GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS
Englishman fulfils dream of living in Wales after falling in love with heritage
AN ENGLISHMAN who fell in love with his Welsh heritage after his mother’s death has taken the plunge and moved to Wales. Paul Usher, 51, was born and raised in Birmingham, but was always told about his Welsh roots by his mother Betty, who came from Abercynon.
While not that interested in his family history as a child, as an adult Paul became more and more curious about life the other side of the bridge.
The father of three said: “I have always had a strong Welsh heritage and known since I could walk and talk that my mum’s family were Welsh.
“My Aunty Myra started the ball rolling, when she started tracking the family history years ago and was put putting it all in the post to my mum.
“My mum put it inn a brown envelope and told me if I ever decide to look into my heritage e I would have a good start.
“I said ‘great’ and put the envelope away. After a few w years I was clearing out the atticc and I came across it and it ignited d a fire.
“I got really involved ed in tracking my Welsh history.”
Paul has now set up a website called From Wales to Birmingham which documents his search into his family history, stretchingching as far back as the early 19th century.
Among the discoveries overies that Paul made was that his great-great-great- grandfather George D’Artenay was employed as a composer and transcriber of music at Cyfartha Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, having travelled to Wales from Bremen, Germany, in the mid 19th century.
His great-great-grandfather Edwin Parrish, born in Merthyr in 1852, was one of the two men killed in the Maritime Colliery cage accident in Pontypridd in 1899.
His maternal grandparents Maud Breakingbury, born in 1900 in Pontypridd, and Frederick Thomas, born in 1900 in Abercynon, moved to Longbridge, Bi Birmingham, in 1938 1938, with
Paul’s mothe mother Mary “Betty” Thomas. Fred worked at the Austin automobile plant, which was mobilised during World War II to manufacture equipment to assist the war effort, becoming a regular target for the German Luftwaffe.
After regular visits to South Wales as a child, Paul came to love the area, having visited relatives in Ynysybwl, Barry, Cardiff, Merthyr and Aberdare. Paul said: “For me it’s just one of those things that never leaves you.
“When you’re an adult you appreciate it more.”
Paul’s mother died in 2006. Since then he’s held a longing for Wales and visited friends and relatives with his wife Deb and children Erin, Esther and Kairan at least 10 times a year.
In January they bought a house in Aberdare. Paul said: “We moved here and life is quieter. The people in the Valleys are beautiful people and we have met some of the best friends we have ever made.
“We miss our family back home but we were pining for our friends in the Valleys. We came from the city and you’d think there was a lot for us to do there but it’s overpriced for working families and there’s much more for our kids to do here.
“I went back to the Brecon Beacons for the first time since my childhood and it brought so many memories back. It was the most amazing day just taking in the scenery.
“In some small way, by being back in Wales, I have got a connection with my mother.
“Some of my family said we were crazy and brave but it was a dream for us and we made it happen.”