Allen Family History

Sources of Information: 1. Gwytherin, Denbighshire, Wales Parish Registers (FHL #972.93/G1 K29g v.1-2) 2. Llangernyw, Denbigh, Wales Parish Registers, page 18 (Clwyd Family History Society)

Notes:

ROBERT ALLEN RESEARCH REPORT

[davies081104 / 0346] 31 August 2004

Introduction The objective of this research project was to verify the pedigree charts of William and Elizabeth (Williams) Davies, as outlined in the database Ancestral File. The pedigree charts identify fourteen of William Davies's ancestors and eight of Elizabeth (Williams) Davies's ancestors. In order to verify these pedigree charts compiled by members of the LDS Church, we searched records of baptisms for the dead at the Endowment House, and parish, probate, and marriage license records in Denbighshire, Wales. We found many flaws in the pedigree as submitted. Some of the lines bark up the wrong tree, or in other words, trace incorrect lineages. We corrected the mistakes. However, many of the records needed to verify these pedigrees are only available in the British Isles. A list of records needing to be requested in order to verify these lineages appears at the end of this report. Ancestry of Elizabeth (Williams) Davies Elizabeth provided the key to her pedigree when she went into the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 4 September 1872 and performed ordinances for her ancestors and relatives [document #1]. Her daughter, Jane (Davies) Lewis, and grandson, William Davies Lewis, helped in acting as proxies for their ancestors. The information listed in this source is probably reliable, because the informant was the convert, Elizabeth (Williams) Davies, who would have known many of these people personally. She did not know as much about her husband's lines, but knew the names of her father-in-law and mother-in-law and her late husband's paternal grandfather. We prepared corrected pedigree charts based on this information. John Williams Family. We located the will of John Williams in the probate records of the Diocese of St. Asaph: SA/1846/127 Will of John Williams of Rhydidion Bach, Llansannan Parish, Denbigh. 30 May 1846. Pr. 25 Aug 1846. Daughter: Catherine ,10 Daughter: Mary ,10 Daughter: Elizabeth ,10 Daughter: Jane ,8 Niece: Elizabeth Jones ,3, Daughter to my Daughter Mary All Personal Estate to my Son and Daughter Anne and William Witnesses: Robert Davies, Farmer, Llansannan; Thomas Davies, Rhydidion ganol [?], Llansannan.

