Jones family yuk!!

[royston]

Great great Grandfather Thomas Jones.
Born 1829-1831 at Risca or Machen.
Father definately James who worked as a Collier. This from marriage certificate.
Thomas married unknown before 1858. She died and he married my great great grandmother Sophia Hughes 27 jan. 1858 at Tredegar.
Failed to find Thomas or parents on the 1841 or 1851 census.
Failed to find Thomas and Sophia on the 1861 census
Talk about evasive !!.
Any help or suggestions are very welcome.
Roy

[olliecat]

Can you confirm if this is your family in the later census. If not could you post the refs please.

1871: RG10; Piece: 5315; Folio: 36; Page: 25

1881: RG11; Piece: 5245; Folio: 50; Page: 25

1891: RG12; Piece: 4358; Folio 98; Page 48

1901: RG13; Piece: 4933; Folio: 34; Page: 19 (possibly)

[royston]

Yes, This is the correct family on census.
Thomas having died possibly March 1891 at Bedwellty.
Sophia died 1909.
Roy

[olliecat]

Well can't find Sophia and Thomas in 1861 for the moment. Will have another look a bit later.

Have you figured out who Tom and Amelia Gray in the 1901 census are in relation to Sophia. Is Sophia auntie to Amelia? I see in the 1891 census Tom and Amelia have a daughter Sarah Jones Grey. Initially I can only find a marriage between a Thomas Gray and an Amelia Robins in 1871 in Bedwellty.

[olliecat]

The 1871 census has Thomas born abt 1831 and the 1881 census born abt 1819. Were ages specified for Thomas and Sophia on their marriage in 1858?

[royston]

Hi again,
Ages only shown as full on marriage certifictae.
I have tried and failed to establish any relationship between Sophia and Thomas and Amelia Gray.
Every avenue seems to get blocked.
Thank you again for your continued effort on my behalf.
Roy

[olliecat]

Well, since Thomas’s age is rather undetermined it would be useful to find the family in 1861. Having said that, I looked again for Sophia, Thomas and little Elizabeth in 1861 but couldn’t find them.

I focused mainly on Sophia, since she has the less common name and searched for her in Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Glamorganshire. Also checked all the Jones's living around Abergavenny/Bedwellty.

I also searched separately for daughter Elizabeth but there was nothing obvious. There was a niece of the right age - Elizabeth S J Jones in Ebbw Vale. I thought I had her for a moment but it stated she was born in Glamorgan. Strangely enough I couldn't find a birth record for an Elizabeth S Jones in Glamorgan though.

What about Sophia Jones nee Hughes before she was married? Have you found her in the census? I did find a Sophia Hughes in the 1851 census, born in Herefordshire, with mother Elizabeth Tomkins but I cannot really tell if it is her. What is Sophia’s father’s name? Also, what are the witness names on the marriage cert?

[olliecat]

I see in the 1891 census Tom and Amelia have a daughter Sarah Jones Grey. Initially I can only find a marriage between a Thomas Gray and an Amelia Robins in 1871 in Bedwellty.

Looking again at the census, Sarah's middle name looks like Jane in the 1881 census and Jones in the 1891 census. Closest birth record is for a Sarah Jane Gray in 1875 in Bedwellty. In which case the 1871 marriage for the parents is more likely.
There is a birth for an Amelia Robins in 1854 in Abergavenny. Right age, name, location - however I cannot find her in the 1861 census either. Finding her with her parents would be useful then perhaps a link between her and Sophia could be found.

[olliecat]

Right. Just found an Amelia Richards born abt 1855 in the 1871 census in Ebbw Vale with parents Lewis and Sarah. In the same household is a Thomas Gray born abt 1851 in Portwood, Wiltshire. Can't view the image at the moment - ANC** is timing out. Will investigate in a little while.

Ref: RG10; Piece: 5324; Folio: 57; Page: 19

[royston]

Yes the Sophia you found was the right on. Her Mother had remarried to John Tomkins.
Sophias' father was Samuel Hughs born abt 1783 Cloddock and Longtown, Herefordshire.
Witnesses to her marriage to Thomas Jones were Louisa Price and William Barnes. No obvious relationship to them.
If Sophia is an Aunt, I would think it would be to Amelia as she is from Ebbw Vale. Thomas Grey is from Wiltshire.
One other thing that points to a relationship between Sophia and Amelia (Grey) is they both had daughters named Sarah and Matilda.
It is quite frustrating that it remains a problem as all these events were within 2 miles of where I live. However the place they lived was on the border of 4 parishes, and none of these are easy ones to research. I was hoping to get more from the loading of these parishes to Family search org. but thye have been withdrawn due to copyright.