Surname Saturday 2.0: The Joneses

The Jones Family

Like the Hillinger line, my Jones line is one of the shortest in my current family tree. I can trace back to my great grandfather's parents, but no further. I know their full names, and when and where they were born in Wales, but nothing else. Unfortunately, the commonness of their names, and the fact that the records are over in Wales makes this wall expensive to overcome, if it's even possible at all.

The line as I know it starts with a man named Benjamin Jones. He was born near an old Roman gold mine in Wales, in a town named Caio. I have no idea who his parents were or if he had any siblings, nor do I have any confirmed record of him until his marriage to my great-great grandmother. I know the two lived or settled in Merthyr Tydful, Wales, and their children were likely all born there.

According to my grandmother, they ran the post office there, and my great-great grandmother ran it even after her husband's death.

My true knowledge starts with my great grandfather, Daniel Jones. He was born in Merthyr Tydful, and lived there until he and several friends took a trip to Canada. They wandered across the provinces, and got to about the halfway point, then realized they would have to start back to the East coast or stay another year. They ended up flipping a coin to decide, and in the end, continued on their route, ending up in Vancouver, where he met a lovely young Welsh girl named Eliza Howells.

Daniel ended up marrying her. The two settled in Vancouver, and he only ever returned to Wales for a visit. He and my great-grandmother had a good long life, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary before his death in the 60s. Their descendants are all over Western Canada and the United States today.

My Jones line, for those interested:

● Benjamin Jones was born about 1865 in Caio, Wales. He married Hannah Griffiths sometime before 1882. They had 7 children.
o Daniel Thomas
o David "Davey"
o Joseph
o Jack
o William
o May
o Sophia
● Daniel Thomas was born 1882 in Merthyr Tydful, Wales. He Immigrated to Canada sometime before 1911. He married Eliza "Bessie" Howells 1911 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. They had 4 children.
o Marjorie Grace, born 1912, married Herbert Robinson. They had 3 daughters, and those three daughters had 13 children between them. Those children have had 32 children between them. They have even started on a fourth generation, with her first great-great grandchild born this year.
o Edwina Hanna, born 1913, married Kenneth Merilees. He had two sons already, whom she helped raise, and together they had a third son. Between the three, they had 4 children, and one of the four had 3 children in the next generation.
o Merle Tydfil (named for her father's hometown), born 1915, married George Bordewick. They had 4 children, and between them, there were 2 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.
o Ivor Howell (named for his mother's family), born 1920, married Marjorie Carnahan, and they had 2 daughters. He then married Mary Nixon. Ivor's two daughters had 4 children between them, and between them, they have had 9 children.
● Of his siblings, I know very little. One brother died of pneumonia after jumping into a lake to retrieve a hat while still recovering from a bout of flu. Both sisters married, but I have only scattered records and photos of their families, so I am uncertain at this time of their lines.

What I don't know:

* I need to find more Welsh records on this family. Particularly Benjamin's birth record, any Census records with him, and a wedding record for he and Hannah.

* I also need to find an actual birth record for my great-grandfather, Daniel. While I know he was born in Merthyr Tydful, I only have his death record and word of mouth to confirm it. I'd love a better record before his immigration.

* I would also love to know more about his siblings. I have pictures of them and his mother, but I know very little about them.

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 –
● Jones
Where We're From Posts –
● Where We're From – Canada
● Where We're From – Wales
Other -
● The Bordewick Family