Brick Wall Update 2022

It has been ages since I've done this, so I thought I would revisit the biggest blocks in my family tree.

Here are the branches I'm focusing on at this time: 

• Seneft (also Senft and Senefft) and Hillinger (also Hilinger)
• Kresch and Reich
• Park and Dunlop
• Curran and Blair
• Jones and Griffths
• Roberts and either Griffiths or Pugh

Seneft/Hilinger/Kresch/Reich Lines

I have made some small movement on these lines since delineating them. I now know all of my great-grandparents' siblings, and the names of the places they were born. I've managed to get in touch with a few cousins out there with helped with both, but it still has gotten no further back. As of this time.

As I said in my last post, I now know all my great grandparents' siblings, thanks to two different distant cousins, one in England, and one in Israel. I've also found a small handful of records, and have a long list of questions about both sides.

For the Senefts, I don't know when they left Galicia, where my great-grandfather was born, and came to England. I also discovered, through my grandfather's draft papers, that apparently Alex, his father, was in the military in 1899, during the Boer War. I don't know anything about his service, just the date, and that he obviously survived, or we wouldn't be here today. I also don't know Alex's sisters' Hebrew names, or his younger brother's Hebrew name. Anne, Jennie, and Jack, all I have is their Anglicized name. I also have had no further luck learning who Lewis Greenbaum was beyond either Leon or Mindel's nephew, but I keep looking for him, too.

For the Kresches, I have less info, but also less questions. I don't know what happened to my great-grandmother's brother Chaim/Haim after World War I (though I can guess). I also don't know when her father died. Unfortunately, in both these questions, I have little hope of finding more information, given how "unimportant" any records related to these two things were to the non-Jewish population in those areas, so I have little hope of finding more information. 

In both families, I have no ancestors before my great-great grandparents, or am I certain where any of them were born, though I presume most if not all were born in Galicia. 

If you have any information on any of these families that might answer these questions, I would love to talk to you.

Park/Dunlop/Curran/Blair

This one's seen some great movement, thanks to my cousin Kate, who has been pushing and pushing at the Park branch in particular, and who will be going to Ireland sometime soon. We now know for certain that our mutual ancestors were David Park and Mary Dunlop, whose son married Elizabeth Curran and came to the US and had their children there before returning to Ireland for a time before moving to and settling in Canada.

There is also the more recent version of Ancestry's DNA, which shows both of our ancestry as far more Scottish than either of us suspected. From this, I presume that most of my Irish family actually came from Scottish stock, likely from one of the periods when it was easier to live in Ireland than Scotland. Park, Dunlop, and Blair are all very Scottish surnames, particularly Dunlop, so I presume most of my DNA was inherited from these lines. Curran is a very northern Irish name, so in that case, that's probably where I get my small amount of Irish DNA.

For the Park line, I actually believe we've answered all the questions I had in my last Brick Wall post here. So at the moment, this one is good, because we got at least one more generation back on this line, and until we can firm up some of this information, I actually think this line is good. 

As for Curran and Blair, nothing new has happened, but since all my questions were on the Park line, I think this one is good as well. So for now, I will let my Irish branch lie until I get further back in my bigger Brick Walls.

Jones/Griffiths

Like the Park line, I've had some success on one branch, and almost no more on the other. In this case, I have gotten no further on David and Mary Jones, given their far too common names. The Griffiths line, on the other hand, has grown far back, thanks to work others have done on Ancestry. I haven't entirely proven this branch, but I have so many more names, that I think that one's done for a good long time. So I will focus on Jones on this line for now.

At this moment, I need to know more about David Jones. Particularly where he was born, who his parents were, and what he did for a living. Mary, I have no surname for, so I would love to know who she was born to, and where, and how she met David. I also would like to know why the family came to Merthyr Tydfil. Did they all come there together? Did something happen with David, so only Mary and the two boys I currently have for them come to the town? I presume, from the fact that both Caio and Merthyr Tydfil had connections to mining, that perhaps David was involved in the Welsh mining industry?

Jones is a hard one, because the names are so common that narrowing it all down is still almost completely unhelpful, but I do keep looking.

Roberts

I have made absolutely no movement on this branch at all. All I know is that Hugh and Ellen had two daughters, and not if they had any other children. I still don't know for certain what Ellen's maiden name was, Pugh or Griffiths. At the moment, I have Hugh listed as being born 1819 in Merionethshire, Wales, and Ellen Pugh (how she was listed on my great-grandmother's death record) as being born in 1824, also in Merionethshire.

Currently I have the 1851 census of the family, which lists Hugh, Ellen, and their two daughters, Selina (at four years of age) and Elizabeth (only a year old). It's the only Census I've found for them as of yet, but it tells me several things--one, that they lived in the same area as Selina's husband-to-be, two, that she was their eldest (surviving) child, and three, gives me Hugh and Ellen's general age. Everything else is still very up in the air.

I also have a birth record for Elizabeth in 1850 that lists Hugh as a Driver, and that the family live in Beaumaris. Again, answers no questions, though the addition of a job for Hugh is nice. 

In an attempt to verify what proofs I have, I just discovered one more generation back. Because of this birth record, I know when Elizabeth was born, so I looked to see if there was anything else for her, only to discover a record of a 1861 Census showing her with her grandmother, Catherine Roberts. So I now believe that Hugh's mother was Catherine. The location is right, and the info for Elizabeth matches her exactly. So I just managed to find one step further back in my tree on this branch. In going through information on Ancestry, I can't prove more, but if what I've found is right, her husband may be Richard, though I have not yet settled on that, as I have a lot to go through before I decide that is correct, since the information doesn't give me enough to match precisely. So there you go, folks. Always remember to check through the records you have to see if anything new crops up. Ancestry and other sites are always updating their information. You never know what you might find.

But that said, a single name for Hugh's mother isn't enough to call this unblocked. I still don't entirely know his family. I need to find something that connects him to a Richard or another father to firm this up. I also want to know if he had any siblings, and whether he and Ellen had any other children. I did see one person on Ancestry had parents for Ellen, but no record proofs, so I don't know where those parents came from, so I have not assumed they are correct at this time, which means I need her parents still.

I'd love to talk to anyone who shares this branch of their family tree with me. Any help digging further back would be greatly welcome.

Brick Wall Update 2018

I haven't posted one of these in I don't even know how long. The problem is, I've really not made any further movement back, no matter how hard I try, though I have managed to fill out some of the tree around the people I am looking for, mostly with children, but the occasional other ancestor thrown in for good measure.