The children match the names listed on the family group record for the family of John Williams. Additionally, note Robert Davies, Farmer, of Llansannan, witnessed the will. He may have been related to the ancestral Davies family. The marriage record of John Williams to Jane Hughes at Llansannan Parish simply states both bride and groom currently resided within the parish. Following this piece of evidence, we conducted searches to identify all of the children christened between 1775 and 1790 at Llansannan Parish who could have been known as John Williams as adults, and between 1775 and 1795 who could have been known as Jane Hughes in maturity. Frustratingly, sixteen possibilities exist for young John Williams and six for Jane [document #2]. However, Elizabeth (Williams) Davies, in 1872, stated John Williams was the son of David and Catherine (Davies) Williams and Jane (Hughes) Williams was the daughter of John and Janet (Pierce) Hughes. This agrees with the information listed in Ancestral File, with the exception of the proposed ancestral David Williams who was listed as the husband of Elizabeth not Catherine Davies. This contradiction will require additional research to determine if researchers have identified the correct David Williams family. David Williams did not leave a will in the Diocese of St. Asaph as a resident of Llansannan Parish. John Hughes, proposed father of Jane (Hughes) Williams, did not leave a will as a resident of Llansannan Parish. John and Jane's burial records, which are probably recorded in Llansannan Parish Registers, have not been microfilmed. They should be acquired in order to determine the correct ages of John and Jane, to narrow down the possible christenings pertaining to them as infants. It makes sense for John Williams to be the son of David and Elizabeth (Davies) Williams. David and Elizabeth were married by license on 9 March 1785 at Llansannan. This assumes the correct christening record for the ancestral John Williams has been found, which still needs to be confirmed. One reason to marry by license, as opposed to the normal procedure by banns, was if the bride was pregnant and the couple wished to rush the marriage in order to legitimize their child. If the couple were married before the child's birth, the baby was considered legitimate. Note John Williams was christened on 26 March 1785, a little over two weeks following the couple's marriage by license. Ancestry of William Davies William Davies did not marry at Gwytherin, but at the neighboring parish of Llansannan. This marriage record has not been microfilmed. In order to view its contents, it will have to be requested by correspondence. We obtained a photocopy of the christening record of William Davies, as cited in Ancestral File [document #3]. The parental information listed in the baptismal record matches that supplied by Elizabeth (Williams) Davies, when she went to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City to conduct baptisms for the dead on 4 September 1872. It appears descendants who have attempted to trace William's ancestry further have made many mistakes. Robert Davies The burial record of Robert Davies, as referenced in Ancestral File, states: Robert Davies, Pandybudr, Apr 3, 1835, age 62 years This record calculates an approximate birth year of 1772/1773. It is currently uncertain if this burial record represents the ancestral Robert Davies. According to Ancestral File, Robert was the boy of that name christened at Llangernyw Parish in 1771. We have not been able to verify this and would need to see if Robert's marriage record said he came from Llangernyw parish in order to confirm if this is the correct christening. There were probably a dozen boys christened Robert Davies in that time frame in the surrounding area. We could not locate the marriage of Robert Davies to Eleanor Owens. We searched for the couple's marriage in 1798 in the following parishes, as abstracted in Hayes Computerised Indexes, Parish Church Marriages in the New County of Clwyd [Denbighshire]: Llanrwst, Gwytherin, Pentre Foelas, Nantglyn, Llansannan, Henllan, Denbigh, Llannefydd, Llanfair Talhaern, and Llangerniew [document #4]. We would suggest searching for this marriage by correspondence. It will be necessary to acquire this record in order to determine the residences of both bride and groom. It will also be necessary to have this information before we are able to determine if Robert was actually the son of Robert and Dorothy (Roberts ap Thomas) Davies. Robert Sr. did not leave a will in St. Asaph's Diocese. We located his marriage license to Dorothy [document #6].

Eleanor (Owens) Davies According to Ancestral File, William Davies's mother, Gaenor (Eleanor) Owens, was born and baptized on 14 April 1781 at Gwytherin, Denbighshire, and died on 20 December 1810 in the same parish. Ancestral File further states this lady was married on 30 May 1798 at Gwytherin to Robert Davies. William and Jane (Davies) Owens were listed as Gaenor's parents. There were a few obvious errors regarding this lady apparent after reviewing her family group record. First, her youngest child, Harry Davies, was christened on 8 November 1811, nearly one year following Gaenor's date of burial. The christening record does not state his mother was dead. This signifies the burial date is incorrect. We searched in Gwytherin parish for other possible burial entries; however, between 1810 and 1835, no burial record for an Eleanor Davies appears. The filmed records available at the Family History Library terminate in 1835, so it is possible a search in more recent records available in Wales would disclose her burial. If she lived past 1837, she also falls within the range of individuals for whom the government generated a death record. The will of William Owen(s) of Pant y Fotty, Gwetherin Parish, Denbighshire, the father of Gaenor Owen(s), reveals Gaenor did not marry Robert Davies, and was still single in 1824. The following is an abstract of William's will [document #7]: SA/1826/45 Will of William Owen of Pant y Fotty, Gwetherin Parish, Denbigh, Yeoman B 27 Jan 1824, Pr. 26 Jan 1826. Wife: Elizabeth, executrix Son: Thomas Owen Daughter: Gaynor Owen (unmarried), given Pen ucha (estate) Real Estate: Fryth y cefn Son: David Owen Grandson: William Owen (the son of the said David Owen) Children: Owen Owens, Thomas Owens, William Owens, Robert Owen, Gaynor Owen, and Elizabeth the wife of Owen Thomas. Witnesses: Jno. Griffeth, Henry Griffith, Ely[?] Griffith, sons of the said John Griffith

