Question of the Week: Do you have Welsh roots? [closed]

Question

Do you have any ancestors from Wales?

Tell us about them with an answer below! You could also answer on Facebook or use the question image to share your answer with friends and family on social media.

Comments

My grandfather’s parents were both Welsh born coming to the US in 1850s/60s, so I’m 1/4 Welsh.  Jones, Lewis, Davies and Evans family lineage  from Cardiganshire.  My g grandfather, John Jones and wife Hannah Lewis settled in Alliance, Ohio. Hannah first came to Pittsburgh upon arrival in US

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I have Welsh Roots.  My maternal grandfather is Jones also from Cardiganshire!  My 3rd GG is a Davies. My 2nd GG immigrated in the mid 1800’s. They settled in Hixton, WI.

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Surprisingly, many Welsh emigrant ancestors in answers below but not one from the famous Welsh-speaking community in South America - just saying that seems a pity.

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My mother was Anna Maria Williams . Our first Williams ancestor who settled in South Africa arrived in 1820.

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Do you know where they were from in Wales? We also have a Williams ancestor that went to South Africa.

Answer 1

My gg-grandparents [[Evans-11388|William Vincent Evans (abt.1813-1902)]] and [[Jones-33722|Mary Jones (1821-1905)]] were born in Wales, married there in 1847 and emigrated to America in 1848.  In Wales William was an illiterate farmhand, Mary a housemaid.  They settled in a Welsh community in western New York where they became prosperous farmers and raised a family of seven sons and one daughter.  I still have the Welsh-language New Testament and the copy of their marriage record that they brought with them.  I have been able to visit the church in Tal-y-llyn where they married and  the farm nearby where they lived and worked.

Answer 2

My grandmother was a Williams, which is the 6th most common surname in Wales - Williams-104944.  I’ve not yet quite gotten her line over the pond, but am researching a possible candidate for her great-grandfather.

Answer 3

Yes, but it's far enough back that it doesn't show up on my Ancestry ethnicity estimate. It does on my father's, about 2%. Names like Morgan, Griffin, Pugh are several generations back. My mother likewise had names like Evans, way back. It's only because of WikiTree that I've been able to connect to some of those lines that go further back still.

Answer 4

Welsh Roots Ancestor 24 generations Madog ap Gruffudd Maelor (1160-1236), Ap_Gruffudd_Maelor-1, 22nd great grandfather one branch (25)

Twenty-three degrees from Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (1173-1240), Ap_Iorwerth-26, 21st great grandfather one branch (24), his daughter, Gwladus ferch Llywelyn, abt. 1205 - abt. 1251), Ferch_Llywelyn-6, 23rd great-grandmother, one branch (26); his daughter, Margaret ferch Llywelyn (abt. 1208 - aft. 1268), Ferch_Llywelyn-5, 20th great-grandmother, one branch (23)

Answer 5

Born and lived in Wales until 13 years ago.  A few of my family members moved from England to Wales around 1890's with the expanse of Barry Docks. I have 2 lines which I have identified as Welsh - but not sure how far the rabbit hole is.  

Steph

Answer 6

I'm aware of three trails for my direct Welsh descent. My 2GGM is Elizabeth Ann Yerward-2 of Pembroke Dock with her father's Yerward line being Welsh and both her grandmothers, Elizabeth Thomas-50494 from Lampeter Velfrey and Lettice Evans-39939 of Haverfordwest, having Welsh lineage. My 1GGM, Amelia Stradling-206, descends from a cadet branch of the medieval Stradling lineage of St. Donat's Castle, Glamorgan. Lastly, should medieval Lindsay lineage on WT be fully confirmed, my 25GGF is Llewelyn Ap_Iorwerth-26 via his daughter Helen's marriage to the Earl of Mar.

If anyone is interested in joining the WT Wales Project to help improve WT profiles for everyone of Welsh descent, please come see what our team is up to.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Wales

Answer 7

Yes! My maternal grandmother cecille Raydene Williams was born in Tenby, Pembrokeshire in 1906. She was only grandparent i met. Her father William Williams who i get my middle name from, was from Morriston Glamorgan. He was a professor of music and church organist of St Mary's Tenby for many years. There is a plaque dedicated to him there. His wife was Esther Mary Jones. Her sister was a professional contralto singer and became the daughter in law of Joseph parry the famous Welsh composer. I have a few brick walls on my Welsh side that i hope to get broken down. I also have connections to llanelly, Pembrey Carmarthenshire, and St Dogmaels, Pembrokeshire.

Answer 8

One of my 6th g grandfathers came to Virginia from Brecknockshire in the mid-1600s.

Comments

me too :D

Hi cousin Stuart!

Answer 9

I have Welsh roots on both my father's and mother's side (and some brick walls too).  