The lines I want to focus on are still nearly the same ones I've been looking for since the very beginning:
Seneft (also Senft and Senefft) and Hillinger (also Hilinger)
Kresch and Reich
Park and Dunlop
Curran and Blair
Jones and Griffths
Roberts and either Griffiths or Pugh

Oline Hansen's line has gotten a little further, though I'd still love to get further back, but I think that one's less of a priority now. As is the Gabriel/Howells Line. While I'd love to trace the family back to our Huguenot ancestor, we've actually got quite a bit along this main line. Looking through the Brick Wall People posts I did, I actually went back far enough that I was having trouble figuring out who the people were initially, so I definitely don't need to trace some of those, either, though I do recommend it as a good exercise.

So with no further ado, my brick walls, all six of them:
The Seneft/Hillingers–

Leon and Mindel were my great-great grandparents. Their children were Isaac, Alex, Annie, Jack, and Jennie. Isaac is a new discovery from this past year. Before that, I knew he existed, but didn't know his name, nor the names of any of his children but one. They came from an Eastern European country called Galicia, then came to London to escape the danger and hardships there. Their descendants now live in the US, Israel, England and Canada.

While I have made a lot of discoveries in this family since my first Brick Wall post back in 2010, I've gotten no further back along this branch.

Looking back at previous posts, I now know exactly where Alex's family were from: Sedziszow, now known as Sędziszów Małopolski, now located in Southern Poland.

Leon I have found listed alternately as Lewis and Leib. His birthdate I still haven't managed to pin down exactly, but he was born somewhere between 1849 and 1854. He died almost ten years later than I'd had listed, in 1931. I have been told he was a Rabbi, and the Census record I found listed him as a greengrocer/hawker, meaning he had a cart he sold fruits and vegetables from. The same census also gives a general marriage year of 1871 between he and Mindel.

Mindel I have seen listed as Mena, Minnie and Millie (though the last could be a misunderstanding due to accent). I found a cemetery record for her that gave me a general birthdate of about 1851. According to the tombstone, she died in 1913. According to the 1911 census I found the information about Leon, by that point, she was blind. I'm not sure if this was a condition that came from before their arrival, or something that developed after, though I suspect it could be because of diabetes, which does run in the family.

The same census record also listed a nephew, though I'm unsure which side he comes from. His name was Lewis Greenbaum, and he was a tailor. If I could learn whose child he was, I might be able to get further back in this branch of my tree.

I've found a few more bits of information on my great grandfather, Alex, that help me pin down his timeline a little more. According to my grandfather's citizenship papers, his father served in the English military during the Boer war. I don't know that he served in the war itself, but he definitely served during that time. I also discovered that he visited the US before he brought his family in the thirties. I'm not sure when he came, but I believe it may have been between his expulsion from England, and his arrival in Frankfurt.

My questions now:
• Who Leon and Mindel's parents were.
• Who Lewis Greenbaum was in relation to Leon and Mindel.
• When the Seneft family came to England.
• Where Leon and Mindel were born.

The Kresches –

Benzion and Feige were my great-great grandparents. Their children were Mendel, Dora, Minna, Haim, Esther, and Aharon. I have learned nothing new about them this year, but I have firmed up some of the information I learned from my cousin in Israel a few years ago.

Looking back at my old entries, I see that I mentioned a cousin Selma. I learned after posting that she was from the South American branch, so she is likely related to the Kresches, as my great-grandmother's brother and his wife and daughter and her family escaped the war by immigrating there. I also now know that Dora and her siblings were born in a small village called Czudec in what is now Southern Poland.

While I have firmed up names and location, I still have very little else on this branch of the family.

My questions now:
• Who Benzion and Feige's parents were.
• Exactly how does cousin Selma connect to this family?
• Where were Benzion and Feige born?
• What happened to Haim, who vanished after World War I?
• When did Benzion die?

The Parks –

Robert James Park was born to John Park and a Miss Dunlop. I don't know her first name, though I suspect it may have been Mary, as that was the name of my great-grandmother, Robert's daughter. Robert is the only child I know of John and his wife, and I know nothing about them beyond their names.

I did find a record this year that listed his birthplace as Ballymena, which is definitely new information. It hasn't gotten me any further, though. And really, that's all I have. A short one, but there just isn't much on this part of the family tree.

My questions now:
• What is Miss Dunlop's first name?
• Where were she and John Park from?
• When were they born?
• Did Robert have any other siblings?

The Currans –

Thomas Curran and Jean (Jennie) Blair were my third-great grandparents. According to the records I found for them, they had eight children: Elizabeth, Anna, Sarah, John, Thomas, Sarah Jane, Joseph, and Rhoda. They lived in Antrim, Ireland, which is the county in Northern Ireland where Belfast is located. What I do know is that Thomas and Jennie were married in 1860. Thomas's father was Francis, and Jennie's father was John.

I haven't made any progress on this branch this year, though I have done a little looking for them. The problem is, Irish records are hard to find.

My questions now:
• Where exactly Thomas and Jennie were born.
• What their mothers' names were.
• Where their parents were born.
• How many siblings they had.

The Joneses –

Benjamin Jones and Hannah Griffiths are my great-great grandparents. According to my records, they had seven children: David, Joseph, John, Daniel, William, Mary, and Sarah. They lived in a town on the eastern border of Wales with England called Merthyr Tydfil. According to family stories, they ran the post office there, though I don't have any records to show it.

I have complete birth information for both of them, but no names to go with it. I don't know if they had siblings or not. Benjamin was born in 1837 in Caio, Wales, and Hannah was born in 1849 in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales. I'm not sure how they met, or how they ended up in Merthyr Tydfil. I do have one possible census record for Benjamin's family that lists a mother and brother for him, but I haven't been able to verify that information yet, so I can't be sure it's correct.

My questions now:
• Who were their parents?
• Where were their parents from?
• What was the name of their post office, and was it the only one?

The Robertses –

The final branch, and one I haven't talked about quite as much here.

Hugh and Ellen Roberts were my third-great grandparents. At this time, I only have two children listed for them: Selina and Elizabeth. Hugh was born about 1819 in Northern Wales, and Ellen was born about 1824 in the same area.

I was lucky enough to find a census record for them that listed the four of them in 1851. At the time, Selina was five, and Elizabeth just a year old. I've not been able to find more, so I don't know if there were further children. I do know that Hugh and Ellen got to meet my grandmother, as we have a picture of her with them sometime shortly after her birth.

