Mary Ann Williams (1832-1879)

Mary Ann Williams was born in Glascoed in about 1832. Her parents were Roger and Ann Williams of Beech Farm. I assume that Mary Ann must have been born here, although it is possible that her parents lived elsewhere in the village at this time, since the first record I have found of Beech Farm’s residents is in 1840.

Mary Ann married James Lewis of Llanbadoc (born approx. 1827) on 26th September 1859 at Usk Parish Church.

They were at Upper House, Llanbadoc by the time of the 1861 census. They had an 8 month old daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth must therefore have been born in Llanbadoc in the Summer of 1860. At this time, James was a farmer of 50 acres, employing a carter. Temperance Rowlands (also from Glascoed) was their 14 year old nurse and domestic servant. Does this mean that Temperance had a child at a very young age??

When Mary Ann was aged 17 or 18, I believe that she herself is likely to have had a child out of wedlock. A Charles Williams appeared on the 1851 census at Beech Farm and is enumerated as being the son of Roger and Ann Williams. Since they were aged 60 and 50 respectively at the time, it appears likely that they were passing Charles off as their own on behalf of a family member, most likely Mary Ann as their eldest daughter. I could be totally wrong in my assumptions. Charles Williams’ bio page for more on this.

LINKS:

Censuses: 1841, 1851, 1861.

Newspaper marriage notice: (1859).