Maternal Ancestry of Elder Thomas Howells

Nathan W. Murphy, MA, AG^®

Researcher for Price & Associates www.pricegen.com

Rees Price

Rees Price was born in 1772 in Redlion (or Reline), Ystradvellta Parish, Breconshire, Wales.[1] He was the maternal grandfather of Elder Thomas Howells. In about 1798 or 1799 Rees married Margaret Jones.[2] He was a farmer and a conformist.[3] Their first child, Gwenllian, was born on 5 July 1800 at Ynysmedwy Isaf, Llan-giwg Parish, Glamorganshire, Wales and christened 22 July 1800 at the Llan-giwg Parish Church.[4] Edward Price of Ewyas Harold Parish, Herefordshire, England devised his nephew, Rees Price ?the lease of that messuage and tenement called Tir Plant Meibon Rees situated in the parish of Penderrin and County aforesaid [Brecon],? in his will dated 14 January 1802 and proven at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in London on 12 May 1803.[5] In 1802, Rees Price occupied Tir pant yr Heol.[6] According to Hanes Plwyf Penderyn, Rees Price paid £6.2.0 in 1804 as ?yearly rent due for tenement called Tircoedplantmeibionrees? to Lord Vernon or Lewis Thomas, agent.[7] In 1809, Rees Price served as a churchwarden at Penderyn. Rees and Margaret took the remainder of their children to the Penderyn Parish Church to be christened: Margaret (19 Sep 1802), Edward Watkin (25 Mar 1808), William (abt Jun 1811), Morgan (5 Sep 1812), Thomas (22 May 1815), and Amelia (3 Jun 1817).[8]

In 1812, Rees Price paid £60 to allow his son Edward Price to be a tenant on his leasehold property.[9] Rees held this plot by lease ?for three lives on exceptionally cheap terms, but trees had to be planted on the land yearly by Rhys Price and his children. The later name of the Heol-Las was Yr Heol and then later still Evan Harris added the ?glas? to the name.? Rees provided his children with a good education.[10] Rees continued to reside at Heol Las during the remainder of his lifetime. He is listed as an occupant of Tircoedplantmeibionrhys on an 1840 Tithe Apportionment Map.[11] He was recorded as living there on the 1841 Census of Wales.[12] His wife, Margaret, died on 8 May 1847 at Penderyn. Her death certificate identifies her as the ?wife of Rees Price Farmer.? Thomas Price of Heol Laes, who was present at Margaret?s death, acted as informant in the creation of this record.[13] Rees Price died at Heowl, Penderyn on 12 January 1850. The clerk who wrote Rees? death certificate records his age as 78, states he was a farmer, identifies his cause of death as paralysis, with Howell William, of Heowl, acting as informant.[14] Rees was buried in the Penderyn Parish Churchyard, near his wife.[15]

Thomas Rhys or Rees

Thomas Rhys or Rees was probably born in the late 1730s or early 1740s.[16] His place of birth is currently unknown. Thomas married Gwenllian Price (or Watkins) probably in the early 1760s. Gwenllian was christened at Penderyn Parish on 11 February 1742/1743. Their marriage record has not been located, but is acknowledged in the will of Gwenllian?s younger brother, Edward Price, of Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire, England in 1802. Hanes Plywf Penderyn also confirms this relationship.[17] Thomas and Gwenllian were apparently living at Ystradvellta Parish in the year 1772, when their son Rees was born. Their children do not appear in the Ystradvellta Parish Register or in any conformist registers within the vicinity.[18] By 1784, Thomas Rees was the occupant of Yniscummer, a farm in Cadoxton-juxta-Neath Parish, Glamorganshire, Wales, owned by Lord Vernon. He paid taxes for that farm again in 1794, 1800, and 1805.[19] Edward Price, Thomas?s brother-in-law, devised him a plot called Abernant Fach in 1802. Edward also left his sister, Gwenllian, the wife of Thomas Rees, Yniscummer in Glamorganshire. After the deaths of Thomas and Gwenllian, Edward specified that these plots were to descend to their son Thomas Price.[20]