Ellen is a bit of a mystery for me, though I think it's more to do with getting this information from my grandmother through word of mouth. When I first began to put together my family tree, I quizzed my family for as much info as I could get. Some branches were easy. There were family trees that already existed that I was able to pull from. But some branches, like the Roberts side, I had to put together by hand, hoping I got all the information correct. Ellen and Hugh's were one of these lines. My grandmother gave me her name as Ellen Griffiths. This was interesting, as another line had the same surname. But Griffiths is not at all uncommon in Wales, so it didn't raise a red flag. Not until I found their daughter Selina's death record did I realize that the name might not be right. According to that record, her mother's name was Ellen Pugh. Unfortunately, I've never found records with either name for my ancestor, so until I do, I'll just have to keep looking for both.

I really know little else about this branch.

My questions now:
• What is Ellen's true maiden name?
• How many children did they have?
• What were the names of Ellen and Hugh's parents?

And that's all I have for now. If you have anything on any of these people, I would love to talk to you. Especially if you have knowledge that would get me another generation back.

Previous Brick Wall Posts:
• Brick Wall Ancestors (March 2010)
• Brick Wall Update – the Seneft/Hillingers (May 2010)
• Brickwall Update #2 (September 2010)
• Brick Wall Update (September 2010)
• Brick Walls – A Different Listing (October 2010)
• Brick Wall Update (August 2011)
• Brick Wall Update 2012 (February 2012)
• Brick Wall People Posts (2013):
  o Leon Seneft (Seneft/Hillinger branch, Jewish eastern European)
  o Mindel Hilinger (Seneft/Hillinger branch, Jewish eastern European)
  o Benzion Kresch (Seneft/Hillinger branch, Jewish eastern European)
  o Feige Golda Reich (Seneft/Hillinger branch, Jewish eastern European)
  o Benjamin Jones (Jones/Howells branch, South Wales)
  o Hannah Griffiths (Jones/Howells branch, South Wales)
  o Hans Nielsen (Oline Hansen branch, Sealand, Denmark)
  o Maren Rasmussen (Oline Hansen branch, Sealand, Denmark)
  o Ole Larsen (Oline Hansen branch, Sealand, Denmark)
  o John Park (Park/Curran branch, Northern Ireland)
  o Miss Dunlop (Park/Curran branch, Northern Ireland)
  o Ellen Pugh (or possibly Griffiths) (Howells/Gabriel branch, Northern Wales)
  o Hugh Roberts (Howells/Gabriel branch, Northern Wales)
  o Lars Andersen (Hansen/Larsen family, Jutland, Denmark)
  o Anne Sørensdatter (Oline Hansen branch, Sealand, Denmark)
  o Francis Curran (Park/Curran branch, Northern Ireland)
  o Hans Henrich Bordevick (Bordewich/Bordewick family, Norway & Germany)
  o Kresten Christensen (Hansen/Larsen family, Jutland, Denmark)
  o Else Katrine Ivarsdatter (Hansen/Larsen family, Jutland, Denmark)
  o Henrich Christian Schrøder (Oline Hansen branch, Sealand, Denmark)
  o Henrick Hansen (Bordewich/Bordewick family, Norway)
  o Susanne Pedersdatter (Bordewich/Bordewick family, Norway)
  o John Blair (Park/Curran branch, Northern Ireland)

Happy Mother's Day!

Seeing everyone else's posts this morning inspired me, so I had to make a post. I'm very pleased to say that we have a ton of great photos in our family, both because my grandfather was a shutterbug and because we have a lot of photos from back in the old country. We even have lots of photos showing four generations of different branches of my family tree. Including one of my direct maternal line.

My mother, my baby sister, my mom's mother Merle, her mother Eliza, and me ca 1976.

In fact, from my sister's daughter back, we have a nice long line of photos, which ends with our furthest-back known female ancestor on that side.

Ellen and Hugh Roberts with my great-grandmother, I believe. They were her grandparents, which makes Ellen my third-great grandmother.

Hugh and Ellen's daughter Selina with her husband Gabriel Howells and four of their six children. My great-grandmother is sitting on her mother's lap. Selina is my second-great grandmother.

Their daughter, Eliza Howells, who went by Bessie, my great-grandmother.

Her daughter Merle Jones, my grandmother.

Me and Mom at Hood Canal ca 1970 or 1971.

My sister ca late 90s.

My niece.

With my niece, that makes seven generations. Not bad.

Happy mother's day out there to all the moms reading this. Especially to my mom. Love you.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: My Family in 16 May 1865

For this week's mission (should you decide to accept it), I challenge you to:

1)  Determine where your ancestral families were on 16 May 1865 - 150 years ago.

2)  List your ancestors, their family members, their birth and death years, and their residence location (as close as possible).  Do you have a photograph of their residence from about that time, and does the residence still exist?

3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a Facebook Status or Google+ Stream post.

My family on May 17, 1865:

This would have been my great-great grandparents and their parents in most cases. I've detailed as much as I know. Feel free to fill in details if you have them and would like to contribute.

Leon Seneft may have been born or not, but given that his wife was born about 1851, it seems likely he was. However, I know nothing about his childhood, his parents, or even where he was born. I suspect he may have been born in Galicia, as that is where his children were born.

Mindel Hilinger was born about 1851, so she would have been 14 or thereabouts. But like Leon, I have no information before her children were born, so I don't even know where she was born, let alone how many siblings she had or the names of her parents. We'll just call these two "Eastern Europe" for now, and leave it at that.

Like the Senefts, I have little on Benzion Kresch aside from a location and general date of death. His wife was born in about 1870, so it is possible he wasn't even alive yet. If he was, I'd venture to say he lived somewhere in Northern Galicia, possibly in or around Resezow.

Jens Christian Hansen was born in 1858 in Vejle, Denmark, which would have made him about 7 years old. His parents, Hans Knudsen (born 1824) and Christine Jensdatter (born 1834) would have been 41 and 31 respectively. I believe they had a farm in Vejle, and lived there with their children. At the time, there would have been three: Jens, Ane Marie (born 1860), and Karen (born April 1865). His paternal grandparents Knud Knudsen (born 1794, died 1866) and Ane Marie Hansdatter (born 1797, died 1876) and his maternal grandparents Jens Christian Pedersen (born 1798, died 1876) and Mette Matisdatter (born 1804, died 1898) were also still alive at that time. Knud would have been 73 and Ane Marie 70. Jens would have been 69, and Mette would have been 61. Both sets of grandparents also lived in Vejle. I believe all of the rest of the previous generation were gone by that point, though I could be wrong, as I do not have all the death dates for that generation.

