a Brinley, nephew:


Name: Brinley Thomas
Age in 1901: 10
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891
Relation: Nephew
Gender: Male
Where born: Ystalyfera, Glamorgan, Wales

Civil Parish: Llangnicke
Ecclesiastical parish: St Cwig
Town: Allt Y Grug
County/Island: Glamorgan
Country: Wales

Registration district: Pontardawe
Sub-registration district: Pontardawe
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Household schedule number: 87

Household Members:
Name Age
Jane Davies 36
William Davies 38
Brinley Thomas 10


Just no way of knowing whether there's any connection, at this point.


As far as John Thomas, coal miner ... well, that's what just about all of 'em were. ;)

One of my gr-grfathers liked to have his picture taken while dressed in other people's outfits. One of them shows him in minister's garb, holding a bible and looking pious. We'll have to be careful to label them so that one day my nephew's and nieces' grandchildren don't think their ancestor was a preacher ... or a blacksmith ...


BUT ... look what I've found.


Name: John Benjamin Thomas
Year of Registration: 1889
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 542

One of two brides on same page: Elizabeth Evans.

There ya go -- excellent chance, at least, that that's them. The certificate should get you their names and his occupation, and their father's names and occupations.

Then you can get back to me and we can see what we can see!

Sadly, there are well over a dozen Brinley Thomas births registered from 1890-1907.

No Nita or Anita Thomas births in Pontypridd in the period.

There's this household with parents John and Elizabeth and daughter Anita:


Name: Anita Thomas
Age in 1901: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Elizabeth
Gender: Female
Where born: Rhymney, Monmouthshire, Wales

Civil Parish: Rhymney
Ecclesiastical parish: Rhymney St Mary
Town: Rhymney
County/Island: Monmouthshire
Country: Wales

Registration district: Bedwellty
Sub-registration district: Tredegar
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Household schedule number: 23

Household Members:
Name Age
Anita Thomas 12
Elizabeth Thomas 43
John Thomas 43
Madge Thomas 8
Marion Thomas 10
Mary Siggie Thomas 47
Pryor Owen Thomas 20
Winniefred Thomas 8

but it's a lousy match -- the Anita was probably born 1888, and the mother is a bit old to be having a kid in 1908, and they're not in the right place.

Searching in Ystradyfodwg in 1891, there is but one John Thomas born 1852-1872 with wife Elizabeth:


Name: John Thomas
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1856
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth M
Gender: Male
Where born: Merthyn, Glamorgan, Wales

Civil Parish: Ystradyfodwg
Ecclesiastical parish: Tylorstown with Ferndale
Town: Home Penrhys
County/Island: Glamorgan
Country: Wales

Registration district: Pontypridd
Sub-registration district: Ystradyfodwg
ED, institution, or vessel: 37

Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas J Donovan 4 - adopted son
William Hopper 46
John R Moulder 21
William Roberts 24
Elizabeth M Thomas 33
Evan J Thomas 2/12
John Thomas 35


He's a coal miner ... and he's not the only John Thomas, coal miner, on that very page. The other adults are lodgers. They're at 37 Edmund St.


Just cannot identify them, or any other possible couple, in 1901, though.

Hi there Katherine
sorry so long getting back to you
been following up on my grandparents thought I found a match with your first JT and went with it but still unsure about Bessie as I dont recall any mention of her whilst growing up but there could be a number of reasons for that. went on another site last night Anscestry uk I think, and that threw a spanner in the works cos a lot more names popped up so will be looking into that one later. will keep you posted
steve

Good news Ive found my granparents on 1901 census at last, Living at 24 Thomas St Maerdy with a string of kids I was unaware of. After hours of trawling through the census lists I had all but given up but as a final shot tried Esther working back from the date you found for her wedding to guess her age and there they were and every one of the names apart from hers ABBREVIATED!!!! We have now found Ann 11(poss Anita as she was said to be the eldest). Thomas B 9 David William 8, John R 2. and the lovely Esther M 5. no news of Brin/Bryn as yet but I now suspect that he was born after 1901.Judjing by the ages of the kids I suspect that the the marraige reg details you found for me are good so I have sent for the certificate and expect it shortly so watch this space
regards
STEVE
PS WATCH OUT FOR THOSE ABBREVIATIONS JOHN WAS LISTED AS JNO

Congratulations!

It's unusual for someone to be called "Jno" in the 1901 census I think. Better than abbreviations are initials ... an entire family listed as A, B, C, W, X, Y Surname ... Or heck, just no given names at all.

And the other problem with abbreviations is how they get misread by transcribers. I have a Jno transcribed as Jas, for instance.

So now you go hunting for your aunts' and uncles' offspring. Have fun!

Kathryn

looking through the 1901 Wales census for JNO it seems to be quite a common abbreviation for john but who knows why
anyway best get digging and see what else turns up
cheers
steve

My grandparents wedding cert has arrived and gives
both of the fathers details, I have found Elizabeths father living at the address given on the 1881 census along with her mother,siblings and her grandfather which is a bonus.
Johns father is deceased at the time of the wedding btu I believe I may have traced him and young John back to living in lodgings a few doors away from Elizabeth in 1881 on the census but no mother as yet.
John was living in Thomas st at the time of the wedding according to the w/cert. but I was unable to trace them on 1891 census until insiration hit and I looked again at the listing on the 1901census and checked out the neighbours. I found the same neighbours on the 1881 census and trawled through the list of names on the street and there they were John Elizabeth and baby living at No. 10. but get this... not listed as Thomas I eventually found them at that address listed under the name Hunies and I cant even pronounce what they have down for annetta. Anyway thats it so far will keep you posted
steve

Ps. I found Bryn living with Elizabeths family in in 1891 Its her brother !! just 4 years older than Annetta