William
Williams (1808-1877)
and
his wife
Ann
Williams Williams
I
know only a few facts about Uncle William Williams, son of my
great-great-great-grand-
parents Daniel and Ruth Jones Williams. He was their second
child and their second son, and according to Welsh custom, he was named after
his mother's father, William Jones.
William Williams was born on April 7,
1808. He was baptized three days later, on April 10, 1808, in St. Teilo's Church, Llandeilo’r-fân,
Breconshire, Wales.
His father, Daniel Williams, was a farmer.
Assuming William stayed at his father’s home until his marriage, he grew up on Brunant and Nant-y-gwrdu farms in
Llandeilo’r-fân Parish, and possibly on Bryn-melyn farm. However, he might have worked as a servant in
other households, as was common in Wales.
At age twenty-one, William became the
first of his siblings to get married. On June 3, 1829 he married Ann Williams
in Llandeilo’r-fân. Ann Williams was born about 1807
in Tirabad, Breconshire. Her mother, Mary Price
Williams, was born about 1776 in Llanwrtyd,
Breconshire, and she died November 19, 1864. Ann's father (possibly named
Thomas Williams) died sometime before 1851.
William and Ann Williams might have had
several children in the first two decades of their marriage. However, I have
information on only one daughter. Ruth Williams was born May 9, 1835 in
Breconshire. She died on May 9, 1845, her tenth birthday.
William Williams left Llandeilo’r-fân
Parish before the 1841 census was taken. He may have gone directly to Brynmawr, Llanelly Parish, Breconshire. That's where he lived in 1851, next door to his
older brother Roderick Williams.
In 1851, William was a 43-year-old
shoemaker living with his wife, Ann, and his 74-year-old mother-in-law, Mary Williams,
who was a pauper. Also in his household was his 4-year-old nephew Roderick
Williams, Jr., whose parents lived next door.
William was not the only shoemaker in the
family. His uncle, also named William Williams, was a shoemaker in Llandeilo’r-fân. It's possible that the younger William
learned the trade from his uncle.
It's unclear when William Williams joined
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. An undocumented record says
that he was baptized in 1847. That would be surprisingly early. I believe John
Evan Price was the first in the family to join the Church, on September 26,
1847, followed by his wife, Ruth Williams Price on October 17, 1847. I believe
that it was early in 1848 when John Evan Price introduced the Mormon religion
to the rest of the family, who were baptized between 1848 and 1850. The
question of when a person first joined the Church is complicated by the
practice of re-baptism, which was common at the time. Many members were
re-baptized several times over a period of years. Though my research has not
been exhaustive, the earliest record I have found for William's baptism was on
March 22, 1857, when John Thomas baptized and confirmed him in Brynmawr.
Between 1851 and 1861 William's brother
Roderick moved to Ystradgynlais, Breconshire. In
1861, 53-year-old William Williams still lived at Clydach Bridge
in the town of Brynmawr
with his wife, Ann, and his 86-year-old mother-in-law, Mary Williams. William
was listed as a shoemaker and coal miner. He apparently didn't do enough
shoemaking business to satisfy his needs, and he had to supplement his income
with hard labor.
Sometime between 1861 and 1874 William and
Ann Williams emigrated from Wales
to gather with the Latter-day Saints in Salt
Lake City. On October 19 1874, William participated in
the Latter-day Saint ordinance called endowment.
William Williams ended up in Lewisville, Jefferson
County, Idaho where
he died on March 4, 1877. The 1880 census of Samaria,
Oneida County, Idaho
shows an Ann Williams, widow, age 76, born in Wales. Further research may show
whether or not she was William's widow.
At any rate, Ann Williams stayed close to
her in-laws. On April 13, 1886, she went to the Logan
Temple in Utah with her brother-in-law John Jones
Williams and his daughter Ruth Elizabeth Williams Richardson. Together they
performed baptisms for the dead for eighteen relatives of Ann Williams Williams.
