Matrilinial Monday – Selina Howells

The Howells ca 1885, shortly before the move to Canada
Name: Selina Roberts
Called by Grandkids: Grandmother Howells, I think
Birth: 1846, Duffryn, Wales
Death: 1933, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Spouse: Gabriel Howells
Marriage: 1874
Children: Ellen Catherine, Howell Gabriel, Selina Jane, Gwen Mary, Hugh Cadvan, Eliza Anne, Catherine, Edward Gabriel
Parents: Hugh Roberts and Ellen Griffiths (or possibly Pugh)
Siblings: none I'm aware of
About: I know little of Selina's early life. Only that she was born and raised in North Wales, where she met and married her husband Gabriel. Gabriel was from a long line of weavers and stone masons in the area, and so he made a living there for a time while they started a family together. Unfortunately, in 1877, a whooping cough epidemic swept through the area and the couple lost their eldest two children. They had three more after, but eventually the couple decided to leave, hoping to find a more hospitable location for their family.

They moved to Southern Wales, where Gabriel took a job in the mines doing Masonry. It was hard, dangerous work, and soon enough, the couple decided to move again. By this time, they had six children. They moved across the ocean and settled on Gabriel's brother's farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. Unfortunately, between the two families, there simply wasn't enough space, and Gabriel really wasn't a farmer at heart, so the family moved again, settling in Winnipeg. The children all grew up there, and began their adult lives there.

Hugh served during World War I, and he was the first to move away from the area, settling in BC. The rest of the family soon followed, most settling in and around Vancouver, BC. Selina and her husband eventually followed, wanting to stay close to their children.

The couple lived long enough to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, surrounded by nearly all their children and grandchildren, even one branch that had travelled from California to be at the event. At the time of her death, Selina had 6 children, all of whom were married, and at least eighteen grandchildren.

Gabriel & Selina's 50th anniversary, with most of the family in attendance.

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About this blog

This blog is maintained by two sisters who have had a life long interest in geneology.
Mika writes here mostly about our family (Hansen, Hillinger, Bordewick, Park, etc), and her search for more information.
Shannon mostly uses this space as a place to make the many stories written about and by her husband's family (Holly, Walker, Walpole, etc) available to the rest of the family, present and future.

Our blog is named Oh Spusch! mostly because Shannon is bad at naming things. The first post I put up includes a story about the time Walker's great grandfather took his whole family out to see a play and the littlest kept saying "Oh! Spusch!" No one ever figured out what she meant by that.