This William is the man identified as the father-in-law of Robert Davies in Ancestral File. Comparison of the list of children in this will with the Ancestral File list shows this is the same family. The address Pant y Fotty matches the burial record's listing Pantyfotty. It would appear William remarried a woman named Elizabeth, or his wife's full name was Jane Elizabeth or vice versa. William was buried 17 December 1825, according to the Bishop's Transcript, opposed to 17 December 1835, as listed in Ancestral File. All of this means the previously researched lineage is incorrect. This man was not the father of Eleanor (Owens) Davies, as Eleanor was married by 1824, while William's daughter, Gaynor, was unmarried in 1824. It appears previous researchers incorrectly attempted to merge the lives of two distinct women named Eleanor Owens and Gaynor Owens. Next, we began to search for the true parentage of Eleanor (Owens) Davies. Her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Williams) Davies, in 1872 stated Eleanor also went by Ellen. Elizabeth also states Ellen had a sister named Catherine. We are currently uncertain where these sisters originated, as Eleanor's marriage to Robert Davies, and burial place have failed to turn up in the parishes Ancestral File and the International Genealogical Index state they occurred. Eleanor was not christened in the Church of Wales's Gwytherin Parish [document #3]. We will need to examine the marriage record of Robert Davies to Eleanor Owens, which we have requested by correspondence, prior to proceeding on Eleanor's line. None of William and Elizabeth's ancestors, as identified in Ancestral File, left wills in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in London (which held superior jurisdiction). Conclusion Much of the pedigrees of William and Elizabeth (Williams) Davies listed in Ancestral File could not be verified in records available at the Family History Library. It will be necessary to obtain documentation by correspondence in order to determine how much of these pedigrees are accurate. We eliminated William Owens as the father of Eleanor (Owens) Davies. Future Research The following future research is needed in order to verify the pedigrees of William and Elizabeth (Williams) Davies. It will all have to be ordered by correspondence. Order marriage record of William Davies to Elizabeth Williams, 9 August 1834, at Llansannan Parish, Denbighshire, Wales. The Family History Library collection stops in 1832.

Search Temple Index Bureau to see if endowments have been performed for Elizabeth, Dolly, and Jane Davies, children of Robert and Eleanor (Owens) Davies. This does not appear on the International Genealogical Index, but neither did their baptisms, as listed in the Baptisms for the Dead Register of the Endowment House.

Search Family History Library records for a couple named David and Catherine (Davies) Williams who had a son named John Williams christened at Denbighshire in 1780s. Also search for David and Catherine's marriage.

Order civil registration death certificate of John Williams, 1846, Llansannan, Denbighshire, Wales.

Order burial record of Jane (Hughes) Williams, died after 1832, probably at Llansannan, Denbighshire, Wales. The Family History Library collection stops in 1832.

Order burial record of Eleanor (Owens) Davies, probably died after 1835 in Gwytherin, Denbighshire, Wales. The Family History Library collection stops in 1835.

Order civil registration death certificate of Eleanor (Owens) Davies, probably died after 1835 at Gwytherin, Denbighshire, Wales.

Search Denbighshire Marriage Index by correspondence for marriage record of Robert Davies to Eleanor Owens, supposedly married at Denbighshire on 30 May 1798.

Follow up on information received by correspondence to continue to extend the pedigree back further in time.

It has been a pleasure to assist you in researching and documenting your family history. We look forward to continuing research according to your instructions. _2004 Price & Associates Incorporated NWM/mh

ROBERT ALLEN RESEARCH REPORT

[LewisEvansDavies102504 / 0346] 31 October 2004

Davies Lineage After retrieving this researcher's previous research notes from the project file, it became clear a major review was needed of the follow up research which was conducted in the report davies081104 dated 31 August 2004. A brief review of the results demonstrates this need: Corrected christening date of John Hughes (to 28 Oct 1751, Llansannan); the original date being Aabout 1750. This same date was found previously in October 2003 during a research trip to Wales.

Corrected marriage date of John Williams (from no date to 23 Sep 1807, Llansannan). This date was also found in the October 2003 research trip.