There is much research yet to be done on
William Williams and his family. It would be interesting to know if any
biographical data survive, and if he has any living descendants. At present, I
have more questions than answers.
NOTES
The
sources of Information for William Williams and his family are:
Family Group Records (FGR) on the
family of Daniel Williams and Ruth Jones Williams. They are my only sources for
the birth of William Williams (William William
Williams according to Trush) on 7 Apr 1808 in Llandeilo’r-fân (Trush, Nielsen),
his baptism in 1847 (Trush), his endowment on 19 Oct
1874 (Parson, Nielsen, Trush, Williams), and his
death on 4 Mar 1877 in Lewisville,
Idaho (Parson, Nielsen, Williams).
Family Group Records are not primary sources, and the
accuracy of this information should be considered questionable until verified.
·
FGR submitted by Mrs. Andrew M. Parson and Cornelius Mont
[? hard to read]; undated but after 14 May 1937 and appearing to be old; citing
as sources of information, “F Brecon S1 pt 14; F
Wales 2 pt 6; family records of Mrs.
Rosanna Williams Denning and Mrs. Ruth Price Sorensen; Mrs. Martha Denning Olaveson.”
·
FGR called an Archive Record submitted by William J.
Nielsen, Route #4 Box 106, Idaho Falls, Idaho; undated, but apparently near 7
Dec 1967 when LDS ordinances for Daniel Williams and William Williams were
reconfirmed; citing as sources, “F. Brecon S1 pt. 14
F Wales 2 pt. 6 Fam. Rec. of Rosanna Denning. Ruth P.
Sorensen, Martha D. Olaveson.”
·
FGR submitted by Susan W. Trush,
150 S. 2nd W. Apt. C, Brigham City, Utah 84302; submitted to
Genealogical Society May 1976; citing as sources of information, “Book of Rem. In possession of Alverda W.
Parker, 5860 S. 1900 W., Roy,
Ut. 84067.”
·
FGR compiled by Dianne Elizabeth Teasley
Williams [not recorded on the FGR, but I recognize my
mother’s style]; undated, but probably in the 1980’s; citing as source of
information, “Copied from records of Juanita Grace Williams.”
The 1808 Bishop's Transcripts for Llandeilo’r-fân,
Breconshire, Wales,
shows the christening of William Williams: "April 10th. Willm.
Son of Danl. & Ruth Williams" (FHL 104471).
The 1829 Bishops Transcripts for Llandeilo’r-fân show
the marriage of William Williams and Ann Williams (FHL
104471); the information is the same as in the Parish Registers, below.
The Parish Registers of Llandeilo’r-fân
(available at the National Library of Wales) show that Daniel Williams lived at
Brunant Farm in 1813 and 1816, Nant-y-gwrdu
Farm in 1820, and Bryn-melyn in 1840. The Parish
Registers also show the marriage of William Williams: "MARRIAGES
solemnized in the Parish of Llandeilo'r fane in the
County of Brecon in the Year 1829: William Williams
of this Parish and Ann Williams of the same Parish were married in this Church
by Banns with Consent of Relations this third Day of June in the Year One
thousand eight hundred and twenty nine / By me Thos. Price per. Cu. / This Marriage
was solemnized between us / The Mark of William Williams / The Mark of Ann
Williams / In the Presence of Wm. Jenkins, David Thomas / No. 70."
A record of Baptisms for the Dead in the Logan Temple,
page 424, #15313 and #15850 (FHL 177843) shows
information on the family of Ann Williams Williams.
The information may have been supplied by Ann Williams Williams
herself, and should therefore be fairly accurate. The following baptisms for
the dead were performed on 13 Apr 1886:
Name Born Died Heir/proxy Relationship
to dead
Mary
Price Brecon,
Wales 19 Nov 1864 Ann Williams Williams daughter
Ruth
Williams 9 May 1835 ditto 9 May 1845 ditto mother
Ann
Price Carmarthen, Wales Ruth Elizabeth Williams Sorensen Ann Williams Williams
Mary
Williams Brecon,
Wales ditto ditto
Margaret
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Hannah
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Ann
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Mrs.
