Piecing together the family tree (2) - back to Llangyndeyrn in the 1730s

This is the second of four posts setting out what I have pieced together about my paternal ancestry, working back from my grandparents, Thomas and Isabella. The first post showed how I have been able to trace back the family tree from Isabella's father, Thomas Thomas, to Carmarthen - but could not go too far beyond that. 

This post shows that I think I can reliably trace my tree back from Isabella's mother, Sarah Jane Rees, much further into the past - perhaps back to the 1730s. 

William Rees and Anne Lewis - my 5th great grandparents from Llangynderyn

Sarah Jane Rees - my great grandmother

BIRTH ABT 1854 • Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales

DEATH APR 1924 • Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, Wales

CERTAINTY: 100% - confirmed by census and other records

As Isabella's birth certificate indicates, her mother Sarah Jane Thomas was "formerly Rees" - so this was her maiden name before the couple married in Pontypridd in 1872. The 1861 census usefully records Sarah Jane before her marriage, living with her parents, William and Margaret Rees, in Mill Street Pontypridd:

1861 census showing the Rees family living in Mill Street, Pontypridd.

Heading back forwards in time along the family tree from Sarah-Jane's older sister, Ellen, leads to the Bell family - who owned a house in Llanbister, Powys, that we used to stay in for childhood holidays. It also leads to a marriage with William "Rex" Willis, scrum-half for Wales and the British Lions - after-all every Welsh ancestry tree has to find a link to a Welsh rugby player if they can!

Rex Willis sailing to New Zealand in 1950, alongside other British Lions

William Rees - my 2nd great grandfather - 'Cabinet Maker'

BIRTH 1820 • Llansaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales

DEATH After 1861 • Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales

CERTAINTY: HIGH - baptism record fits with census records

That 1861 census record shows that, just like their future son-in-law Thomas Thomas, Sarah Jane's parents, William and Margaret, had moved to the rapidly expanding Pontypridd from Carmarthenshire. I'll look at Margaret's ancestry in my third post - but here I'll look at what I know about the Rees part of the family tree.

The census records suggest that William Rees had been born in the early 1820s in Llansaint, in the parish of St. Ishmael, near to Kidwelly. His occupation is given as a 'Cabinet Maker' and so it might have been William who made some of the old wooden furniture passed down to my sister and I - which my Dad said was made by Isabella's family. (I had understood that it was built by Thomas Thomas - but perhaps it might have been his father-in-law too ?).

I think I have correctly traced William's baptism record in Llansaint, for April 3rd 1820. It shows that he was born to Hannah and Walter Rees - a carpenter - so perhaps those skills were passed on to William for him to develop his trade:

Hannah Rees - neé Williams - my 3rd great grandmother

BIRTH 1784 • St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales

DEATH 1861 • St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales

CERTAINTY: HIGH - based on local parish and census records

The 1841 and 1851 census records for Llansaint show a household with parents Walter Rees - a carpenter and/or a farmer - and Hannah, matching the parents in William's baptism record. These also suggest Hannah was born in St. Ishmael, around 1785.

Walter and Hannah Rees in the 1841 Llansaint census

Assuming that the couple were married in the same parish, then there's also a matching marriage record for the year 1816, giving Hannah's maiden name as Williams:

Their marriage in the St. Ishmael Parish records

Finally, assuming that Hannah was also born and died in the parish, there's a likely burial record for Hannah Rees for January 1861, as well as a matching baptism record for a Hannah Williams for the 5th December 1784, recording her parents as being James and Ruth:

Hannah - second from bottom

Walter Rees - my 3rd great grandfather - 'Carpenter'

BIRTH 14 FEB 1786 • Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales

DEATH SEPTEMBER 1865 • Llangendeirne, Carmarthenshire, Wales

CERTAINTY: HIGH - thanks to a number of matching records

The 1861 census for the 'Hamlet of Llansaint' records the carpenter William Rees as a widower, born in the nearby village of Llangendeirne (or Llangyndeyrn). There's also an 1865 burial record in this village for a 79 year old 'Walter Rees' that might well be my 3rd great grandfather too - giving his birth year as 1786.

Now Llangendeirne is a birthplace that provides a fortunate link to some old records that allow the family tree to be extended yet further - backed up by some likely DNA matches as well. There's a will that's survived for a John Rees of the neighbouring parish of Llanelly that records four of his his sons as being David, Thomas, Isaac and ... Walter Rees - who is made the executor of his will:

The will of John Rees, written in 1837, who died in 1841

There's also a surviving baptism record from the records of Tynewydd Baptist Chapel in Llanelly.  Eight of the children of John and Margaret Rees were baptised on the same date by the "Dissenting Minister" for Tynewydd Baptist Chapel, Llanelli, in 1810. But the baptism record also includes sons with the four names recorded in the will of John Rees. So they are probably records of  the same family:

The baptism of the children of John and Margret Rees, 1810

The record gives Walter Rees' date of birth as 14th February 1786 - matching the year of birth expected for my third great grandfather. So I believe these records record part of my own ancestry too.

John Rees - my 4th great grandfather

BIRTH 1759 • Llangendeirne, Carmarthenshire, , Wales

DEATH 14 APR 1841 • Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales

CERTAINTY: HIGH - thanks to matching records and DNA links

There's a good chance that the Rees ancestry tree can be traced back even further. There's a marriage record between John Rees and Margaret David in Llanelli on 27 May 1776 that could be the marriage of my fourth great grandparents:

My fourth great grandparents?

There's also a 25 April 1759 baptism record for a John Rees in Llangendeirne that gives his father as being William Rees:

Baptisms in April 1759, Llangendeirne

William and Ann - my 5th great grandparents

BIRTH 1730s • Llangendeirne, Carmarthenshire, Wales

MARRIAGE 9 OCT 1756 • Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales

CERTAINTY: GOOD - thanks to matching records and DNA links

Now building ancestry links with a common surname like Rees is usually guesswork this far back in the historical record. However, in this case, some DNA matches provide at least some supporting evidence. Ancestry DNA records suggests that William Rees had other children who might provide distant - 5th or 6th cousin - links to my own DNA. 

I have followed back two of those possible links through what would be John Rees' brother, Rees Rees. The Llangendeirne baptism register also records his baptism, as another son of William Rees, on 15 December 1761.

Baptisms in December 1761, Llangendeirne

Rees Rees' descendants - my sixth cousins Meryl and Gareth - can trace their family tree reliably back to him - through families that seem to have remained largely in the Llanelly / Llangendeirne area through all those generations. The link can't be certain but it's certainly seems a good possibility.

There are three further records in the Llangendeirne parish records that could complete this branch of the family tree. The first is a marriage between William Rees and Ann Lewis on 9th October 1756 pictured at the top of this blogpost. The other two records are copies of the 'Bishop's Transcripts' recording the baptism of Anne Lewis - on 19 April 1735, daughter of Richard Lewis - and William Rees, as an illegitimate son of David Rees, on 14 June 1730.

Perhaps the names of 6th great grandfathers

It's a long way back in history - all the way back to the names of two potential sixth great grandfathers - Richard Lewis and David Rees. However, the 'evidence trail' - and the DNA links - suggest that this tree does extend reliably back to the 1730s.