Moving on to the research report itself, on page 2 the will of John Williams of Rhydidion Bach was located however, the original of this will was located in Wales and copied for that report. His christening was previously found, which stated his mother was Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Davies of Heskin. His marriage was also located, and a copy of the license obtained. William Davies The report mentioned above states the marriage record of William needs to be obtained by correspondence, duly ordered, and received. However, this information was obtained on the Welsh research trip during 2003. Much of this report was a re-do of the Welsh research trip, so it appears the researcher either did not have access to this information, or did not review it prior to his research. At this point, we agree with the researcher that the lineage of Gaenor (or perhaps Eleanor) Owens is in question. We are a bit concerned that the marriage of Robert Davies to Gaenor was not in the Gwytherin Parish Registers, the Gwytherin Bishop's Transcripts, nor the Hayes Marriage Index for Denbighshire. We also checked the Llangernyw Parish Records for the same information, but no record was located.
While searching in this parish (Llangernyw), we searched 1730-1779 for other children of Robert Davies and Dorothy, and found entries for the following children who were in the data file: David, Catherine, Margaret, Anne, John, Robert, Thomas, and Eleanor, before stopping this search. All of them were children of Robert (shoemaker) and Dorothy. We also re-examined the Llansannan Parish Registers for more information about the family of Elizabeth Davies wife of David Williams. We found a potential entry for Elizabeth Davies, daughter of Hugh Davies of Heskin and Catharine, christened 13 March 1763. This fits the chronology of a marriage in March 1785 to David Williams. We also searched for the christening of Jonnet Pierce from 1747 to 1761, but it was not located in this parish. The christening for John Hughes (28 October 1751) in the client PAF file lists his parents as David and Joan Hughes. Looking at the same records above, we discovered his mother was actually Sina or Sinai [document #7] and found additional family members: William, son of David Hughes of Llwyn y Gibws and Sina his wife 8ber 8 (1749) p. 101 John, son of David Hughes of Llwyn y Gibws and Sinai his wife xber 28 (1751) p. 103 Edward, son of David Hughes of Llwyn Gibws and Sinai his wife May 5 (1754) p. 106 Adam, son of David Hughes of Llan and Sina his wife 9br. 20 (1756) p. 109 John Hughes of this parish and Jonnet Pierce of this parish were Married in this Church by Banns this third Day of May in the Year One Thousand seven Hundred and seventy six p. 351

We now turned our attention back to the marriage of Robert Davies and Eleanor Owens received by correspondence. This marriage took place in the parish of Ysbyty Ifan and a copy was sent to us [document #5]. The transcript states the following: 8 Jan 1797 Robert Davies, X (signed by mark) and Elinor Owen X both of this parish by banns, witnesses: William Davies, X and Edward Davies, X

We checked the Isbyty Ifan Bishop's Transcripts to follow up on this entry, since these records are here. The information is the same, except for the fact the witnesses were not mentioned. We also found an Elizabeth Davies, daughter of Robert Davies and Elinor Owen his wife, who was baptized 6 August 1797. This appears to be a sister of the ancestral William Davies, if this is the right marriage. We then turned to the Hayes Marriage Index for Denbigh in an attempt to locate a marriage for either of the witnesses mentioned above. The idea behind this search was perhaps one of them was Robert's father. There were no marriages for Edward Davies from 1732-1797 in this parish, but there were several for a William Davies: William Davies married Sarah Richard 1764 William Davies married to Jane Hughes 1754 William Davies married to Margaret Ellis 1744

We then returned to the Isbyty Ifan Bishop's Transcripts, where we found the family of William Davies and Sarah Richard: 1764, Jan 7 William Davies Bach and Sarah Richard Spinster both of this parish were married by banns 1766, Nov 9 David, the son of William Davies and Sarah his wife (christened) 1768, May 12 Catherine, the dau of William Davies of Ty'n Nant and Sarah his wife (chr) 1770, Dec 15 Richard, the son of William Davies of Ty'n Nant and Sarah Richard his wife (chr) 1772, Apr 14 Alice, the dau of William Davies of Ty'n Nant and Sarah Richard his wife (chr) 1775, Mar 20 Gwen, dau of William Davies of Ty'n Nant and Sarah Richard his wife (chr)

