I found "The Australian Diary of a Cardiganshire Swagman, 1869-1894" very interesting when I borrowed it many years ago. It covered an area in which I was interested so I made some notes. Letters took ages to get to Australia and some dates are therefore suspect by the time the diary was written. I hope this incomplete list will provide a connection for a List member, Census 1861: Trecefel, Llanfihangel Ystrad CGN: RG9/4203: Joseph JENKINS age 43 b.Llanfihangel Ystrad, farmer183 aces, 3 labs. Elizabeth age 33 wife, with 5 of their 10 children: Jenkin age 14 Lewis age 13 Margaret age 10 - married David EVANS, Glangors on 8 Sep 1876 and she died on 29 Apr 1883 age 32 - 3 children Elinor age 8 - married Ebenezer EVANS, Tyndomen. Nell & her daughter were still writing to Joseph in 1892. Mary age 5 - married Jane age 2 - married Daniel of Frithwen on 7 May 1892 The missing ones: Tom (Thomas Joe, who later farmed Trecefel) Anne (whose diary is in the National Library of Wales) 2 children died very young. His wife was the daughter of Jenkin EVANS, Tynant, Vale of Aeron CGN. Her father died age 94. His eldest daughter Betty lost her husband Jenkin GRIFFITHS, Pontfaen, when he fell off his horse on 20 Mar 1875, somewhere between Llanrhystyd and Llanon, while returning from market. No wonder, as the roads you mentioned in your previous letter were in such a terrible state, David. This entry is slightly confused, Betty was not mentioned and Jenkin GRIFFITHS was just described as 'brother-in-law'. Joseph 'the Swagman' (bardic name "Amnon II") left his family for Australia in 1868. He had started his diary when he was age c.21 while living on his aunt's farm, Clwtypatrwn, Llanfair. Her second husband John EVANS died in 1882. David DAVIES 1745-1827 of Castell Hywel, farmer, preacher, scholar & distinguished bard who also translated Gray's Elegy. Rev. D.C. REES wrote "History of Tregaron". David EVANS, Rheola's death in 1888 (his adopted daughter Lily wrote to the 'Swagman'). Big fire at Aberystwyth University in c.1885. Reverend Charles JONES, Sunny Hill, Tregaron and Vicar of All Saints, Welsh Church, Roath, Cardiff, died 1890, also his sister Avarinah, both single. John DAVIES & William WILLIAMS were gold diggers in AUS. His cousin Reverend John DAVIES returned to Tynrhos, Llangeitho in 1889. Walter David JONES of Penywern CGN went to AUS (near Castlemaine). WDJ's uncle JONES of Llanion was known as a 'good shot'. Rees JONES of Ponterwyd & his wife from Penrhiw Pal, near Newcastle Emlyn's family were in Maldon AUS in 1885. Rees JONES, miner of Cwmystwyth CGN, now manager of the Beehive Golden Claim, died 1891 - he left "a swarm of children aged between 20 & 0". One of the Swagman's nephews was Jenkin JENKINS "Aeronian" of Felincoed died in 1892 & his wife also died, leaving 9 daughters & one son. John JENKINS died 24 Mar 1895 was known by the bardic name "Cerncoch". Swagman's brother. Jenkin JENKINS, 1835-1907, brother, was educated in Hereford and returned to Blaenplwyf* so related to the rat catchers mentioned by David. He owned a famous mare "Nans o'r Glyn". He became Chairman of Cardigan County Council & Alderman. Anne David Rowlands wrote: > Any Davies with Lampeter area ancestry out there? > > I found this interesting item in the 'Maitland Mercury & Hunter River > General Advertiser', Saturday 13 November 1847. > > "Rat-killing Extraordinary.—On the 11th instant Mr. Joseph Jenkins, of > Blaen-plwyf Ystrad, near Lampeter, and his two brothers, both under > twelve years of age, killed no less than 107 rats in less than half an > hour. The modus operandi was as follows:—The three brothers poured > boiling water, or cold water and quick lime, into the rats' holes, and > on their attempting to escape they were knocked on the head with the > batons which the youths held in their hands. No dogs whatever were > used on the occasion,and the dead rats filled a bushel basket." > > I thought at first that this might be the same Joseph Jenkins that > wrote the famous diary (excerpts published some years ago by his great- > grandson with a title along the lines of 'Diary of a Welsh Swagman' > and mentioned, I believe on this list) but the diarist was from near > Blaenplwyf, just south of Aberystwyth (where the TV transmitter is) > whereas the rat-catcher was from Blaen-plwyf Ystrad, near Lampeter. > > David > Canberra > > ================================ > Dyfed list http://home.clara.net/daibevan/DyfedML.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DYFED-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >