Richards/Roberts of Maerdy/Ferndale

[mbutcher]

I have recently become aware of a family connection in the area in the 1906 - 1945 time frame. My great uncle, Thomas Richards (1881-1915) married Mary Ann Jones (1880-1940) in 1907. They had two surviving children: Mary Olwen (b. 1908) and Doris May (b. 1910) in Maerdy. The family lived at 7 Griffith Street. Mary Olwen went on to marry somebody called Jones, date unknown. Doris May married somebody called Evans, I think, in 1931. I don't know of any descendants from these marriages and would very much like to. Thomas died in 1915 and Mary Ann married again - one Joseph Roberts. I know that he died in 1945 whilst still living at 7 Griffiths Street. They had a daughter: Aerona Roberts born, I think, in 1923. I don't know if she married. It is possible that she is still alive. Does anybody recognise any of this? Any information, however small, could help me. One additional snippet: Thomas had a younger brother, Herbert Richards (1894-1918). He was killed in France near the end of the first World War. he lived in Maerdy at the time of his enlistment at Porth into the King's Shropshire Light Infantry. My ultimate aim is to get hold of photographs of any/all of these people, especially Thomas and Herbert.

[mochyn]

An Aerona Roberts married Brynley G Evans in the final quarter of 1951, in the Pontypridd registration disctrict. Might this be the one?

Alan


Civil Registration event: Marriage
MarriageFinder: Aerona Roberts married Brynley G Evans
Name: ROBERTS, Aerona
Registration District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1951
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Spouse's last name: Evans
Volume No: 8B
Page No: 1074
Name: EVANS, Brynley G
Registration District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1951
Month of Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Volume No: 8B
Page No: 1074

[mochyn]

This is not what you'd like to hear I guess, but this may be the death of Aerona Evans:

Civil Registration event: Death
Name: EVANS, Aerona
Registration District: Rhondda
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 2005
Month of Registration: November
Date of Birth: 13 March 1923
District No: 8641A
Reg No: 17A
Ent No: 029
DOR: 1105

[mochyn]

Have you seen this information on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site?

Name: RICHARDS, HERBERT
Initials: H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: King's Shropshire Light Infantry
Unit Text: 7th Bn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 03/10/1918
Service No: 43006
Additional information: Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Davies, of Stent, Llansilin, Oswestry.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 8.
Memorial: VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL

[mbutcher]

Alan,

Thank you for such a swift set of replies. The information on Aerona looks good to me. I will apply for the appropriate certificates to confirm the detail. If she has died it will be a shame, of course. If she was only 28 when she married it is possible that she had children who are still around. I would still like to locate the two Richards children, (or their issue) Mary Olwen and Doris May.

On the matter of Herbert, I have all that information already. We have been to France several times to visit his memorial. In fact this is what started me on this trail following our most recent visit two weeks ago.

Thanks again. Perhaps somebody else can recall one of those I mentioned.

Malcolm

[mochyn]

I had a quick look on FindMyPast.co.uk and it showed four hits when I searched for marriages between a Mary O Ritchards and anyone called Jones. Two were too early based on her age and, of the other two, this looks a good bet:

Civil Registration event: Marriage
MarriageFinder: Mary O Richards married Charles A Jones

Name: RICHARDS, Mary O
Registration District: Paddington
County: London
Year of Registration: 1929
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Spouse's last name: Jones
Volume No: 1A
Page No: 120

Name: JONES, Charles A
Registration District: Paddington
County: London
Year of Registration: 1929
Month of Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Volume No: 1A
Page No: 120

Might be worth a punt on the marriage certificate to see if the father has the correct name.

The next one wasn't until 1940 and was an Olwen M Richards.

[mochyn]

... and this looks good for Doris May:

Civil Registration event: Marriage
MarriageFinder: Doris M Richards married Trevor Evans

Name: RICHARDS, Doris M
Registration District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1931
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse's last name: Evans
Volume No: 11A
Page No: 1460

Name: EVANS, Trevor
Registration District: Pontypridd
County: Glamorganshire
Year of Registration: 1931
Month of Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Volume No: 11A
Page No: 1460

[mbutcher]

Alan,

You are going above and beyond.... Thank you very much. I like the details for Doris May. They look very promising and I will be sending for the certificate tomorrow. Mary Olwen, on the other hand, perplexes me slightly given the registration district of Paddington. Why would she marry there? She was sometimes referred to as Olwen Mary in some of the documents I have seen and perhaps that would be a good line to pursue too. Where did it take place?

Thanks again,

Malcolm

[mochyn]

No problem, any time. The 1940 marriage is:

Civil Registration event: Marriage

MarriageFinder: Olwen M Richards married Douglas G Jones
Name: RICHARDS, Olwen M
Registration District: Radnorshire East
County: Radnorshire
Year of Registration: 1940
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Spouse's last name: Jones
Volume No: 11B
Page No: 357

Name: JONES, Douglas G
Registration District: Radnorshire East
County: Radnorshire
Year of Registration: 1940
Month of Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Volume No: 11B
Page No: 357

[mochyn]

I searched for Olwen Richards marrying any Jones and got this:

RICHARDS Olwen Wales Glamorganshire, Neath 1919 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Glamorganshire, Swansea 1921 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Carmarthenshire, Llanelly 1924 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen M Wales Radnorshire, Radnorshire East 1940 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Glamorganshire, Merthyr Tydfil 1945 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Merionethshire, Merioneth North 1948 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Anglesey, Anglesey West 1962 VIEW
RICHARDS Olwen Wales Carmarthenshire, Carmarthen 1993 VIEW
RICHARDS Mary O Wales Monmouthshire, Bedwellty 1913 VIEW
RICHARDS Mary O Wales Glamorganshire, Merthyr Tydfil 1920 VIEW
RICHARDS Mary O England London, Paddington 1929 VIEW
RICHARDS ? England Worcestershire, Kings Norton 1863 VIEW