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The Thomas Lewis Line

The Other Siblings


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David and Mary's Other Children

Maria 1826
Maria was born in 1826 and was baptised at the Ebenezer Baptist Chapel in Aberystruth. It is possible she is not related but if she is then her mother Mary's maiden name was Arthyrs. It is likely that she died before she reached her teens.

Ebenezer 1828

Ebenezer may or may not have been the first born to David and Mary. He was born in Cwmtillery or Argoed in the Winter of 1828. Since his Mother was from the area of Cwmtillery and Blaina, it is likely that he was born in the home of her parents. Still not married, and this is possibly because he was the eldest and since his father, widowed in April 1851, was unable to work, he was left with the responsibility of paying for his his father's food and shelter, which was paid for by becoming a miner . Very little is known about him after 1851. Ebenezer lodged with his younger brother Lewis Lewis, and his young family in Tranch Wood near Pontypool in the early 1860s, working with Thomas at the Tranch or Big Jack collieries. In Blaina in 1881 and Ebenezer was lodging with the Richards family in Henwaun Terrace overlooking Henwaun Colliery where he was no doubt working. In the 1880's he went to Penhriwceiber and met up with his younger brother Thomas, and his Nephews, David who arrived in the early 1880s, and William, and his neices Eliza and Amelia who arrived with Thomas. A year after his brother younger brother, Lewis had died in Roath, Cardiff, Ebenezer's health quickly deterriating, after a life time of breathing coal and stone dust he contracted Dropsy. Ebenezer past away on 11th April 1889, after three months of this illness. He never married, and William was at his bedside at the end. He was 61 years old.

Martha 1830

Martha was probably born in Argoed like Ebenezer and Thomas. Nothing is known about her, but I presume she married before she was 20 years old.

Lewis 1836-1888
Lewis was born in Abercarn in 1836. He was only 2 years old when the Newport Chartist rebellion took place. He moved with his family to Garndiffaith, he became a Miner like his older brothers. After Thomas married, Lewis, Ebenezer, and his widowed father probably moved to The Tranch with Thomas. Lewis attended the PenyGarn Baptist College, Pontypool and was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1858. Lewis met Elizabeth Morgan, the daughter of a labourer John and Sarah Morgan, she was born in Llanharan, and had moved to Pontypool with her family.
Elizabeth became pregnant, and she was very heavily pregnant when at the age of 23, Lewis married Elizabeth on 3rd December 1859 at Pontypool Registry Office. They could not marry in a chapel for obvious reasons, Elizabeth was very distended. Elizabeth gave birth to a son soon after in Pontypool. He was named David like his paternal grandfather. Lewis was sent to the Merthyr area, possibly Ferndale on ministry work where he was the first Baptist minister in the valley, and here in late March 1861 Elizabeth gave birth to another son, this one named John after his maternal grandfather. They had Elizabeth's Uncle Leyshon and Aunt Ann Morgan there to help with the birth. Lewis brought his family back to Pontypool days after, along with Leyshon and Ann Morgan. Safety in numbers being one consideration, and young John, and Elizabeth, were not really ready to travel that far at that time of year. When the family arrived in Pontypool, they were found a house in Tranch Woods, where Ebenezer lodged with them. They also had daughter and she was named Nancy, before moving to Heol Fach in the Rhondda. On 17th April 1870 Elizabeth had another son named Moses.
Coedpenmain, Glyntaff, Pontypridd, where Lewis lived before the Baptist Chapel was built. Lewis was a minister on this stretch of canal over the embankment

After Moses was born The reverend moved his family to Coedpenmaen, Glyntaff near Pontypridd to work as the Baptist minister on this stretch of canal, before moving back to Heol Fach. Dr William Price, the well known Pagan lived nearby. On 20th February 1874 another daughter was born. This one named Sarah Ann, like her cousin and her