As one can see, there is a gap between 1770 and 1772 into which Robert could fit, but it seems unlikely. We also found a Robert Davies, son of Thomas Davies of Plasiolyn and Jane Roberts his wife, christened 25 November 1771. This could fit chronologically with a birth of 22 June 1771. Again the marriage sent to us via correspondence was found in the same source here at the Family History Library in Ysbyty Ifan Parish Registers. Lewis lineage The report lewis080904 on this family was much better, in that only a little overlap was noticed in comparison to the Welsh research trip of 2003. There was a bit of a red herring in following the John Lewis of Colwinston, but this was a logical item to track down and eliminate. The concern here is this is the only marriage found in the state church for a John Lewis to a Margaret John, and at this time period all people regardless of religious affiliation were required by law to marry in the Church of Wales.
Previous research in Wales determined John Lewis Jr. was buried at a Welsh Independent chapel in 1854; neither of them are in St. David's Probate Index; and they are not in the parish registers of St. John juxta Swansea. There seems to be only one logical conclusion to the marriage issue: perhaps we do not have the correct version of John Lewis and Margaret John's last names (either or both).
During the 2003 research trip we discovered neither the Lewis family nor the Evans family were in the parish registers of St. Johns juxta Swansea, which of course indicates a non-conformist association. We also briefly looked at recommendation #3 from the 27 August 2004 report, which was to search the Llangyfelach Bishop's Transcripts, where we found the baptism of Margaret, daughter of John and Martha Lewis, at Pwllyr dur, Colier, 5 April 1817. We searched these records from 1815 to 1833. Recommendation #4 was dependent upon the 1851 Census Index of Glamorgan arriving at the Family History Library, but it has not appeared yet. Recommendation #5 is really not a great idea, and probably would not work, so should be deferred until everything else has been done. What remains to be done in Wales on these combined families is still quite imposing. We do need to locate the records (if they exist) of the six Non-Conformist Chapels outlined in the Lewis report. We also need to examine the estate papers of the local landed gentry who were the landlords of the property the ancestral families inhabited in Wales. We can probably find a copy of the 1851 Glamorgan Census Index in Swansea. We also need to order any certificates mentioned. As for the Davies side, we also need to order any outstanding certificates. The burial records could be retrieved while in Wales quite easily. Here, also, we need to determine if estate papers will help us. This would require us to again travel to the Denbigh County Record Office. It has been a pleasure to assist you in researching and documenting your family history. We look forward to continuing research according to your instructions. _2004 Price & Associates Incorporated JMK/mh

[LewisEvansDavies102504 / 0346] 31 October 2004

ROBERT ALLEN RESEARCH REPORT

[WelshLines060203/0346] 21 March 2006

Report on the Lewis and related lines

A great deal of research has been done on the Lewis and allied family lines. It has been the objective of this research period to analyze what has been done by various researchers. It is necessary to discuss each of the following lines, including research performed during this research period: Susan Williams, wife Enoch Evan Robert Davies, husband of Eleanor Owen Eleanor Owens

Robert Davies and Eleanor Owen A fairly lengthy pedigree has been compiled for Robert Davies, husband of Eleanor Owen. The problem with the existing pedigree is that it lacks the marriage record for Robert Davies and Eleanor Owen. The most recent report indicates that a search was made for this marriage, and the parishes that were searched are mentioned, but the one where it actually took place was not included. The marriage took place in Yspyty Ifan parish in 1797. Oddly, research calendars from earlier research efforts indicate that the marriage of this couple was found, but for some reason it was passed over without drawing attention to it. If its importance had been realized, the pedigree that was formulated from the records of Llangernyw and Henllan parishes would not have been followed. The marriage for this couple appears in the parish registers of Yspyty Ifan, Denbighshire as follows: Robert Davies of this parish and Elinor Owen of this parish were married by banns 8 January 1797. Witnesses: William Davies and Edward Davies.

