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Think I am losing the plot as not found a death to match for wife in 1929

ELWYN peers in ammerford in 1911, but he appears to be home alone, aged 12

1911?
REES, David James Head Married M 39 1872 Printer And Publisher United States America VIEW
REES, Roberta Wife Married
10 years F 40 1871 Paisley Renfrenshire VIEW
REES, Gwyneth Daughter F 9 1902 Breconshire Ystradgynlais VIEW
REES, Rachel Eluned Daughter F 7 1904 Breconshire Ystradgynlais VIEW
REES, Olwen Myfanwy Daughter F 4 1907 Breconshire Ystradgynlais VIEW
PEERS, Hywel Nephew M 9 1902 United States America VIEW
PEERS, Janie Niece F 6 1905 Carmarthenshire Ammarford VIEW
TAYLOR, Winnie Servant Single F 17 1894 Servant Domestic Glamorganshire Glais VIEW
LLOYD, Bertie Boarder Single M 16 1895 Letter Press Printer Wilts Trowbridge VIEW

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RG number:
RG14 Piece:
32709 Reference:
RG14PN32709 RG78PN1867 RD593 SD2 ED1 SN10

Registration District:
Pontardawe Sub District:
Ystradgynlais Enumeration District:
1 Parish:
Ystradgynlais Lower

Address:
Glan- Yr-Onen Gurnos Ystalyfera S O

Thanks for all your help, I have decided to give up on this. It looks like Frank Peers' birth was not registered and for some reason he doesn't appear on any of the censuses in Kent or Wales.

Don't give up yet Edward - I have a theory which I am working on and I am sure others have ideas to follow too!

We just need to have ALL the info that you have so that we can work on them.

Dea x

franks birth may well have been registered, hold your horses!

Tell us where he married Mary rees, What were Donalds sibs called?

Births Mar 1905
Peers Jane Irene Llandilofawr 11a 1288a


You have flagged this as answered so is this child correct ?

Thanks Penny, Frank Peers married Mary Rees in Chicago in 1894. I don't know the names of Donald's other sibs, only that he had 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters. The 2 older brothers were born first, in the USA, the 2 older sisters were born after the family returned to Wales. So Donald was the last child born, on July 10th 1908. Mary was born in Wales and her father still lived there.

Have to do the washing up now!

GlitterBaby, I don't known the names of any sibs so can't say whether it is correct or not, I flagged it as answered because I had given up and didn't want you kind folk searching for the proverbial needle. I have spent hours searching with FindMyPast without success so I wasn't hopeful.

May be unconnected but will post it anyhow (Cook County covers Chicago):

Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922

Name: Peers
Birth Date: 19 Jul 1908
Ethnicity: Canadian ???
Gender: Male
Race: White
Father Name: Frank Peers
Mother Name: ?A Peers
FHL Film Number: 1315046

There's an undocumented tree on Ancestry about "Renowned Welsh Singer" (thought the name was familiar!). Donald Rhys Hubert Peers 1908-1973.

According to that tree his siblings were:

Elwyn b1897 Chicago
Hywel b 1902 USA
Janie b 1905 Ammanford
Gwyneth born before 1908

The tree owner has traced Mary's family back but has no further info on Frank.

Elwyn wasn't actually home alone in 1911!

MORGAN, David Head Married M 54 1857 Coal Miner Hewer Saundersfoot Pembroke
MORGAN, Eliza Wife Married 32 years F 53 1858 Begelly Pembrokshire
MORGAN, David Son Single M 23 1888 Coal Miner Hewer Wigan Lancashire
MORGAN, Owen James Son M 7 1904 Platt Bridge Lancashire
PEERS, Elwyn Visitor M 12 1899 School Chicago U S A

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Registration District: Llandilofawr
Sub District: Llandybie
Enumeration District: 14
Parish: Ammanford Urban

Address: 61 Margaret Street Ammanford County: Carmarthenshire

Death of Elwyn:

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985

Name: Elwyn Victor Aus Peers
Death Place: Kew, Victoria
Age: 77
Father's Name: Frank
Mother's Name: Mary Rees
Registration Year: 1976
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 22385
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1899

As Donald became quite famous in his time, have you tried googling for any biographies which might give details or clues regarding his family - parents and siblings?

Dea x

MarieCeleste, thanks for Donald's sibs names. GlitterBaby, it looks like you were correct with Jane Irene Peers b1905.

This Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Peers mentions:

"His father was a colliery worker and a prominent member of the Plymouth Brethren who disapproved of the variety theatre, and never heard or saw his son work. Donald's family were hoping he would become a schoolteacher, but he had other ambitions and left home at the age of sixteen to live his life elsewhere."

So that tells us a bit about Frank (if it's true).

Quite a bit about Frank on here:
http://www.terrynorm.ic24.net/donald%20peers.htm#2

(Extracts from Donald's autobiography)

MarieCeleste, thanks for the Ausie connexion, Donald visited there twice so maybe it was to see his brother. Thanks Dea, I have found several accounts but they mainly describe Frank's life in Wales after his return from America, and say very little about his early life in Kent which is my main interest as I live in the village where Donald said his father was born.

MarieCeleste, that account seems true, whether Frank's beliefs in relation to the Pilgrim Bretheren made him decide he couldn't complete the 1911 census form I don't know, but that wouldn't explain why there is no trace of Frank in the earlier censuses when he lived in Kent. Frank's wife is on the 1911 census, together with Donald, as visitors to a house in Kent, while Frank was presumably at home in Wales with their other children.

Edward - the only child that might have been with Donald in 1911 was Gwyneth.

As you say, Donald was with Mary. Glitterbaby has already posted the 1911 that shows Hywel and Janie with the Rees family and I've posted the 1911 that shows Elwyn with the Morgans.

It's possible that Frank was a nickname or a middle name. Another possibility is that his father died and his mother remarried and the family were recorded under the new family name. Or, Peers could have been a variant of Pearce, Peirs, Pearse .........

You really need to get your hands on his marriage certificate. We'll see if we can find out how to do that ......