Rebecca (Williams) Rees (1821 - 1892)

Born 16 Jan 1821 in Broadway, Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Rees — married 8 Apr 1841 in Walton West, Pembroke, Wales

Descendants

Died 8 Sep 1892 at age 71 in Thurber, Wayne, Utah, United States

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Biography

Rebecca (Williams) Rees was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Thomas Jnr married Rebecca Williams at Walton West parish church in 1840, the couple then move in with Rebecca’s widower father, at Cocket Walton West. They can be found on the 1841 census for that parish.

Thomas and Rebecca had at least ten children, these are;

• Mary (b 1842)
• Rebekah (b 1843)
• Elizabeth (1847)
• Sarah (b 1849) she married Edward David Miles.
• Brigham (b 1851) was a bricklayer by trade and married Isabella Maria Mansfield.
• Ellen (b 1854) married Alfred William Smith of Kilkenny Ireland.
• Noah (b 1857) married 1st wife Mary Johns & 2nd wife Mary Hughes.
• Margaret (b 1859) married Henry Johns of Mathry Pembrokeshire.
• Lettice (b 1861) married George Allgood of Witwick Colerton Leicestershire.
• Thomas (1864) married 1st wife Sarah Jane John & Mary Williams.

The 1861 Wales census places Thomas, Rebecca, and six children in Haroldston West, Pembrokshire. Thomas' profession is cordwainer - a shoemaker who makes new shoes from new leather. The cordwainer's trade can be contrasted with the cobbler's trade, according to a tradition in Britain that restricted cobblers to repairing shoes.

It is not clear as to when Thomas and Rebekah became Mormons, but I was probably around 1851, as one of their children was named Brigham, after one of the founding members of that religion. There was a movement in Pembrokeshire, following on from their first appearance in Flintshire in 1840, then the movement spread to Merthyr Tydfil, and the valleys of South Wales. Sometime later there was a branch in Pembrokeshire, possible at Cuffern. The number of Mormons in Wales by 1852 was around 5,000. By the mid 1800’s the number rose to 10,000. It is estimated that at least half of the early members migrated to the USA. Thomas and his family were among them, along with others from Pembrokeshire. Three of the leaders of this movement in Pembrokeshire, were John Gibby, William White and John Duggan. There is an article in July’s 2016 Pembrokeshire Magazine regarding the early movement. For details on this article, Contact Pembrokeshire Magazine, Swan House Publishing, 12 Cysgod Yr Ysgol Gorslas, Llanelli. Wales SA 14 7AX

I will not go into the details of Thomas’s decision to move to the USA, but instead I suggest you read the biography, written by Eris Rees, the daughter-in-law of Thomas Rees who gives a first-hand account of the family’s decision to move to America, from Thomas himself.

1885 Thomas died this year in West Portage 22nd November at 11am local time. He was aged 67

1892 Rebecca died this year aged 71 at Thurber Wayne Utah USA

Christening

Date: 16 Jan 1821

Place: Walton West, Pembroke, South Wales

Burial

Date: Sep 1892

Place: Thurber, Wayne, Utah, United States

LDS Information

LDS Baptism: 21 Nov 1967

LDS Endowment: 7 Jun 1875

Sources

• Year: 1880; Census Place: Portage, Box Elder, Utah; Roll: 1335; Page: 100B; Enumeration District: 006. 1880 United States Federal Census for T.J. Rees 23:12, 13 May 2018 (UTC)

• B.T.'s - Talbenny #105, 211; B.T.'s - Walton West #105, 214.
• 1841 census - Walton West - #464, 345
• 1851 census - Walton West - #104, 238
• 1861 census - Haroldston - #543, 244
• 1871 census - Lambston - #850, 857 Bdle 1445 bk 24 Walton West, Pembs,

• T.B.I. Cards: Thomas (1821), Rebecca (1821), All Children except Elizabeth #3 & Heber #6.

Branch Records - Cuffern Mt., Pemb. #104, 168.

Emigration Records - #025, 692, (1868, 1872)

Logan Temple Records - #177, 957 (1885)

Salt Lake Temple Records - #184, 653, (1896)

Endowment House Records - #183, 396 (1869)