Else Larsen was not alive yet, as she was born in October of that year, but her parents, Jorgen Larsen (born 1837) and Ivare Kirstine Christiensen (born 1845) had just married two years before in 1863. In 1865, Jorgen would have been 28, and Kirstine 20. They also lived in Vejle, Denmark. At this time, I do not have death dates for Jorgen's parents, so they may or may not have been alive at the time. Lars Andersen was born in 1794, which would have made him 73, and Birthe Marie Sorensen was born in 1798, which would have made her 69. If alive, they would also have been living in Vejle. Kirstine's parents, Kresten Hansen (born 1809, died 1890) and Else Katrine Ivarsdatter (born 1815, died 1893) were definitely alive at that time. Kresten would have been 56, and Else only 50. I do not have a complete listing of their children, but it seems the other daughter I do have listed for them, Katrine, was born about this time. And even if I am wrong, it is likely their younger children would still have been living at home. The Hansens also lived in Vejle. I only have one death date for the previous generation, which is well before 1865, so I will assume most or all of the ones I have names for were gone.

Rasmus Hansen was born in Soro, Denmark in 1845, which would have made him 20. He had a farm there he inherited from his parents, which I am certain he was living on at the time. I do not believe he had inherited it yet, however. His parents, Hans Nielsen and Maren Rasmusdatter would also have been living on the farm at the time. Hans was born in 1816, and so would have been only 49. Maren was born in 1817, so she would have been 48. Of the children I have listed for them, two were older than Rasmus, but I do not have records for either of them after 1860, so I am uncertain if they were alive at the time. I also have records for three younger children, but again, nothing after 1860, so I am uncertain if any were alive or not. Hans' parents were both gone more than ten years by this time. I have no record of Maren's parents at all.

Maren Sofie Olsen was born 1855 in Soro, Denmark. She would have been almost 10 years old in May of 1865. Her father Ole Larsen was born in 1812, which would have made him 53 or so. According to the family story, Ole left Denmark around the time Maren was born and came to America, settling in Minnesota with his brother Oscar. If that is true, at this time, he would have been living in Minnesota, though I do not have evidence yet to back this up beyond the family stories I have gathered. His wife, Birthe Marie Schroder (born 1819) would have been 46. He left her behind and never sent for her, so she and her daughter (or daughters—she had two from a previous marriage, though I am uncertain if they were alive at this time) remained in Denmark, struggling to make ends meet. I have no information on his parents, and no death date for her father, but her mother had been dead for more than thirty years by this time.

Henrik Bergithon Bordewich was born 1862 in Nordland, Norway, so he would have just turned 3 in February of that year. He was his parent's second child, and one of two living children at that time. His parents, Hans Henrik Bordewich (born 1834) and Karen Dorothea Angell (born 1835) would have been 31 and 30 respectively. Hans's father, Johan Petter Bordewich (born 1802) was still alive at that time, and would have been 63, living with his second wife, Henrikke (who we will get to in a bit here…). His first wife had died almost 20 years before. Karen's father had also been dead about 20 years, but her mother, Rechardina Hendricha Klaeboe (born 1795) was still alive, and would have been 71.

Leonharde Marie Bordewich was born in 1861, also in Nordland, Norway, so she would have been 4. Her father was Johan Petter (the same as Henrik's grandfather), her mother was his second wife, Pauline Henrikke Roness (born 1828). She would have been 37 years old. Three of their four children would still have been living in the household with them: Ida Amalie Bernhardine (born 1858), Leonharde, and Anna Magdalena (born 1862). Their youngest was not born for another two years. The whole Bordewich family lived in the Lofoten Islands in Norway. Johan's parents were both gone by this time, and I do not have dates of death for Henrikke's parents. Henrik Hansen was born in 1793, which would have made him 73, and Susanne Pedersdatter was born in 1787, which would have made her 79. I believe they lived in So-Trondelag, Norway, or would have if they were still alive.

Robert James Park was born in 1851 in Antrum, Ireland. He would have been almost 14 in 1865. I have almost no information on his family, but it's likely one or both of his parents, John Park and a Miss Dunlop (I still suspect her name was Mary) were alive at that time. I do not know when they were born, or where, or when or where they died. Nor do I know how many other children they had.

Elizabeth Curran was born in Antrum, Ireland in mid 1862, so she would not have even been 3 at that time. She was the eldest of her siblings, and was about to become a big sister in fall of that year. Her parents, Thomas Curran (born 1840) and Jennie Blair (born 1838) were 25 and 27 respectively. From the few records I have been able to gather, Thomas's father, Francis Curran (born 1814) was also still alive at that time, and living in Antrum as well. He would have been 51. I have no information on his wife, or their other children at this time. And I do not have enough information on Jennie's father, John Blair, to determine if he was alive or his age at that time, and absolutely no information on the rest of her family at all. All of the family seems to have been born or lived in Antrim.

Benjamin Jones was born about 1837 in Southern Wales. He would have been about 28. The earliest record I have found for him is a 1871 Welsh Census with his brother Joseph, who was 13 years younger than him, and their mother, Mary, who was 58 in that Census, and therefore would have been 52 in 1865. I am uncertain where they would have been living in 1865 aside from saying Southern Wales.

Hannah Griffiths was born in 1849 in Southern Wales. She would have been 16 or so in 1865. I have absolutely no information on her parents or siblings.

Gabriel Howells was born in 1849 in Northern Wales, so he would have been almost 16 at that time. His parents, Howell Gabriel (born 1822) and Catherine Jones (born 1825) would have been 43 and 40 respectively. They had six or seven children at the time: Gabriel, Evan (born 1854), Edward (born 1856), Lewis (born 1859), Catherine (born 1862), and Hugh (born 1864). Howell (listed as born 1865) may also have been born at this time, and one more was born after as well. The family lived in a farm in Dolgelly Wales, that was later inherited by Edward, I believe. For Gabriel's grandparents, I have only spotty information. His grandfathers are both listed as deceased by this time, but I have no birth death dates for either Gwen Evan, or Catherine Evans, so they might have been alive.

Selina Roberts was born in 1846 in Northern Wales, so she would have been just shy of 19. Her parents' names were Hugh Roberts and Ellen Pugh (or possibly Griffiths) I have no information on her parents' birth or death dates, but I do know they survived long enough to meet at least one of her children, as I have a shot of them with one, so they were likely alive at this time as well.