Ann Price ditto ditto ditto
Thomas
Williams S. Wales John
Jones Williams Ann
Williams Williams
Thomas
Morgan Brecon,
S. Wales ditto ditto
William
Price ditto ditto ditto
Isaac
Williams ditto ditto ditto
William
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Thomas
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Samuel
Williams ditto ditto ditto
Reese
Price ditto ditto ditto
David
Price ditto ditto ditto
Thomas
Price ditto ditto ditto
This list of relatives may lead to more information on the
extended family of Ann Williams Williams. I would
start with the guess that Thomas Williams was Ann’s father;
William Price and Ann Price were Ann’s maternal grandparents; Thomas Morgan was
a great-grandfather, an uncle by marriage or a brother-in-law; Rees, David, and
Thomas Price were her maternal uncles; Mrs. Ann Price was the wife of a
maternal uncle; and that Isaac, William, Thomas, Samuel, Mary, Margaret, Hannah
and Ann Williams were either brothers and sisters or paternal uncles and aunts.
I cannot overemphasize that these suggestions are only guesses, which may be
refuted or verified by further research.
Census Records are a primary source of information. I have
not located William Williams in 1841. The 1851 Census of the town of Brynmawr, Llanelly parish, Brecknockshire, page 453/480, house #117/118 Wain-y-ly-can (FHL 464911 or 104,252)
shows William living alongside his brother Roderick:
Roderick
Williams Head Mar 45 Haullier Breconshire, Llandilo-faur
Ann
Williams Wife Mar 40 do,
Llanviangle bryn pebuan[?]
Ann
Williams Daur 10 at home do, Merthyr Cynog
John
Williams Son 1 do, Llanelly
William
Williams Head Mar 42 Shoemaker Breconshire, Llandilo faur
Ann
Williams Wife Mar 22 do, Llaneydless
Mary
Williams Mother-in-law W 74 Pauper do, Llanwrtwd
Roderick
Williams Nephew 4 Scholar do, Llanelly
The
1861 Census of the town of Brynmawr, Llanelly parish, Brecknockshire,
page 24/93, #151, Clydach Bridge, #151 (FHL 543,252) shows:
William
Williams Head Mar 53 Shoemaker & Coal Miner Brecon, Llandilo-fawr
Ann
Williams Wife Mar 53 do, Tirhabart
Mary
Williams Mother-in-law W. 86 do, Llanwrtyd
There are various
errors in the census records. Llandilo-faur and Llandilo-fawr should be Llandeilo’r-fân.
Llaneydless should be Llandulas
(also known as Tirabad). Tirhabart
should be Tirabad. Llanwrtwd
should be Llanwrtyd. Some of the ages are also off.
I’m not sure whether William and Ann Williams were in Wales, Utah or Idaho in 1870-1871. The
1880 (June 23-25) census of Samaria, Oneida County, Idaho, page 319, #298 shows
Ann Williams, white female, 76-year-old widow, keeping house, she and her
father and mother all born in Wales. Further research is required to see
whether this was the widow of William Williams:
Williams,
Ann W F 76 wd K.H. Wales, Wales,
Wales
The
Latter-day Saint membership record of Bryn Mawr,
Wales 1848-1868, page 17, #10 (FHL 104,167) shows: “William
Williams, shoemaker, Bryn Mawr, Baptized 22 Mar 1857
by John Thomas, Confirmed 22 Mar 1857 by John Thomas.”
Suggestions for further research: Find William Williams in
the 1841 census of Wales, possibly in Brynmawr; find
William Williams in the 1870 census of Utah or Idaho, or in the 1871 census of
Wales; check Idaho records, especially Jefferson and Oneida Counties, for
obituaries and other information; examine LDS records more thoroughly.
Kyle Williams
215 W. High St.
Woodbury, TN 37190
January 26, 2009
