Where does the time go?

The 1939 Register on FindMyPast is now included if you have, or take out, a 12 month subscription. There have been many comments about the previously outrageous cost of looking at the register but it seems that FindMyPast have relented and now I have full access at no extra cost. Wonderful!

January 2016 started off with a look at the family of Arthur Thomas Rowlands, a well known figure in Aberdyfi. This was prompted by a photograph of Liverpool House showing Gwennie Evans (later O’Keefe), our first cousin once removed.

Liverpool House about 1912; X Auntie Gwennie
Liverpool House about 1912; X Auntie Gwennie

At the time of the picture, Liverpool House was owned by Edward L. Rowlands and I wanted to see whether there was any family connection. Arthur Rowlands married Vera Grace Davey, the sister of Cyril Francis Davey who married Jesse Evans. Jesse and the Williams Four (David, Susan, Lyn and myself) share the same great grandfather, Captain Owen Williams.

It turns out that Arthur’s father, John, was from Corris and his mother, Martha Ellen, from Berriew. There doesn’t appear to be any relationship to Edward L. Rowlands who was from Llanbrynmair. However, I have been able to add a bit more information about Arthur’s immediate family. And I will be able to add even more from the 1939 Register.

Arthur Thomas Rowlands
Arthur Thomas Rowlands

Out of the blue I received an email from a Sue Gordon (nee Goddard). Sue was born in Leicester and emigrated to Australia with her parents when she was a tennager. She suggested that the Gladys Goddard who married Thomas Haydn Wileman was her grandfather’s sister. Sue’s grandfather was Sidney Goddard. To cut a long story short, she was right. Now there are a bunch more Goddards in The Williams Family Tree – 85, to be exact! The story doesn’t end there though as I have also added Agar/Ager, Stafford, Kirchin, and Corrall to name just a few more surnames of Sue’s relatives.

Finally, for now at least, Claude Norton has been in touch and we have grown a few more twigs on that branch of the family. Claude is related to the Richards and Hoggett side of the family.

My aim over the next few months is to upload all the document images I have gathered over the years and attach them to the relative individuals – pun intended! However, moving house and all that entails may postpone the uploads for a while.

 

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