As you can see, my family was pretty spread out at this time. Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Norway, Eastern Europe, and even America. Of my great-great grandparents that I know exist, all but one were born by this time, which makes 15 ancestors alive.  Of the parents I know for those ancestors, I have record of another 21 living. And a possible 15 more the generation before that. For a total of 51 known ancestors living at that time.

Surname Saturday 2.0: The Robertses

The Roberts Family

I have a bit more information on the Roberts family than on the Griffiths side. Two whole generations, in fact. This is my grandmother's mother's mother's side. I know very little about the Robertses. Only that they were likely from Northern Wales, as that was where my great-great grandmother Selina was born. I have almost no information on her parents aside from their names: Hugh and Ellen (nee Pugh) Roberts. Selina is the only child I currently have listed for them. I do have one photo of them holding a child who we presume is my great-grandmother Nain, but beyond that, the only other proof is their daughter's death record in Canada.

Selina met and married her husband in northern Wales, and there they had at five children before moving south. They stayed in southern Wales several more years before immigrating to Canada with all their remaining children. I don't believe she ever saw her parents again after they left the country.

Selina's family lived for a time in Manatoba, but as their children grew up and left home, most of them ended up settling on the west coast in and around Vancouver BC, so she and her husband followed, and settled there as well. They lived long enough to celebrate their 50th anniversary there with most of their family in attendance.

As you can see, I have very little information on this side, even though I have one more generation back. For a time, I believed that Ellen's maiden name was Griffiths, but I believe that was due to my grandmother's mistake, as the only "proof" I have of this name is a handwritten note by her, while Selina's death record lists her as Pugh, so I'm pretty sure that's the correct surname for her line.

My Roberts line, for those interested:

* Hugh Roberts married Ellen Pugh sometime before 1846 when their daughter Selina was born.

* Selina Roberts was born in Duffryn, Northern Wales in 1846, and married Gabriel Howells 1874. The couple had a total of 8 children, two who died in early childhood. She died in Vancouver BC, Canada in 1933.

* Their children:
+ Ellen Catherine was born 1875, and Howell Gabriel was born 1877. Both died during a whooping cough outbreak in 1877.
+ Selina Jane was born 1878. She married Thomas Cockrill in 1899, and the two had 6 children. My information on this branch of the family gets sparse after that, but I do know that several of the girls married, and that at least one of the boys served in World War II. I am not sure if there are descendants of this line out there at this time.
+ Gwen Mary, known as Winnie, was born 1880. She married James "Jim" Kaye in 1911, and they had three children: Gwen, Marguerite, and Hugh. Gwen and Marguerite both married, though I have no further information on Hugh. I know that Marguerite had children, but am uncertain about the other two.
+ Hugh Cadvan was born 1883. He married Mary Tate in 1906, and the couple had one daughter, Ethel Gertrude. I am uncertain if she married or not, but I believe their line ended with her.
+ Eliza Anne, known to everyone as Bessie, was the Howells's first child born in southern Wales, born in 1885. She married Daniel Jones in 1911, and they had four children: Marjorie Grace, Edwina Hannah, Merle Tydfil, and Ivor Howell. All of their children had children, and they have many descendants spread throughout Canada and the US today.
+ Catherine was born 1887. She married Robert Williams in 1918, and they had four children together before her death in 1937. I have no information on their children aside from names.
+ Edward Gabriel, known as Ted, was born 1891. He married Esther Henderson in 1919, and the couple had three children. Again, I have almost no information on his children aside from names. Ted was the family historian of his generation, and it is because of him that I have the amount of information on this branch that I do. He died in 1981.

What I don't know:

* I have absolutely no information about Hugh Roberts or his wife. I would love to know when and where they were born, and when they married.

* I would also love to know how many, if any siblings Selina had. I can't imagine she was their only child, though that is always possible, but still, I would love to know more.

* I would also love to know more specifics of her childrens' families, and more specific dates and family information.

Other information about this branch of the family:
Brick Wall Posts -
● Brick Wall Update
● Brick Walls: a Different Listing
● Brick Wall Update
● Brick Wall Update 2012
Old Surname Posts –
● Roberts
Other -
● Women's History Month -- Week 5

Brick Wall Update 2012

It's been a while since I updated my brick wall search. While I haven't gotten much further on some branches since my last update, I think they will go on the back burner, so that I can focus more on getting information on my great-grandparents and their parents, and leave any more researched lines out for now.

So here's my Brick Walls as they stand:
The Seneft/Senft/Hilingers
I still haven't determined where exactly Sedziszow, Galicia is. I have a few possible locations, all in various parts of Galicia. I seem to come up with new places in Poland every time I look up the town. At the moment, I'm inclined to believe that they lived in the area north of Krakow (the blue tags are all possible locations that come up when I look up the town name.)

I also don't know if Alec's siblings were all born in that same town as he was, or what his second brother's name was. I do have a couple of relations I should try to get into contact with to see if they have that recorded somewhere.

I do not know when the Senefts moved to England, only that they were there before World War I. I have a record for a gravesite for "Minne Seneft" in London, with a transcription reading "Loving daughter Jennie," which may well be Alec's mother Mindel and his sister Jennie, which means they would have been there before 1913, when the grave marker says she died. This fits in with them having left in the late 1800s sometime, so I'm inclined to believe this is her.

I know the fate of three children if I include Alec. I have a record of Jennie's immigration to the US in 1916. The record also includes the name of her brother, Jack, who I know was also already in New York City at the time, and her father's name (Leon) and his address in London. I also think I have found a gravesite for Jack in New York, though I have not confirmed that grave, either.

Alec was sent to Camp Douglas, though whether he was sent there alone, or others of his family went there as well, I'm still not sure. We currently have three photos of Alec while he was at the Camp (though one I'm less certain of than the other two), both of which are addressed to his brother Jack.

We also have a family book about Alec and Dora's family which includes a few details of their parents' lives, including Alec's mother Mindel, though all it really mentions is that she was last living in London. Leon is not mentioned at all because by the time the book was written up, Alec had reverted to his mother's surname as his parents were married only in a religious ceremony, and their offspring were therefore not recognized as legitimate by the German government.

The last formal record I have of Leon is his name on Alec and Dora's wedding invitation, which means that I know he was alive in 1919, and my grandfather stated he was dead by the time he was born in 1922, so I am still looking for some kind of grave marker for Leon in London, as I believe he lived there until his death. I know he was a Rabbi from family stories, so he may have been buried someplace special, but for now, that's all I have.