William (Bebb-97) and Naomi (Jones-118160) Bebb came to the US in 1887 from Monmouth, Wales. They were joined by their widowed daughter Elizabeth (Bebb-96) Davis/Davies and her daughter Naomi (Davis-96711). The family settled in Edwardsville, Luzerne, PA.

Richard Harris Sr (Harris -54909) and Naomi (Williams-115517) came to the US in 1913 from Glamorgan, Wales. Naomi's mother and stepfather may have already been here. They lived in the Wilkes-Barre area of Luzerne, PA.

Answer 10

I recently discovered a single Welsh ancestress, Mary (Jones) Taylor, b. ca. 1813 in Montgomeryshire. With a unique name like Mary Jones, it shouldn't be hard to find her parents, eh?

Answer 11

I have deep Welsh roots on my father's side.  It's all spelled out on my family genealogy website: http://www.rwoodesq.com/ ,  If you follow the links on the landing page the Welsh portions of the coat of arms (lower left and upper right) are explained and documented. They involve the Williams of Gwernyfed and Talyllyn. One of my Wood ancestors, also, married a descendant of the Vaughan family of Golden Grove. These are very old Welsh families that I have traced in complete detail back to Welsh King  Bleddyn ap Cynfyn (1025-1073) and Welsh Prince Bleddyn ap Maenarch, who was killed in battle fighting Norman invaders in 1092.  Another important ancestor in my Vaughan ancestry is Rhys ap Thomas (1451-1527) who is reputed to have delivered the death blow to King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth.  See http://www.rwoodesq.com/f31.htm#f13552

Ralph Wood

Answer 12

According to my father his Jacobs roots were Welsh but have yet to find "proof" of that.

Answer 13

I understand my great great grandfather's family came to Washington County, Pennsylvania in the 1700's from Wales. (with William Penn?)They were Quakers, persecuted in England-emigrated to Wales and then to the US. GG was Joseph Mills- wife Sarah Raley, his son was Abel Mills-second wife Elizabeth Wilson, my Grandfather was Charles Wilson Mills.

Answer 14

I am 38th Great Grandson (40 degrees) to Casnar Wledig born 0440 Montgomeryshire, Wales.  He was an Early Welsh Ruler, top of number of patronymics.

21st Great Grandson (23 degrees) to Griffith (Madog) ap Madog Maelor born 1121

21st Great Grand Nephew (22 degrees) to Llewelyn (ap Gruffudd) formerly Gwynedd, aka Prince of Wales, born 1225

15th Great Grandson (17 degrees) to Matthew ap Leuan born 1368, Glamorganshire, Wales

13 Great Grandson to Robert (ap Jevan) Raglan born 1408, Monmouthshire, Wales.  He grew up at the Raglan Castle in Wales.

Answer 15

I have traced my Welsh ancestry back to Gruffudd ap Madog Ddû,  in 1270, my 20th great grandfather on my paternal side, and to  King Owain "Gwynedd" of Wales Ap Gruffydd 1087-1170 also my 20th great-grandfather on my maternal side.. 

 

Answer 16

Yes My DNA Shows 5% I Have A Time With The Welsh Names

Answer 17

My paternal GGparents were born in Brynmawr (Williams-108096) and Presteigne (Slade-3256). They settled in Merthyr Tydfil in retirement. After my GGfather died in 1962 GGmother moved to live in Barry with my fathers family. My Grand Father (Williams-107907) was a motor mechanic and co-owner of the Barry Motor Company.

Answer 18

Still looking for a connection, but my grandfathers (maternal side) last name was Blevins. I know from research this is a surname that has origins in Wales. I have been so caught up on research for my paternal side (Forsythe) that I have not devoted as much time to the other branches on the tree. Trying to be better about that, once hit a brick wall or fall down that rabbit hole I really should move on, work in progress.

Comments

I have be ins who were Welsh from Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Answer 19

Yes,, my maternal Great Grandmother.  Maud Mary Powell. Powell-17630 Born Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. Her father John was a gardener (servant) and Maude a servant at Holland House Cheltenham which was turned into the main police station in Cheltenham. She married my Great Grandfather Job Witchell in 1882. Both 23 years of age. Job was a Bristol police officer. He signed up to the Hong Kong recruitment effort for British police officers to immigrate to Hong Kong and after he and Maude married left immediately for Hong Kong. My Grandfather James Witchell, my mother's father, and all his siblings were born in Hong Kong.

Answer 20

Yes, my 59th g grandfather was Amalach ap Beli (Beli-1) ca. 90 CE, King of Wales. He had four brothers and five half brothers.

More recently on my mother's side, my 3rd g grandfather was Edwin Dawson (Dawson-7523) b. about 1805 Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. His granddaughter, Emma Dawson, wrote that Edwin's "people were of English descent and owned large flour mills (in Cardiff, Wales.)