Mary (Jones) Vaughan (1853 - 1907)

Born 16 Jul 1853 in Aberdare, Glamorganshire

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Harris — married 6 Jun 1870 (to before 1881) in Independent Chapel Ebenezer, Trecynon, Aberdare

Wife of George Vaughan — married 1883 in Ystradyfodwg, Glamorganshire

Descendants

Died 1907 at about age 53 in Tonypandy, Glamorganshire

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Biography

Mary Vaughan (formerly Harris, nee Jones) 1853 – 1907

Mary was born in Aberdare on July 16th, 1853 to John Jenkin Jones and Gwenllian Harris, both originally from Ystradfellte, Brecknockshire. Her father was a collier and her mother had been a servant on a nearby farm at Cwm Wennol.

In 1861 they were living at 1 Saddler`s Row, Aberdare, along with Mary`s brother Howell (b.1856). Mary`s other brother Jenkin joined the family in 1866.

Mary married Thomas Harries of Ystradgynlais in the Independent Chapel Ebenezer, Trecynon on the 6th of June 1870. The marriage was registered in the Neath District of Glamorganshire. They had a daughter early the next year and named her Gwenllian, probably after Mary`s mother.

By 1871 Mary and Thomas are lodging in the Mount Pleasant Inn, Trecynon, Aberdare, along with her family who were running the public house. Her father was also a miner still, as was Thomas. Baby Gwenllian is also on the Census of 1871.

Mary lost her mother in 1873. She was forty years old.

In 1875 Mary had her second daughter, Catherine Harries. She was born in Aberdare. At some point shortly after the birth of Catherine, the whole family, including Mary`s father and two brothers, moved to Tonypandy in the Rhondda Valley, presumably for the men to find work in the mines. Archibald Hood, the Scottish mining engineer and entrepreneur had started a mine in Llwynypia in 1863. By 1874 he had five pits in the area, known as the Glamorgan Coal Company. Archibald was held in high esteem by his workers because of his support for the working people. He financed a school, a miners institute where workers could read and further their education and also a sports facility. He also built many houses for his workers that included gardens whereby they could grow their own produce to help support themselves. Perhaps this was the draw that brought Mary and her family (and her future husband) into the heart of the Rhondda Valley?

In 1879 Mary lost her first daughter Gwenllian. The death is registered under Pontypridd District.

The 1881 Census shows Mary and her daughter Catherine to be living at 9 Court St., Tonypandy. Mary`s relationship to the head of the house is wife, although her husband does not appear on the form and it does not describe her as widowed either. It seems Thomas left or died, sometime between 1875 and the 1881 Census. Also living with them are her father and her two brothers. All the men were working down the pits.

On 24th of September,1883 Mary re-married, to George Vaughan from Ambleston in Pembrokeshire. George and Mary`s son William John Vaughan was born in 1884. Their daughter Gwenllian Mary Vaughan followed in 1890.

In 1891 Mary, George and their two children were living at 8 Court St. with Mary`s father John and brother Howell. Catherine is absent from the Census there, but is a servant at the DeWinton Hotel, just down the road.

May 1892 was a terrible time for Mary and George. On the first day of the year, Mary's father John Jenkin Jones slipped and broke his leg, which led to him dying in February. On 22nd May, 16 year-old Catherine died from Scarlatina, and Just six days later, Gwenllian Mary, who was only 2 years and 3 months old, suffered the same fate as her sister. George bought a plot at the Llethyrddu Cemetery in Trealaw on the other side of the cwm and the girls were buried there. Mary lost at least 3 of her children to Scarlatina.

On the Census of 1901 Mary and her husband George are still living at 8 Court St., along with their son William. Both of the men are still working as Coal Hewers underground and the household is Welsh speaking. John Jenkin Jones passed away five years earlier, in 1896.

Although only 54 years old when she died, on the 17th of May in 1907, Mary had outlived all three of her daughters. She died in Tonypandy, and was buried with Catherine and Gwenllian Mary. Her GRO Death Certificate reads: "411 / Seventeenth May 1907, 7 Court Street, Tonypandy U.D. / Mary Vaughan / Female / 54 Years / Wife of George Vaughan, Coalminer / Cardiac Failure, Syncope, Certified by M.C. Morgan M.B. / Wm. John Vaughan, Son, 7 Court Street, Tonypandy, Ystradyfodwg / Twenty first May 1907 / Geo. Williams, Registrar."

