Seeking William Eynon

QI am researching my partner’s family history. His greatgrandfather was Thomas John Eynon, born 10 June 1875 in Aberdare. His parents are listed as William Eynon a labourer and Ann Eynon née Jones.

I have tried to look for a marriage for William and Ann and believe they did not get married and I believe the answer is in the 1871 census. William is lodging in the house of Ann Edevane and she states she is married and she is living there with her children Adolphus, Mary J, Susan, Eliza, David and Jennet Edevane. (Aberdare, 14 Glamorgan Street. Piece 5410, Folio 32, page 24.) On the birth certificate for Adolphus Edevane born 15 November 1854 the mother is listed as Ann Edevane née Jones and the father is listed as James Edevane.

I have traced William through all the census (1861-1911) and he lists his place of birth as Dowlais which became an electoral borough in 1837. From his date of birth it is anytime circa 1835-1840,

On the 1891 census he is living at 19 North View, Aberdare, with his wife and children and a visitor Hannah Bradbury, however on this census he lists his place of birth as Pembroke, Melat Trwyrn.

I found a potential death certificate for him on 7 October 1911 where his age is listed as 68 making him born circa 1843 and his death certificate was received from the coronor and an inquest was held on 9 October 1911, he died of Apoplexy.

His wife Mary Ann died on 15 February 1902 in Aberdare and is listed as the widow of James and her surname is registered as Edevane as well and her son registered the death.

My brickwall is that I cannot find William in 1841 census as there are several born in Pembroke and a couple in the Merthyr Tydfill area and I would like to establish which one he is.

There is a potential baptism on 6 September 1835 the son of William Eynon and Anne Eynon (née Davies) in Wiston, Pembrokeshire and he is listed as being born on 4 August 1835 in Clarbeston at the Calvinistic Methodist chapel.

I would love to establish the parents of William and also any siblings he may have.

ANeither Edevane (a surname of Cornish origin) nor Eynon are common surnames, which should make research easier, alas not. Did William and Anne Eynon marry? Where was William Eynon’s birthplace?

William and Anne Eynon – for the lack of a marriage the battle was lost

No marriage record has been found for them. Were it not for the 1881 return which included David and Jennet Edevane I would have been inclined to question whether Anne Edevane and Anne Eynon were the same person. In its absence I turned to birth and baptism records for Anne’s children.

Mass baptisms

Interestingly, the mother’s name Jones does appear in some birth records. It is always good practice to look for baptisms as well, as they can include additional information. Thomas John Eynon was baptised at Aberdare on 3 March 1881, the son of William and Anne Ainon of 6 Incline Row. However, this was not the only baptism that day. There are other entries of interest – Margaret Ann Ainon, his sister, and also Janette Edvene and David Edvene, the children of James and Anne Edvene also of 6 Incline Row. Unhelpfully neither their ages nor dates of birth were recorded but these could not have been infant baptisms.

Even curiouser are the other entries, all for children from Incline Row on the same day. It’s as if the residents decided to get their children christened en masse!

William Eynon’s birthplace

My go-to reference for Welsh research is The Surnames of Wales by John and Sheila Rowlands which indicates a concentration of the Eynon name in southern Pembrokeshire in Narberth. William’s only link to Pembrokeshire is in the 1891 Census – ‘Melat Trwyn’. This has to be an error on the part of the enumerator. I did wonder if it might be Martletwy but could not find any records for him there.

Setting that aside, you had found a potential baptism for him in 1835, the son of William and Anne Eynon at Wiston, resident at Clarbeston. In 1841 they were recorded there at Knockmoor, William age 6, but there is no sign of him in 1851. I found another baptism at Haroldston St. Issels on 2 February 1835, the son of James and Lydia of Prendergast, but their William continued to be included in census returns with them until 1861. It is very possible that the county link existed in earlier generations.

The census returns for William from 1861-1901 all cite his birthplace as being Dowlais bar the 1891 entry. But, working to a birth date of c.1835 which is consistent throughout, I have not been able to find a match. You might try contacting Glamorgan FHS for more Dowlais-specific information, especially as William indicated that he was bi-lingual and therefore possibly Nonconformist.

Missing Persons

In the 1871 return William Einon was listed as a Lodger at 14 Glamorgan Street with Ann Edevane. Another lodger was also included in the return, a Sarah Einon, born in Farringdon Gurney in Wiltshire. The relationship between them is not recorded, but Sarah could have been his wife. Maybe William was very good at persuading the women in his life to pretend they were married. She then disappears.

What happened to Anne’s husband James Edevane? They had married in 1857 before being recorded in the 1861 Census at 68 Church Street. He disappears from records after this point, although another Edevane continued to live in Aberdare.

There are so many obstacles in this research – missing records, missing individuals and red herrings, that I wonder if a DNA test might provide a breakthrough. It may be the only way to supplement the research which could provide the brickwall breakthrough. GT