Dear Carol, I know names evolved....and I know scribes (and a certain degree of illiteracy) are thought responsible for different surname spellings in the various Welsh records. I also know that (I think it was) Erasmus of the Picton Castle line who decreed that he and his close relatives would be forthwith known as PHILIPPS ..to distance them from the hoi poloi...No common double l's for him! Too bad about all the PHILLIPs who had gone before him. Yesterday I wrote down all the various spellings and the marriage details of the various early Battin/Batins/Batine folks I could find ...and wondered if William Batine of Barratt's Hill had, like the Picton Castle Philipps, decided on his own surname spelling.....perhaps it was just that his generation was better educated than those who went before. Today I have filled in some details. Bingo! This afternoon I looked at the Will for THOMAS BATTIN of Walwyn's Castle, proved 1785. I only skimmed through....your eyesight is probably better than mine and I'm sure you will want to look at it yourself.....but his wife Elizabeth received 10 pounds and another 20 pounds yearly....and there was something else about the sum 500 pounds relating to her.. He left 100 pounds to his granddaughter, Mary Andrew, Spinster, Thomas Levett son of Nathaniel Levett was to receive 50 pounds and the rest of course went to "MY SON WILLIAM BATTIN OF BARRETTS HILL". William BATTIN is described as a Gentleman and mention is also made of Thomas's sons-in-law Nathaniel Levett of Steynton, William Moore of Walwyn's Castle and William Thomas of Monacton So William Batine named his own son Thomas after his father, Thomas Battin who was himself a man of some wealth, but who signed his name with a cross. The POSSIBLE ancestors/relatives. Under Thornton House Major Jones noted that "in 1623 David Batin, yeoman, is of Thornton. Francis Andrew. described as 'gent' whose father was a farmer, lived at Thornton and his family was succeeded by the Crymes family". David may fit into the family pedigree, and Francis Andrew may be an ancestor of Thomas Battin's granddaughter.......something for you to follow up. A JOHN BATTIN 1694/95 married Grace Jenkins at Steynton......in 1675/76 a Jenet Jenkins married Robert Roch at Steynton and there are quite a few other Jenkins marriages listed as taking place in Steynton over the next fifty years or so. A BRIGETT BATIN 1688/89 at Steynton married William Butterfield. There is a Will for a John Butterfield proved at St. Issells but not until 1794. A MARGARET BATIN in 1748 married John Sayse at Steynton. There is a Will for John Says at Burton in 1766 but may not be the same person. A MARY BATIN in 1765 at Steynton married THOMAS GRIFFITH. Thomas Battin of Walwyn's Castle.....his daughters. Mary Batin in 1762 at Steynton married William Andrew. There does not seem to be a Will for William Andrew. but there are various Andrew Wills. Mary Andrew Steynton 1726; William Andrew, Steynton 1697 who might be William's father; Elizabeth Andrew, Steynton 1744, Francis Andre Steynton 1770; Francis Andrew, Thornton........note that the house name is given instead of Steynton in the index...proved 1794. Thomas Batin's Will indicated that they had a spinster daughter, Mary Andrew in 1785. Anne Batine in 1756 at Steynton married Nathaniel Levett. There is a Will for Nathaniel 1838...I think it states that he was a Clerk.....I presume a minister of religion, but nothing else indicates this. Anne's father's Will indicated they had a son named Thomas. In 1786 Land Tax for Steynton Nathaniel is at Castle Pill, Owner Sir William Hamilton....and ditto for the Mill with a different Landlord. There are several other Levett Wills. Margaret Batine married William Thomas at Steynton 1766. I believe her father's Will indicated he was living at Mouncton which is probably Monkton or Mounton. Elizabeth BATINS at Steynton in 1770 married William Moore. There is a Will proved at Walwyn's Castle in 1796 which may be his.. Griffiths of Llanwnda Disappointingly Llanwnda marriage records exist for 1685 and there are none then until 1777 to 1812. Thomas Griffith of Llanwnwr, Llanwnda was said in the Stonehall article to be 68 when he died in 1808, wife Martha died 1796 aged 61, i.e. born 1735. This gives him a birth year of 1740 and would qualify them to marry some time in the missing years. I toyed with the idea that he might be the Thomas Griffith who married Mary Batin at Steynton in 1765, but then Martha would have to be a second wife ...and nothing indicates that. Major Jones wrote of Llanwnwr "By 1659 Elizabeth Griffith, widow, and her son John Griffith were living at Llanwnwr when John Vaughan of Jordanston granted properties in the parishes of Jordanston and St. Nicholas to them. There is a Llanwnda proven Will for a John Griffith in the year 1715 which mentions his sisters Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret and a nephew ...possibly Phillip or someone Phillip. Value of his estate was 15 pounds 10 shillings and it was appraised by John Thomas and John David. I hope Myra can help us identify who these Griffiths actually were. Steynton. >From the random Land Tax entries I have it was interesting to see William Batine was an Assessor in 1786 as was T. Morrice, one of his executors. George Phelps and Nathaniel Levett were Collectors. I noted that William Parsell is at Barrett's Hill by 1830.......and I had a quick skim through the Will of Thomas Morrice of Walwyn's Castle proved in 1825 who mentions William Parsell in his Will. Thomas Morrice's wife's name appears to have been Martha....and according to the LT records he was at Thornton, Steynton at one stage and was landlord of part of it, but Miss Moore and her sister owned some, as did Mr. Phelps. For all the Peregrine seekers....THOMAS PEREGRINE Offe St. Off. (whatever that means) 5 pounds....was the last name shown before the Assessors and Collectors in the 1786 Steynton Land Tax record. It would be so nice if someone could recognise one of the family lines as theirs, and fill us in further......but Carol I am sure you will want to look at the various Wills...and then tell us all of your findings. That's all for tonight. Bettye Kirkwood. Major Jones wrote under "Thornton House" Steynton" that in 1623 a David Batin, Yeoman

I have nothing to add concerning the Griffiths family of Llanwnwr at present. In the past I have tried to find out where Moses Griffiths came from, it was he who left his mansion at Manorowen to the son of his Bailiff, Thomas Johns. Church records for Llanwnda for the dates we want were destroyed by the French. The weather is cold and miserable at the moment, but when it improves I will have a look at the burial grounds Myra