Mary's husband George died in Cefn Cribbwr in 1914, but joined the rest of his family at the grave in Llethyrddu. The cemetery Plot No. is G1024. G Plots are to the right of the Church, towards the Porth end.

UK Census 1861 for 1 Saddler's Row, Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

1. John Jones. Head. Married. M. 30. Coal Miner. Ystradvellte, Brecknock.

2. Gwenllian Jones. Wife. Married. F. 29. Ystradvellte, Brecknock.

3. Mary Jones. Daughter. F. 7. Scholar. Aberdare, Glamorgan.

4. Howell Jones. Son. M. 5. Scholar. Aberdare, Glamorgan.

5. William Thomas. Boarder. Married. M. 37. Coal Miner. Llanidloes, Montgomery.

UK Census 1871 for The Mount Pleasant Inn, Trecynon, Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

1. J. Jenkin Jones. Head. Married. 39. Coal Miner and Publican. Ystradfellte, Breconshire.

2. Gwenllian Jones. Wife. F. 39. Ystradfellte, Breconshire.

3. Howell H. Jones. Son. Unmarried. M. 15. Pupil Teacher. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

4. Jenkin Jones. Son. Unmarried. M. 5. Scholar. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

5. Thomas Harris. Lodger. Married. M. 24. Coal Miner. Ystradgynlais, Glamorganshire.

6. Marry Harris. Lodger. Married. F. 17. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

7. Gwenllian Harris. Lodger. Unmarried. F. 2 months. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

UK Census 1881 for 9 Court Street, Ystradyfodwg, Glamorganshire.

1. Mary Harris. Head. Wife. Married. F. 28. Collier's Wife. Aberdare, Glamorganshire, Wales.

2. Catherine Harris. Daughter. Single. F. 6. Aberdare, Glamorganshire, Wales.

3. John Jones. Father. Widower. M. 53. Collier. Ystradfellte, Glamorganshire, Wales.

4. Howel Jones. Son. Single. M. 25. Collier. Aberdare, Glamorganshire, Wales.

5. Jenkin Jones. Son. Single. M. 15. Collier. Aberdare, Glamorganshire, Wales.

6. Evan Thomas. Lodger. Single. M. 33. Labourer. Llangeler, Carmarthenshire, Wales.

UK Census 1891 for 8 Court Street, Tonypandy, Ystradyfodwg (Rhondda), Glamorganshire, Wales.

1. John Jones. Head. Widow. 61. Coal Miner / Collier. Ystradfellte, Brecknock.

2. Howell Jones. Son. Single. 36. Coal Miner/ Collier. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

3. George Vaughan. Son-in-Law. Married. 39? Coal Miner / Collier. Ambleston, Pembrokeshire.

4. Mary Vaughan. Daughter. Married. 38. Aberdare, Glamorganshire.

5. William John Vaughan. Son. Single. 7. Ystradyfodwg, Glamorganshire.

6. Gwenllian M. Vaughan. Daughter. Single. 1. Ystradyfodwg, Glamorganshire.

UK Census 1901 for 8 Court Street, Tonypandy, Ystradyfodwg (Rhondda), Glamorganshire, Wales.

1. George Vaughan. Head. Married. 34 Coal Hewer Belowground. Pembrokeshire. Welsh Spoken.

2. Mary Vaughan. Wife. Married. 28. Aberdare, Glamorganshire. Welsh Spoken.

3. William J. Vaughan. Son. Single. 19. Coal Hewer Belowground. Tonypandy, Glamorganshire. Welsh Spoken.

Sources

UK Census 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901

BMD info from Findmypast.com

GRO Death Certificate: Mary Vaughan, 54, 1907 2nd Quarter Pontypridd, Vol. 11A, p.319

Trealaw/Llethyrddu Cemetery records.

And a big thank you to Brian on the Trealaw Cemetery website.

Vaughan Family Bible

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Owen Phillips for creating Jones-20686 on 29 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Owen and others.