maternal grandmother. In 1878 Lewis and Elizabeth also had another son, Lewis John. Lewis moved the family to Fairwater Cottages in Cwmbran, where Lewis's brother Thomas was also working. In 1879 Elizabeth gave birth to daughter named after herself, Elizabeth, but to save confusion, she was given the pet name of Lily. Soon after this Lewis got work in Roath, Cardiff as a baptist minister so they left the coal mining valleys for a life in Cardiff. Within a short time of living there Elizabeth gave birth to another daughter. The year being 1882 and the girl's name was Ruth. Lewis, a coal trimmer, but at this time may have been the baptist minister in the Infirmary nearby. Here he unfortunately went down with Pneumonia and after 5 days he passed away on Monday 23rd January 1888. He was 52 years old. After Lewis's death, Elizabeth and her children moved to Topaz Street, but Sarah Ann, and Lewis John accompanied Thomas, up to the Rhondda, while Moses, Lily, and Ruth stayed with their mother. Elizabeth moved in with Lily, and her Husband James Howells, and like her late husband, died of pneumonia about 15 years later, on Thursday 3rd December 1903, in Ystrad and her eldest son, Lewis was at her bedside. She was 61 years old.

Family tree

The Other Children of Thomas and Amelia(Jayne)
David 1863
David was born on 21st September 1863 in Cwmffrwdoer, named after his grandfather, who died fourteen months earlier. When David was old enough to work he became a collier, and moved to Pontywaun, near Risca to replace one of the 120 colliers who died in the Old Black Vein Colliery explosion. In the mid 1880s he moved to Penrhiwceiber with his father. There he met Harriet, born in Aberdare, who he married in about 1888. In 1888 Harriet gave birth to a son called Thomas, and then two years later she gave birth to another son named David.

Eliza Ann(Jones) 1867
Eliza Ann was born in 1867 in Cwmffrwdoer to Thomas and Amelia. She worked as a domestic servant after leaving school. When her father went to Penrhiwceiber, Eliza went too. When she got there she met a young man who was born in Risca, named Lewis Thomas Jones. In 1888 Eliza married Lewis in Aberdare. His father Henry was born near Wrexham, and had taken his family up to Merthyr after they left Risca. Eliza's first child she gave birth to was a boy. He was named William Henry and was born in Aberdare in 1889. Lewis and Eliza then moved to Pontypool, and there Eliza gave birth to a daughter named Elizabeth who born in 1874. Lewis then took the family back to Aberdare, and in 1896 Eliza had a daughter she named Eliza like herself. From Aberdare Lewis took the family again into Monmouthshire, and to Abercarne, where Eliza's Uncle Lewis was born. They moved into a house at 10, Feeder Row, and in 1899 Eliza gave birth to another daughter, this time named Gertrude.

William 1870-1942
William was born in Tranch, Pontypool on Monday 30th May 1870, and was named after his Great Uncle William Lewis, and grandfather William Jayne. William went up to Penhriwceiber with his father Thomas, and Amelia his sister,where his brother David and his Uncle Ebenezer were. A year later William sat at Ebenezer's death bed as he faded away with Dropsy. Caused by a life in the mines, and lung disease would kill him too many years later. At 19 years old William married in the summer of 1889 to Selina Roberts, the daughter of Richard Roberts, a lead miner from the edge of Aberyswith. Selina was only 16 years old. In the spring of 1890 Selina died because of labour complications, so William moved in with his in-laws, the Roberts family, who were still in Penrhiwceiber. Selina was still only 16 years old when she died.
The Gelli Colliery, Ystrad, Rhondda
with William Street(nearest left)

William was one of the witnesses when Amelia married Selina's older brother Morgan. Like Selina, Amelia also was only 16 years old. William moved to Ystrad, where he was to become attracted to his cousin Sarah Ann, the daughter of his late uncle, Revrend Lewis Lewis. William got involved with her, and Sarah Ann became pregnant. On Monday

The Shiloh Baptist Chapel, Pentre, Rhondda

6th November 1893 they married at Shiloh Chapel, Pentre, Rhondda. William and Sarah stayed in Ystrad, where Sarah Ann gave birth to a daughter named Sarah Jane, within weeks of the wedding and a year later another daughter who they named Blodwen like Thomas's first child. Blodwen was born on Tuesday 30th October 1894. When William's cousin Ruth