I wish I could find more record of the Senefts in London, and even more information about Alec's time in Camp Douglas. I'd love to know more about Alec and Dora's life in Frankfurt, but likely most of those records were lost during the war, and I'm grateful for what I do know, at least.

As for Mindel and Leon, I have no record of them before London. I hope at some point, I'll find something, but for now, I think that's unlikely.

The Kresch/Reich family
Most of what I know about Dora's family, I've learned in the last two years, and comes from a couple of photos and the family book.

I know that Dora was born in Czudek, a small town in Galicia (now Poland) near Rezeszow, and her father seemed to be a teacher according the family book. I know that she had at least one sibling, though relations have mentioned she had more. I only have the name for one, though, her sister Minna, who came to Frankfurt with her shortly after World War I.

I believe their father, Benzion, died before the girls moved to Frankfurt, though not sure when exactly. Their mother, Fiege Golda (not entirely sure what she went by), moved to Frankfurt at some point. Not sure if she moved with her daughters, or later to be close to them. I believe she lived in Frankfurt until she died in the late 20s or early 30s. I do know that she was also on Alec and Dora's wedding invitation, but her husband was not. This means she was alive in 1919 definitely, while he was likely not.

Unfortunately, both Kresch and Reich are far more common than Seneft and Hilinger for this area, so in this case I actually suffer from an excess of too many records, and not being able to narrow things down enough, even with a specific location for Dora's birth.

And like Mindel and Leon, I know almost nothing about Benzion and Fiege Golda before their daughter's birth.

I think my main problem with both families is that names were very fluid in this time and area. Both in writing and in how they were referred to. In formal records, you used one name, in every day life, another, so depending on who was writing the record, you would see a very different name. Not to mention the language barrier of the Hebrew/Polish/German mix, along with other dialects spoken in the area. I'm working on getting it all sorted out, but it will definitely take time to do.

The Rasmus Hansen family
This branch is going on the back burner. I've managed to get a better record of Rasmus's parents. I've found him and his parents in three separate census records, and on Maren Sofie's side, I have both her parents as well, if not precise records at the moment. It's enough for now.

This will probably get some attention anyway, though, because I'm slowly piecing together Oline's life for the book I'm writing about her, so more research will need to be done at some point.

The Park/Curran family
This one is also going on the back burner. While I haven't gotten any further on the Park side, I have managed to get the names of both of Elizabeth Curran's grandfathers. And I'm definitely back before my great-great grandparents, even if not in great detail, so I think I can wait on this branch a little longer.

The Jones family
This is the last of the family branches I'm going to focus on now. Most of what I know of this branch comes from my aunt and my grandmother, and family photos. But I know almost nothing about my great grandfather's parents before his birth.

I have birth dates and locations locations for both. Benjamin was born in 1865 in Caio, Wales, and Hannah was born Hannah Griffiths in 1863 in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales. I believe both locations are in south western Wales, though using Google Maps has not helped much, as each time I look, I seem to find slightly different information, and at least one of the two seems to have more than one possible location. For my current assumptions, click here.

I believe they married sometime before 1882, and at some point the couple moved together to Merthyr Tydfil in South Eastern Wales where they had seven children. I believe all of them were born in Merthyr Tydfil, and that Daniel, my great-grandfather, was the eldest.

Both their first and last names are incredibly common, which makes finding them without more specific information almost impossible at the moment. Trying to narrow down the areas of their birth is nearly impossible, even though I have locations for both. It hasn't stopped me from trying, but it is making it very difficult. I just wish I knew at least one sibling or parent for each of them. It would help narrow things down a lot.

I suppose my next step for this branch will be to get a subscription on a British site to get access to British birth, death and census records.

The Gabriel/Howells/Roberts Family
Another branch that can wait, as I have quite a bit of information on this family. Less so on the Roberts side, but that's still a step further back than I need to go right now.


As always, any help with any of these branches would be greatly appreciated.

Brick Wall Update

So a Brick Wall update is very overdue. I haven't done one of these since last year, and while I haven't gained a whole lot of new insight in that time, I like to keep posting about these, in hopes someone will find me who has a connection.

Brick Wall 1 -
The Seneft/Senft/Hilingers:
I still don't know a whole lot about my great-grandfather's family before he left England after World War I.

I know that he was born in Galicia, somewhere in what is now southern Poland. I've not been able to pinpoint the location exactly because there are several places with the name on his family record, or that are too similar to be discounted. The one I think most likely at this moment is some miles north of Krakow, Poland.

According to my paperwork, Alex/Alec (possibly Elias or some variant) Seneft was born June 2, 1883 in Sedziszow, Galicia to Leon and Mindel (nee Hilinger) Seneft or Senft. Unfortunately, until I learn more, that's as far back as I can officially go in time. I've no clue when his parents married or when or where they were born, though I assume that they were probably born in Galicia as well.

As for the Seneft surname…I've seen both spellings, but I keep coming back to this version, though I think given the fact that they probably wrote it in Hebrew, it could go either way. I do have one issue with it, though. Seneft is not a common Jewish name, so I can't help wondering where it came from, or how long it was a family name. I do know that at one point the Germans forced the Jews to take German surnames, so perhaps it came from that period? Either way, I've not found a whole lot of Senefts or Senfts in Jewish lists from the time my great-grandfather was born.

I'm not sure at what point the family moved from Galicia, or even how many siblings my grandfather had. I have record of four others, but there may have been more, since my records are not complete. I only have names for three, though: Annie, Jennie, and Jack. There was also another brother, but I've no name for him at the moment.

I did find one more interesting piece of information on this side: Jennie and Jack may have been twins, which is something that runs in our family, so it makes it more likely. I found one record of a Jack Seneft who died in New York, where I know my great-great uncle lived, which gave me a birth year of about 1893, and I found an Ellis Island record for Jennie Seneft which also gave me an 1893 birth date. Neither is confirmed, of course, but it would make sense, given that my grandfather was a fraternal twin, and that his younger daughter had fraternal twins as well.

The Kresch/Reich Family:
I really know even less about Alex's wife, Dora, and her family. I never separated her side from her husband's before now because I knew so little, but with the amount of information on Alex's family, I didn't want hers to get lost. Starting out my search for her side, all I had was her and the names of her parents. This past year I've learned a little more, but not much.

Dora was born January 15, 1892 in Czudek, Galicia to Benzion Kresch and his wife, Feige Golda, formerly Reich. I have record of only one other sibling for her: Minna, but I don't know if she was older or younger.

