Ebeneeser Village

[rugbug]

Does anyone know anything about this place? Apparently the name is now Deiniolen. My grandfather came over to America around the late 1880's. But there are so many Edwards's in Wales I don't know where to start.

[Peter Goodey]

I think you may be mistaking the name of a chapel for the name of the village.

Wikipedia confirms that there was an Ebenezer Chapel, dating from 1823, in Deiniolen. There must be hundreds (thousands?) of Ebenezer Chapels in Wales

[Geoffers]

Welcome to the B-G forums

My grandfather came over to America around the late 1880's. But there are so many Edwards's in Wales I don't know where to start.

Does your granfer have a name? Was he a member of a particular church?

Any idea when he was born (roughly would help), also what did he do for a living?

Did he emigrate alone, or with family?

Any clues you can give that would help someone on the forums who has local knowledge of the area, to help you?

[rugbug]

His name was Thomas Edwards. No middle name. He was born in 1884, and came here as a child, I don't know the age but he did have a bit of an accent so I know he was at least over age 3-5. His mother's name was Mary Thomas edwards, and his father's name was Samuel. He had siblings..Robert, David, Mary, Jennie, Hannah, And Sue. I never knew any of them.

[rugbug]

I have a letter note from someone who says that village appears on the old 1:10, 560 county series of maps. I did find that map once but cannot find it again. It did have a village by that name on it I think.. He says it was a quarry village.

[Geoffers]

I have a letter note from someone who says that village appears on the old 1:10, 560 county series of maps. I did find that map once but cannot find it again. It did have a village by that name on it I think.. He says it was a quarry village.

Try using a search engine for 'Old-Maps' you can search for an view 19th century OS maps - the images on screen can be enlarged with one of the incons on the right of the display of the mini maps that you get.

[Geoffers]

Further to my last messsage......

His name was Thomas Edwards. He was born in 1884, and came here as a child, I don't know the age but he did have a bit of an accent so I know he was at least over age 3-5.

Curses - it would be between census returns, but..........

His mother's name was Mary Thomas edwards, and his father's name was Samuel. He had siblings..Robert, David, Mary, Jennie, Hannah, And Sue. I never knew any of them.

With that many siblings there's a decent chance that one of them was alive with parents for the 1881 census, the transcript of which can be search for free - I think it's on the mormon's familysearch web-site amongst others.

[rugbug]

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CAE...iniolen51.html

On this site there are a great many listed as being born in Ebeneezer. I'm not sure exactly what that would mean.
I did find a middle name for my grandfather, his full name was Thomas Owen Edwards

[John Nicholas]

Hello rugbug,

I googled Ebenezer Chapel Deiniolen and one of the items which came up informed me that, until the name of Deiniolen was adopted in 1923, the village was known as Ebenezer. As you probably know, it is situated due east of Caernarfon and due south of Bangor, and is close to the Dinorwig slate quarries. The place should not be confused with Llanddeiniolen (Deiniolen's Church), which is much nearer the coast; but this parish does include the old village of Ebenezer (see Genuki).

FreeBMD shows a birth registered in the March quarter of 1885 at Caernarfon (which is the registration district for Llanddeiniolen): Thomas Owen Edwards, volume 11b page 440.

Hope that's of some help.
John

[rugbug]

Thanks John, I was beginning to think I was crazy. I know I saw it on a map somewhere. Appreciate the information. It's just so confusing to try to do this when everyone comes from another country. I also have my great grandfather who came from Wales, but I have no idea what part. His name was Thomas J. Michaels (the J. for John I assume because he named a son John)