killed a miner with his own pick, for sexually assaulting her, William took the blame, having established it was an accident, so he was paid to leave the Rhondda, so they moved to Llanhilleth to be near Thomas's family and to work at Six Bells together. At Llanhilleth around 1897 Sarah gave birth to another daughter they named Deborah May, before they moved to Cwrt-y-Bella, between Argoed and Penmaen. In Cwrt-y-Bella they had a son they named Reginald William. They then moved to Oakdale, and by this time William was heavily into religion. Maybe the loss of some of his children to Diphtheria caused this religious fervor. They then move to Park View Bunglows, Woodfield Side where they had children named Violet Sceptre, Sally, John, and Thomas Vadre.
William had a long dark beard and he like his Uncle Lewis he began to preach and could be seen delivering huge piles of bibles on foot around Blackwood and the surrounding area. He had also a prize fighter like his elder brother Thomas, but as time went by William got more and more obsessed with the scriptures, and would sit reading his bible for long periods, even ignoring visitors. William retired from being a coal hewer, and started preaching the Bible from a tent and at the Penmaen Independent Chapel. He also also did house clearances and had the Whote Cottages in the High Street, as a furniture warehouse and sold recovered book in his shop in Newport. Sarah Ann had worked in the Penmaen Post Office, but left there to sell William's recovered furniture in her shop on the corner of Bridge Street, Blackwood. Sarah started becoming very tired and eventually had to stop working, and on Monday 7th December 1936, aged 62 years old, his wife, Sarah, died of Anaemia, at their home in Park View Bungalows, Blackwood, and William was by her bedside. After Sarah Ann died William moved to his youngest daughter's home, Sally Duckham's home at 3, Kincoed Road, in Oakdale, and on Saturday 14th November 1942, aged 72, William died of a mine related illness, at their home, and his son Reg was present.

Sarah Ann(Barnes) 1872
Sarah was born in Cwmffrwddoer near Pontypool in the Autumn of 1872 to Thomas and Amelia. Sarah moved to Cwmbran in the late 1870s and when the family returned to the Tranch in the 1880s she met Oliver George Barnes from Moreton Street. Sarah was 18 years old when she married this man of refinement, Oliver, who was a coal hitcher but made his way up to an office clerk for the colliery. Sarah and Oliver lived with Sarah's parents in Twisle's Row after they married around 1890, and soon after and they had a daughter they named Blodwen Ann the same as Thomas's first daughter. They then had another daughter called Sarah Jane in 1891. Blodwen may have die, but in 1894 they had a son and named him Oliver George. In my grandfather's visits to his Auntie Sarah's, he said that she was never happy hearing about the fighting of Tom and Will. Oliver, the son, later went into business with David Benfield, running the Crumlin to Tirpentwys Colliery bus service and delivering coal to the local houses.

Amelia(Roberts) 1874
Amelia was born on 12th May 1874 in Cwmffrwdoer to Thomas and Amelia Lewis, and was given her mother's name. She moved to Cwmbran in the late 1870s and moved back to the Tranch with them. Amelia went to Mountain Ash with David, Eliza, and William, and her father in about 1886. William had married a 16 year old girl named Selina Roberts from Aberyswith in the summer of 1889 shortly after their Uncle Ebenezer died. Amelia was courting Selina's brother, Morgan Roberts, a collier who was 24 years old. They married on 24th July 1890 at Pontypridd Registry Office. They were married by the Registrar of Marriages, William Jones Powell who was 53 and born in Pontypridd. After marrying they settled in Penrhiceiber, next door to Morgan's family, Amelia was still only two months past her 16th birthday, although she declared herself being 18 years old for descency's sake. That summer Selina, also still 16, died. In the winter of 1891 Amelia gave birth to a daughter, so they named her Selina, after Morgan's late sister. In the winter of 1892 young Selina died. She was but a year old. They moved to 64 Charles Street, Llwynypia. After the death of her father, Thomas, her mother Amelia moved in with her until she died on 3rd October 1907.

The Children of Thomas and Mary(Davies)
Blodwen Ann(Davies) 1886
Blodwen Ann was born on Friday 22nd January 1886. Blodwen was a strong woman when she grew up. She was 17 years old when she her cousin David John Davies at St Illydd, Llanhilleth David's father was James, Mary's younger brother. However Blodwen had little time for her father's second family with Elizabeth, and was determined that when Thomas died he would be buried with her mother,Thomas's first wife Mary, and her younger brother, Thomas.