I found Czudek on a map very close to Rzeszow, Poland, so I'm fairly certain of their location, and the paperwork I found list her father's occupation as teacher, so I have that as well. But other than that, I have nothing about this family until after Dora and her sister moved to Frankfurt after World War I.

Unfortunately, Kresch is a very common name in this area, so narrowing things down is nearly impossible, though I did find a possible record at one point for a Benno Kresh's death—Benno was my grandfather's older brother, and I believe he may have been named for their grandfather.

For this side, I'm hoping to find a record proving their location and whether or not she had any other siblings. I'd also love to find her parents' birth dates and locations.

Brick Wall 2 -
The Hansen Family:
I've recently made a little more progress on this side. I know have confirmed that Rasmus Hansen's parents Were Hans and Maren (Rasmussen) Nielsen. I've found several different Census records showing Rasmus living with his parents, including one that shows he and his first wife living with them, so I've got record of their general birthdates and locations, but nothing before that.

Hans Nielsen was born about 1816, and his wife Maren was born about 1817. Both were born in Soro, though I don't have a town listed yet. The two had at least six children: Ole, Niels, Rasmus (my great-great grandfather), Jorgen, Jens, and Ane Lisbeth. I've got general dates for them all, and assume that they were all born in the Soro area.

According to the records my great-aunt got from Fjenneslev when she sent for information about her mother's family, my great-great grandfather was born in Knudstrup, so likely all his siblings were born there or near there as well, as it looks as though the Nielsens had a farm which my great-great grandfather took over when he married. I'll have to look a bit into his older two brothers, to see why they didn't. Perhaps they went to America? Possibly died in a war, or of some sickness? Or found another place to live? Either way, the first Census record after his marriage shows that he and his wife are living there with his parents still in residence.

Sill have nothing further back, and I'd love to firm up birthdates, but at least now I have somewhere to start. :)

The Olsen Family:
When my great-aunt got the information for her mother's family, my information only went as far back as her grandparents, my great-great grandparents, Rasmus (above) and Maren Sofie Olsen. So I had her birth information—June 27, 1855 in Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark—but absolutely nothing else on her family or his.

I was lucky enough to find her birth record, though, which listed her parents as Ole Larsen and Birthe Marie Schrøder. However, once I started digging before, I found a rather interesting story. It seems that my great-great-great grandfather, Ole, came here to the states (he is now officially my earliest relation in the US) sometime around/shortly after my great-great grandmother was born. Like many men of the time, he left his wife and child behind, stating he'd send for them once he was settled. But like many of those men, he never did.

So Maren Sofie is an only child, and it looks as though as soon as she was old enough to work, she was sent off to work for other families. I do have a possible record of her being a seamstress, which seems likely not only because of the time, but also due to the fact that her daughter, my great-grandmother, also made a living that way for a time, so that may be an inherited talent.

Of Ole Larsen, all I know is a general birthdate—1812. No location at all, though possibly Soro, given that that's where Maren Sofie was born. I know that he settled in Minnesota, but I've only vague ideas of where—I only have the information from my great-great uncle to go by, and I'm not sure if the names have changed in that area or not.

For Birthe Marie, things get even stranger. I have other records for her, but nothing I've been absolutely able to confirm yet, aside from a previous marriage before Ole. For her, I have four records. Her daughter's birthrecord, which is the most confirmed. Then I have her wedding record to Ole, which lists her birthdate as 1820, and shows her as having been widowed by that time. Then I have her wedding record to her previous husband, the one listed on the wedding record to Ole, which lists her birthdate as 1817. Finally, I have a possible birth record, which lists her birthdate as 1825.

For me, the birth record is the most interesting, though it really only lists her mother, and only gives her father's surname. But if I can confirm it, it will give me her birth location as well, which is much further south than her daughter, somewhere in the south of Sealand near the islands or on the islands, if I remember correctly.

I'm speculating that if this is the same Birthe Marie, that she wanted to get married, but was under the age of consent at the time, so they gave a much older age to whomever married them so she could. I know that birth ages weren't something as paid attention to in this time, but that much of a difference, I think she'd know. And the fact that the two wedding records have such disparate ages suggests to me that that was her way of trying to equalize things so that she was closer to her true age.

I also can't help but wonder if she married again after Ole deserted her, though I've no way to know that for certain right now. But I'm working on it.

Brick Wall 3 -
The Park Family:
Since finding my great-grandfather's death record online, I've gotten no further in this search. Finding a marriage record between a Park and a Dunlop is like finding a blue pen in a stack of pens—far too common to be helpful. If I had a first name for her, it might help, but John Park is just too common a name. And I don't even have a location to narrow things down that way.

I do still speculate that her name might be Mary, given that that was my great-grandmother's name—that is to say Mary Dunlop Park—so it would make sense she was named for her grandmother.

All I know for certain is that Robert James Park was born to John Park and his wife, a former Dunlop, on June 24, 1852, somewhere in Ireland (though I suspect Northern Ireland).

I was lucky enough to find a record of the 1911 census with Robert Park and his wife and their children on it, though. To this point, the only record I had of them was the 1901 US census, while they were living in Philadelphia, and before their final daughter was born. This lists them living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1911, and shows that my great-grandmother was a shop girl at the time. Still not sure when they came to Canada, though it can't have been too much later—my great-grandparents married in Vancouver in 1917, so they probably left no more than five years after that census was taken.

The Curran Family:
The Curran family has been a bit less elusive. For Thomas and Jennie (Jane nee Blair) Curran, I've now got 8 possible children, a wedding record, birthdates, and even fathers for each of them.

Thomas Curran I now have listed as being born 1840, though still no location, to Francis Curran and his as-of-yet unnamed wife. Jennie Blair was born in 1838 to John Blair and his as-of-yet unnamed wife. They were married on July 31, 1860 in Antrim, North Ireland.

I've still only got three daughters confirmed: Elizabeth, Sarah, and Rhoda. I also have records for Jennie/Jane having six other children: Anna, John, Thomas, Sara Jane, and Joseph. All my records seem to indicate either Antrim as the locations or Belfast, though I know that Belfast is inside Antrim county, so I think that muddles things a bit.

So far, that's everything I've got. I'm hoping I'll be able to find more, but Irish records are scattered at best.

Brick Wall 4 -
The Jones Family:
Like the Jewish branches of my family, I've come to realize that unless I manage to connect with distant family still in Wales, I may never get any further back on this side. Benjamin and Hanna are far too common names, and Jones is just about the worst Welsh name to research, unless you have specific dates or locations. Hannah's surname of Griffiths is only a little better.

