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

Yes, my maternal great grandfather immigrated in 1851. His name was Wm James, he served in the Confederate Army and subsequently settled in Texas, married and produced 3 sons and a daughter. His son, William Ewing James was my grandfather. One of Wm James’ grandsons from his daughter became a Guggenheim scholar and professor at Rice University.

Answer 2

Yes , I have a lot on my tree and I also go way back as a direct descendent of people like Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd  if a 1087

And down the line with names his daughter Anghared verch Owain Gwynedd and names like magdog etc..l

Answer 3

My Ancestry DNA shows 6% Welsh ancestry, and names like Merrick, Pritchard, and Price appear among my near ancestors. But I can’t place an ancestor in Wales closer than 350 years ago—my 7th gr grandfather, Jasper Griffing who came to British Colonial America from Wales a few years before 1670. On other hand, with a Gateway ancestor like Thomas Dudley, I can lay claim to Welsh ancestors such as  Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (22nd gg) and Owain Gwynedd (24th gg) of northern Wales, Madog ap Maredudd (24th gg) of Powys, and the Lord Rhys (Rhys ap Gruffydd—26th gg) of Deheubarth.

Answer 4

My 9th Great Grandfather, James Morgan, is reported to have been born at Nantmell Parish, Vaynot (Faenor), Wales. According to researchers, he and his family emigrated to Pennsylvania, USA in 1691. Unfortunately, his wife, Jane Evans, died prior to their arrival. Both are said to be buried at Bohemia Bay, Maryland. Prior to sailing to the colonies, James purchased 450 acres of land in Radnor from William Penn of the Thomas and Jones Company. Radnor Township was a Welsh section of Chester County, PA.

Answer 5

My grandmother on my father's side was a Griffith.  Her Griffith ancestry is traced to 1600s Massachusetts.  This family is likely of Welsh origin.  Also, I have some Welsh DNA and some DNA matches who have some Welsh ancestry.

Answer 6

I have several Welsh relatives from DNA information.  From  unproven family lore 4 Yancey brothers came from Wales in 1642. Welsh name may have been Nanney and changed to Yancey.  Would enjoy any information relating to this possibility.

Answer 7

My ancestors are Welsh, going back as far as the 1400s. I currently live in South Wales.

Names like Holley,Phillips, Galliers,Price.

Answer 8

I have welsh roots.

my ancestor Abednego Bowen came to the US from Wales

He was in the 1841 and 1851 welsh census.

His son John Bowen married Susan Evans whose father, William Evans came to the US in the 1840.

Both Abednego and William settled in Pomeroy, Ohio.

Bill bowen

Answer 9

Yes, on my mother's side. Treharne and Matthews from Llanelly, Carmarthenshire Wales and emigrated to Ontario, Canada. I don't have a lot of information about them but I continue to research.

Answer 10

Wales Project membership application has reopened. Look at the teams described on https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Wales and then click on the G2G welcome post to apply for membership.

Stuart Awbrey, Membership Coordinator

Answer 11

I have Welsh roots through both my paternal and maternal sides of the family.  

On my paternal side I am a descendant of Ralph Lewis from Glamorganshire, Wales who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1683.  I am also a descendant of Richard Lewis from Dolobran, Wales.  They were Quakers and moved there due to persecution.

On my maternal side I am a descendant of Diana Harris of Wales who married James Morgan from England. They were my 4th great grandparents.  Their son James David Morgan immigrated to Canada where he served in the Canadian Militia. During the US Civil War, he immigrated to Wisconsin where he enlisted in the Wisconsin 48th Infantry as a Corporal.  His son Albert Webster Morgan was a Chicago police officer.  Albert Morgan married a woman from New York and after his death his wife and daughter moved to Stockholm, NY.

My DNA breakdown on Ancestry.com has all my Welsh DNA coming from the maternal side.

Comments

Hi Paula,

Impressive family history.

If you would like to be a member of the Wales Project, please post on https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Wales

Stuart Awbrey, Membership Coordinator

Answer 12

I have surname Huls in my line.

Answer 13

My maternal great grandparents were born in Abergynolwyn and Llanaber Wales. They emigrated in 1908 to Deadwood, South Dakota and later to Sheridan, Woming.

I was thrilled when I came across a Williams not married to a Williams and found Rowlands, Lewis, Edwards and Davies in the family tree. They were either farmers or slate quarrymen.

My great aunt placed letters and photographs into the fireplace when my great grandmother died because she didn’t read Welsh nor did she know who the people in the photographs were. I have been slowly piecing  together what little my grandmother had before her death.

Answer 14

according to my DNA estimates I am 7% Wales. I don’t know how…

Answer 15

I am an American who is also 52%Welsh. My father’s parents were both born in Wales. Immigrated to US and meet and married in Pennsylvania. Both buried in Wilkes-Barre, PA as well as great grandparents.

Answer 16

Yes. via Bristol. A Williams.

Answer 17

Yes!  I have Welsh roots and I am proud of them.  Most of my Welsh ancestors were ironworkers and coal miners from Monmouthshire. My grandmother's grandfather was the labor leader Edward George, president of the Miners’ and Laborers’ Benevolent Association (MLBA) of the Tuscarawas Valley in the 1870s  He negotiated on behalf of coal miners with William McKinley, who later became the 25th President of the United States. My grandmother's mother, Miriam George, was 100 percent Welsh. My grandmother was half Welsh and my father was one-quarter Welsh.  Ancestry DNA tells me that I am 12 percent Welsh.   

Answer 18

My maternal 2nd great-grandfather was born in Walwyn's Castle, in Wales.

Brigstocke-16

Answer 19

I am 10% Welsh on my paternal side. My paternal Howell family is supposedly descended from the Welsh Hywel Kings, but I can't get past my 3rd great grandfather yet so I can't prove it. Also some of my other paternal lines go into the very old Welsh lines.