According to Davies, Thomas and Gwenllian had a large family. Because their children do not appear in records of the state church, they have been difficult to identify. Davies lists two sons: Reverend William Price, ?minister of Cilbebyll,? and Rees Price (discussed in a separate section). Reverend William Price is probably the same person as Reverend Watkins Price, whom Edward Price identifies as a nephew in his will dated 1802. Edward left him several tracts of land in Penderyn: Tenffole, Coyoca yr Felin, and the lease of the Grist Mill called Mellin y Rhydiah. Edward left Nant y Derry and Blacu Nant y Ter in Penderyn to his niece Catherine, the wife of James Jacob. Catherine must have been the daughter of Thomas and Gwenllian (Price) Rhys.[21] As mentioned above, the will of Edward Price also identified another child of Thomas Rhys: Thomas Price, bringing the total to four children. Thomas Howell?s journal identifies another child named Edward Price, whom he states died on 26 March 1810 at age 60 and was buried in the Penderyn Graveyard. This burial is not listed in Penderyn?s Parish Register. At this point, no additional information is known about this man, identified as ?brother of Rees Price.? He was probably younger than 60 at his time of death, or else he might actually represent the uncle of Rees Price, who left a will in 1802, who was approximately 60-years-old when he died.[22]

Exact dates of death and burial for Thomas Rhys or Rees have not been discovered; however, land tax assessments identify a three-year time frame during which Thomas probably died. He paid taxes to be a tenant at Yniscummer for the final time in 1805. The next surviving tax record, dated 1808, identifies a new tenant on that farm named William David. Thomas probably died between those two tax years. This portion of Penderyn?s Parish Register is missing and probably explains why Thomas?s burial entry cannot be found.[23] His wife (or widow) Gwenllian Rees, was buried at the Penderyn Parish Churchyard on 28 April 1808. The parish clerk described her as a housewife, age 65, cause of death: decline, and residence: Yniscymmar.[24] Another researcher noted that this farm, although not situated with Penderyn Parish, was very close to that parish church, providing a possible explanation of why Gwenllian was buried there rather than in Cadoxton-juxta-Neath Parish to which the farm pertained.

Watkin Prees or Price

Hanes Plwyf Penderyn, published in 1924, identifies the father-in-law of Thomas Rhys as Morgan Prees William; however, according to primary sources, Thomas Rhys?s father-in-law was named Watkin Prees or Price. Unfortunately, at this stage in research, very few primary documents have been found concerning this man. First, information from primary sources will be presented and then it will be compared with Davies?s assertions.

Penderyn?s parish clerk recorded the baptisms and burials of the family of Watkin Prees or Price.[25] In the christening of Watkin?s youngest child, Edward, the clerk identifies the name of Watkin?s wife as Catherine. Their marriage did not occur in Penderyn. The following children were recorded, without surnames: Thomas (chr. 26 Apr 1736, bur. 1 May 1736), Thomas (chr. 25 Jun 1737, bur. 1 Jan 1740), Edward (chr. 7 Apr 1739, bur. 13 Apr 1739), Jennet (chr. 10 Feb 1740/41, bur. 26 Apr 1756), Gwenllian (discussed in section on Thomas Rhys), Edward (chr. 9 Feb 1744/45, bur. 19 Feb 1744/45), and Edward (chr. 28 May 1747). They may have used Prees, Price, or Watkins as their surnames. His daughter Jennet?s burial record, dated 26 Apr 1756, states that her father resided on a farm called Hepstae and refers to her as Jennet Watkins. Watkin?s wife, Catherine (or Katherine), was buried in the Penderyn Churchyard on 13 September 1756. The clerk recorded that Watkin Prees resided at Hepstae at this time. Three years later, on 8 August 1759, the clerk noted that Watkin Prees was also buried in the Penderyn Graveyard.

The following month, on 14 September 1759, the Consistory Court of Brecon granted administration on the goods of Watkin Prees of Cantreff Parish, Brecon[26] to William Prees, Gentleman, of Cantreff Parish, Brecon, and Samuel Thomas, Innkeeper, of the town of Brecon, Brecon. An accompanying inventory of Watkin?s personal estate, appraised by Evan John and William John, was recorded on 7 August 1759 (one day prior to Watkin?s burial). Watkin?s estate consisted of livestock (two cows, three horses, one pig), crops (hay and grain), and other household items (including a clock, chest, old cupboard, nine chairs and two stools, two feather beds, two rugs, two blankets, two bedsteads, and cooking and eating utensils). One might ask if Watkin?s family consisted only of himself, his wife, and two children, at its maximum extent, why would he need nine chairs? It is true that he had only two beds, which would support a small family, but who sat in the other chairs? Significantly, the court appointed William Prees, one of the administrators, as tutor and guardian to Gwenllian Prees and Edward Prees, children of Watkin Prees.[27] These are the only two children of Watkin Prees who survived to adulthood, according to Penderyn?s Bishop?s Transcripts. An entry in the records of the Manor of Brecon dated 19 January 1761, states ?We also present an Herriot[28] of Sixteen Shillings on the death of Watkin Prees and Edward Prees to be Tenant in his stead.?[29] If this entry applies to Watkin Prees of Hepste(a), Penderyn, his son Edward would have been 13-years-old. Watkin of Hepste?s only son was named Edward, and it fits for this transfer of land to apply to Watkin Prees of Hepste, although his identity is not explicitly stated.