This couple had one child christened at Yspyty Ifan:

Elizabeth daur of Robert Davies and Elinor Owen of Lan? Baptized July 30, 1797

They then moved to Gwytherin parish, Denbighshire where their other children were born. This is where research has become very difficult. There are two possible Robert Davies in Yspyty Ifan parish, at least one in Corwen parish, Merionethshire, and now the one which is based in Llangernyw and Henllan Parishes. The one at Llangernyw and Henllan seems least likely to be the correct one because of the distance between Llangernyw and Yspyty Ifan parishes. The most likely possibilities are in Yspyty Ifan parish, but we have not found enough proof to establish a definite connection. The possibility at Corwen has only come to light during this research period, and it is not certain whether it will prove to be correct. It is not certain whether Robert Davies and his wife Eleanor stayed in Gwytherin parish or not. There was a Robert Davies buried there 3 April 1835. He was aged 62, making his birth year about 1772 or 1773. Unfortunately, the bishop transcripts (BTs) for this parish end before 1840, and no Eleanor (Elinor, Ellen) Davies was found in them. A search of the parish registers of Gwytherin, Wales, produced the burial of an Ellen Davies on 19 Jan 1852. She was aged 87, making her birth year about 1765. A great deal of research has been done on this woman, including a request for her death certificate. The death record reference stated that she died in January at Gwytherin parish, but no other identifying information was included in the certificate. If she could be found in 1841 or 1851 censuses, we would be sure to learn more information. It had previously been concluded that this couple did not remain in Gwytherin parish. During this research period, however, an entry that had been previously overlooked suddenly took on meaning. It was a burial that took place in Gwytherin Parish and is recorded as follows: Eleanor Owens Penycnwc Buried January 19, 1837 age 72 (born 1765)

This entry had been overlooked, because the surname was not Davis; however, in North Wales, women were often buried under their maiden surname. In this case, we may be looking at our Eleanor Owens. Further research should determine who else was living on Penycnwc Farm which would help identify both Robert’s and Eleanor’s families in Yspyty Ifan and Gwytherin parishes. The age given in the burial record seems slightly inaccurate. If this is our Eleanor Owen, she would have been born in 1765, according to the burial record. If the Robert Davies buried at Gwytherin parish is her husband, he would have been born about 1773, which makes him seven or eight years younger. While this age reversal did occur, it is uncommon. Two christenings exist for an Eleanor Owen in Yspyty Ifan parish. They are:

Elin the daughter of Owen William of Llan and Elizabeth his wife was baptized February 26 1769

This entry looked ideal, until we found the following burial:

Elin William of  Llan was buried February 27, 1769

Owen and Elizabeth William had a daughter Catherine baptized in 1770 and a son William baptized in 1774. There is a four year gap between these two children, plenty of time to have another child; but if they did, it is not recorded in the parish registers. The other entry is as follows:

Elin the daughter of Owen Williams of Nanthir by Jane his wife baptized June 25, 1769

There is no indication that this Elin died, so there is a possibility she is the one who married Robert Davies in 1797. There is a concern here in that Robert Davies and Eleanor Owen did not name a child Jane. Unlike the Welsh in South Wales, those in North Wales often followed the naming pattern of the Scots, i.e., the eldest son was named after the paternal grandfather, the second son after the maternal grandfather, and the third son after the father. This applied for girls as well, except in reverse. The eldest daughter was named after the maternal grandmother, the second daughter was named for the paternal grandmother, and the third for the mother. Robert and Eleanor’s first child was named Elizabeth. For this reason it is hard to accept at face value that the Elin born to Owen and Jane Williams was the one who married Robert Davies. It seems logical enough at a glance, but one must be careful in just accepting it as the ancestral entry. It is suggested that collaboration be made between all interested parties so that the greatest amount of good can be accomplished on these lines.

©2006 Price & Associates, Incorporated BWR/ew/dr

Sources of information: 1. Parish registers of Yspyty Ifan, Denbighshire, Wales