Family tree

Thomas 1888-1908
Thomas was born to Thomas and Mary Tuesday 10th July 1888. He followed his father into mining as most did in that area at that time but unfortunately he was struck down with acute Lobar Pneumonia at the age of 19. Seven days later on Thursday 27th February 1908 Thomas died and was buried with his mother. David John Davies, Blodwen's husband and their cousin, was present at his death.

The first son of Thomas and Elizabeth Jane(Oliver/Barnes)
Louis Reginald 1910-1947
Louis was the first born to Thomas Lewis and Elizabeth Jane Oliver at their home at 26 Gwent Street, Pontypool on 6th December 1910. His name was supposed to be Lewis, which ran in the family, but there seems to have been some misunderstanding between Elizabeth and the Registrar when she registered him. I am sure this may have been a sore subject for Thomas, and this is why Louis was always known by his second name, Reginald. He had two half brothers, Herbert and Lionel, and a half sister, Blodwen. Louis he was called Reg from a very young age and when he was old enough he started work at the pit as his father had done, working with Herbert and Lionel, but after his father, Thomas, was killed in Waterloo pit, in 1929, he lost the stomach for mining and joined the Army. His tour or duty took him to India, for seven years, during which time he was bitten by a rabid dog, which put him in hospital, and for ever after was frightened of dogs. Reg ended his service in 1939, and the Bus dropped him right by his front door on his return. When Lionel's eldest son, John brought a dog to the house, it was only Mr Russell's intervention that prevented a fight with Reg who was very nervous of dogs. Reg married Doreen Smith, the daughter of William Smith, a Durham collier who had moved to Blackwood. Reg and Doreen started a family in the home of Elizabeth who was still living in Church View. Reg found work as a signalman on the Railway On Thursday 19th June 1941 Pat Rose was born at home. Reg.'s first son was Harold Melvin named after his brother, Harold Melville, and he was born Thursday 19th August 1942. He was also born in Church View. Next came Michael John who was born in Newport Thursday 7th October 1943. A few years passed before Reg and Doreen had their last child. This was Anthony who was also born in Church View on Sunday 16th June 1946. Reg used to make kiddy cars to a very high standard in his spare time. On the fateful afternoon of 27th May 1947 Reg came home from work feeling ill at the end of his shift. He went up to his bed and within an hour he was Dead. Tragically Reg's life was cut short at the age of 35 when he died of a Brain Haemorrhage in 1947. The neighbour came in to try to help before he died, and Dr. Buckley was called, but it was too late. He died at home, and left Doreen to bring up their young family.

Family Tree

Three of the Seven children of William and Sarah Ann
Blodwen(Smith) 1894
Blodwen, named after her cousin, Thomas's first born, was the first child of William and Sarah Ann who was born on Tuesday 30th October 1894. She met Frederick Smith and on Sunday 22nd August 1924 they married. They had 4 children, the eldest, Arthur, who later traced a lot of the History of the Lewis Family.

Violet Sceptre(Loze)
Violet married Thomas Gilbert Loze in 1922, and had four sons, Aubry, Dennis, Raymond Vadre, and Peter who died at 14 years old in an accident. Violet was very close to her little brother Thomas, and after he went missing in action, she worked tirelessly to find out what had become of him.

Family tree

Thomas Vadre
Named Thomas after his Uncle, he was born around 1917 in Woodfield Side to William and Sarah Ann. He worked in the pit until he hurt his back. After this his parents decided that he should improve his education and go to college since mining was no longer an option. He went off to college and because his college friends were not from mining communities when the Second World War broke out Thomas followed them into the RAF. By this time he was married to Emma Goodman, who he had married near Saltash in 1939. He had been very gregarious and always had a sports car. Thomas told his family that he was a clerk in the stores, but two weeks before 51 squadron's mission to bomb Kassel, Germany, he stepped in as rear gunner in a Halifax bomber HN920, as

a replacement. Unfortunately the enemy discovered the planned raid and intercepted the 569 bombs heading for Kassel. Thomas's plane was one of 43 plane that perished. Thomas's plane was shot down near the hamlet of Terlo, near Antwerp, and never reached the target. His plane circled a little before nose diving, crashing with the large explosion of bombs still on board.