What I know:
Benjamin Jones was born December 24, 1865 (though my notes say 'before,' and I'm not sure why, so that's not an exact date at the moment) in Caio, Wales. Hannah Griffiths was born February 1863 in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales. The two were married sometime before 1882, and had seven children: Daniel (my great-grandfather), David, Joseph, Jack, William, May and Sophia.

I've done a little looking at Census records, but I don't have enough information on either of them to be certain I've found the records I need, though I have found a few interesting possibilities.

The Gabriel/Howells Family:
Nothing new here at all to relate, aside from the fact that I recently discovered that one of my Welsh branches is Huguenot-descended. After glancing through the Welsh surnames that I have, Gabriel seems a very strong possibility, as it is a French name. I also know that the Gabriels were known for weaving, and I found a reference to a Northern Welsh group of Huguenots who were known for just that, so I think that might be them. Right now, it's the only line that makes sense.

Since I've got three generations here before my family came to Canada, I think this one will probably be left off in the future until I get further back in other lines.

The Roberts Family:
This one is one I've never gotten any further with aside from finding Selina's mother listed as Pugh instead of Griffiths on Selina's death record. I have no clue where they were from, or when they were married, or if they had any children aside from Selina.

What I do have:
Selina Roberts was born May 26, 1846 in Barmouth, Wales to Hugh and Ellen Roberts.

And really, that's it. Any time I try to look up any of these three, I come up completely blank. Unfortunately, the names, even Pugh, are just too common.


Any help on any of these lines would be greatly appreciated. Particularly the Jewish and Welsh branches.

Brick Walls--a different listing

I found a great post by Barbara in Life from the Roots about her top ten brick walls, and really liked the format, so I thought I'd do a similar list of my own, though I ended up with twelve. These are my great-great or great-great-great grandparents. Any help would be hugely appreciated on all of these, especially if you have the same (or a similar) surname in your own charts.


Leon SENEFT (Need more about him, his children, his parents)
Born before 1870, possibly in Galicia, Eastern Europe
Died between 1919-1922
Married Mindel HILINGER before 1883
Had 5 known children, 3 sons, 2 daughters: Alex, Annie, Jennie, Jack and ?, all born in Galicia, I believe
Emmigrated to England before WWI, lived in London through the war

Mindel HILINGER (Need more about her, her children, her parents)
Born before 1870, possibly in Galicia, Eastern Europe
Died before 1922
Married Leon SENEFT before 1883
Had 5 known children, 3 sons, 2 daughters: Alex, Annie, Jennie, Jack and ?, all born in Galicia, I believe
Emmigrated to England before WWI, lived in London through the war

Benzion KRESCH (Need more about him, his children, his parents)
Born before 1875, likely in Czudek, Galicia
Died before 1919
Married Fiege Golda REICH before 1892
Had at least two children, 2 daughters, Dora and Minna, and possibly a son as well, all born in Galicia, I believe
Was a Rabbi and teacher in Galicia

Feige Golda REICH (Need more about her, her children, her parents)
Born before 1875, likely in Czudek, Galicia
Died about1929, I believe in Frankfurt, Germany
Married Benzion KRESCH before 1892
Had at least two children, 2 daughters, Dora and Minna, and possibly a son as well, all born in Galicia, I believe

Henrikke RONESS (Or as I have also found Pauline Henrikke Hendricsdatter RONÆS) (need anything about her parents)
Born 24 June 1830 in Trondheim, Sor Trondelag, Norway
Died 1892 in Henningsvær, Nordland, Norway
Married Johan Petter Bordevick on 27 September 1860 in Vaagan Parish, Nordland, Norway, his second (I believe) wife
Had four children with him: 3 daughters, 1 son: Ida Amalie, Leonharde Marie, Anna Magdalena, and Petter Magnus Roness

Robert James PARK (need more about him and his parents)
Born 24 June 1852, Ireland (possible locations—Belfast/Antrim, Dublin, or Ballymena)
Died 6 October 1930, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Parents listed as John PARK and ? DUNLOP
Married Elizabeth CURRAN abt 1883 in either Ireland or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Had at least nine children, 2 who died in infancy, 2 sons, 5 daughters: Robert, Elizabeth, Mary, Rhoda, Margaret, George, and Florence, all born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Emigrated from Ireland to Philadelphia abt 1883, then from Philadelphia to Ireland after 1903, then from Belfast to Vancouver in 1914

Thomas CURRAN (need more about him, his parents, and his kids)
Born before 1845 in Ireland (Belfast?)
No death date at this time
Married Jane "Jennie" BLAIR bef 1861
They had at least 3 daughters, and possibly 1 more daughter and 3 sons, possibly more: Elizabeth, Sarah and Rhoda are certain, also possibly Anna (may be Elizabeth's middle or first name), John, Thomas, Joseph, all born in Antrim, Ireland

Jane "Jennie" BLAIR (need more about her, her parents, and her kids)
Born before 1845 in Ireland (Belfast?)
No death date at this time
Married Thomas CURRAN bef 1861
They had at least 3 daughters, and possibly 1 more daughter and 3 sons, possibly more: Elizabeth, Sarah and Rhoda are certain, also possibly Anna (may be Elizabeth's middle or first name), John, Thomas, Joseph, all born in Antrim, Ireland

Bejamin JONES (need more about his parents)
Born 24 December 1865, Caio, Wales
Died before 1915
Married Hannah GRIFFITHS before 1882
Had 6 children, 4 sons and 2 daughters: Daniel, David, Joseph, Jack, William, May and Sophia, all born in Southern Wales (Merthur Tydful, I believe)
Farmer

Hannah GRIFFITHS (need more about her parents)
Born February 1863, Newcastle Emlyn, South Wales
Died about 1933, Merthur Tydful, Wales
Married Benjamin JONES before 1882
Had 6 children, 4 sons and 2 daughters: Daniel, David, Joseph, Jack, William, May and Sophia, all born in Southern Wales (Merthur Tydful, I believe)

Hugh ROBERTS (need more about him, his parents, any other children)
Born before 1830, possibly in Northern Wales
No death information
Married Ellen PUGH (or possibly GRIFFITHS) before 1845
Only 1 child known, daughter Selina

Ellen PUGH (or possibly GRIFFITHS) (need more about her, her parents, any other children)
Born before 1830, possibly in Northern Wales
No death information
Married Hugh ROBERTS before 1845
Only 1 child known, daughter Selina