Through parish registers, bishop?s transcripts, and probate records we learned the following information about William Prees or Price, who tutored Watkin?s children:

• Born about 1713 or a few years before that date.
• Probably born in Penderyn Parish.
• Married Martha _____ about 1738 probably somewhere near Penderyn Parish.
• Churchwarden of Penderyn Parish in 1740.
• Children christened in Penderyn Parish from 1739 through 1745.
• Oldest daughter named Gwenllian.
• Named two children Watkin (one died young).
• Some of sons used the surname Price.
• Children christened in Cantref Parish from 1747 through 1759.
• Called a gentleman in 1759, signed a document, denoting at least limited literacy.
• Lived on Trosnant farm in Cantreff (variantly spelled Troesnant and Trawsnant)
• Wife buried in Cantref Churchyard on 19 February 1785.
• William left a will dated and proven in 1789, which calls him a farmer and which he signed.
• William?s sons Thomas and William used the surname Price and both appear to have lived on Trosnant farm at their deaths in 1799 and 1802.

Davies made the following statements about who we know as Watkin Prees or Price and his origins:

• His name was Morgan Prees William III and he owned a farm called Cefndon in Penderyn, which he inherited from his father.
• He was the son and grandson of men named Morgan Prees William.[30]
• His grandfather, Morgan Prees William I, was the owner of Cefndon and Maesyrhydiau farms in Penderyn in 1674. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Miles Mathews of Llancaiach.
• Morgan Prees William I had two children: Morgan Prees William II and a daughter who married Mr. Morgan. One of his daughter?s descendants was named Reverend William Morgan, who was the curate of Aberhonddu in the late eighteenth century.
• Morgan Prees William III married [name not stated] and had three children: (1) a daughter who married Mr. Edwards of Tynewydd [New House], Ystrad Rhondda, who had a son named Mr. Edwards of Vedwhir, (2) a daughter who married Thomas Rhys of Ynyscymmer, Glynnedd, whose children took their mother?s surname ?Price,? and (3) Edward Price, also known as Edward Watcyn Price, a tanner in Henffordd (Hereford) who had a dwelling at Ewyas Harold.[31]
• Morgan Prees William III brought 100 horned cattle from his farm at Ce(f)ndon when he moved to another farm called Hepste Fawr.[32]

When this information is compared with primary sources, we find that Morgan Prees William?s real name was Watkin Prees or Price, as stated above. We have found no documentation that he lived at Ce(f)ndon farm, but it is known from Penderyn?s Bishop?s Transcripts that he lived at Hepstae farm. He was the father-in-law of Thomas Rhys of Ynyscymmer, Glamorgan, and the father of Edward Price of Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire. He is not known to have had a daughter who married an Edwards, as all of his daughters except Gwenllian died in their youth. In addition, using standard patronymics, it is not possible that three generations of men had the same three-part name. Using the normal system, the name ?Morgan Prees William? signifies that the man?s given name was ?Morgan,? his father was named ?Rees,? and his grandfather was named ?William.? This disagrees with Davies?s account. Attempts to find these men in Penderyn?s early Bishop?s Transcripts have failed because we do not know which of these names that these men actually used. Indeed, it is uncertain if this secondary source can be trusted. The purported grandfather named Morgan Prees William does appear in extant manor records, which state that he occupied Cefndon as a tenant in Penderyn in the 1670s, rather than owning the farm.[33] An illustrious pedigree for him through his wife Elizabeth Mathews, has been set forth by John Kitzmiller, a professional genealogists, which extends the line back for twenty generations.[34] At this stage in research, a solid link between Watkin Prees or Price and Morgan Prees William cannot be established, but at the same time, we cannot understand why that Davies would invent a pedigree for his spouse, and feel there is some truth to the 1924 account.