The Last Flight by Michael Lees
Commissioned as a Tribute to Thomas Vadre from one of his nephews

The Children of Lewis Lewis and Elizabeth(Morgan)

David 1859
David was born in Pontypool in 1859 very shortly after Lewis and Elizabeth married.

John 1861
John was born in the Merthyr area in 1861 when Lewis was sent there to work in a Chapel. Elizabeth's Uncle Leyshon Morgan and his wife Ann travelled there to help with the birth. John unfortunately died before he was 10 years old.

Thomas 1864
Thomas was in 1864. He travelled with his family to Heol Fach, Ystrad, before 1870, and on the New Town, and Roath, Cardiff in the 1880's, before taking Sarah and Lewis with him back up to the Rhondda. He still had not married by 1901 but he was living in Ystrad, Rhondda, and worked as a Railway Storeman.

Moses 1870
Moses was born at Heol Fach, Ystrad on 17th April 1870, and was present at his father's death, when he was 18 years old in Roath in 1888. Moses moved from 79, Elm Street to 22, Topaz Street with his mother and youngest sisters where he stayed until he married Martha Thomas, who was born in Taff's Well in 1866. Martha was the daughter of Thomas Thomas, and they lived at 4, Eclipse Street, Roath. Martha was a couple of years older than Moses, but Moses made Martha pregnant. After they married they remained in Roath, even when the rest of the Lewis family returned to the Rhondda. They married on 21st July 1891 at Cardiff Registry Office, before moving to Eclipse Street, next door to Matha's mother Barbara Thomas, who was now widowed, and her brother Lewis. They had at least three children here, the first three children were girls. The first was Esther who was born in 1891, the child that martha was carrying on the day of their wedding, then Elsie was born in 1893, and then Elizabeth in 1897.
Moses filled his father's shoes with the Baptist duties, and like his father work as a collier the rest of the time.

Sarah Ann(Lewis) 1874
Sarah Ann was born at Heol Fach, Ystrad on 20th February 1874. Sarah travelled to New Town and Roath, Cardiff, before returning to the Rhondda in her mid teens, her brothers Thomas and Lewis. Sarah Ann married her cousin, William. Having moved around often and produced a large family along the way they settled in Woodfield Side, Blackwood, and on 17th December 1936 Sarah died of Anaemia.

Lewis John c1878
Lewis was born in about 1878 in Heol Fach, Ystrad. He travelled with the family to New Town, and Roath, Cardiff. He became a Coal Hewer, and travelled back to the Rhondda with Thomas and Sarah, where he married Mary, born in Tredegar in about 1897. They were living at 15, New River Row, Ystrad, when Mary had their first two sons. First she had Donald within a year of the wedding, and Thomas Artur in 1899, but he died within a year, and was buried at Treorchy cemetery on 29th July 1899. Lewis was at his mother's bedside when she died.

Elizabeth(Howells) c1880
Elizabeth was born at 16, Moira Terrace, New Tow, Cardiff in about 1880, and was given the pet name of Lily, so as to not be confused with her mother. She travelled to 79, Elm Street, Roath, where her father died. Her mother moved her and her sister Ruth, and brother Moses to Topaz Street. She later went back to the Rhondda, and married James Howells, born in her mother's home town of Llanharan, a Coal Hewer. They may have met and married in Cardiff before taking her mother and sister, Ruth back to the Rhondda. She would have been about 12 years younger than him, and about 18 years old and pregnant by then. They moved to Merthyr, there a son was born, and named Lewis Edwin. They then moved to Moss Cottage, Oddfellows Row, Ystrad. Lily's mother, Elizabeth, stayed with them, and in 1903 she died of pneumonia.

Ruth c1882
Ruth was born at 16 Moira Street, Cardiff in about 1882, and a few years after moving to 79 Elm Street, Roath, where she saw her father die. Ruth stayed with her Mother when she moved to Topaz Street, and then when her sister Lily married and moved back to the Rhondda taking their mother with them. Ruth worked as at the local colliery, as a gas door attendant, and while working a miner sexually assaulted her, and while he did it, Ruth hit him with his own pick, killing him. It was made out to be a mining accident her cousin William took the responsibility, moved away. She was at her mother's bedside when she died.

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