Hi Charlene In the 1851 census the location is 'Heolirmyndd' in the parish of St Brides Major and Edward Powell, 24, the elder brother of Rees Powell, is 'Farmer of 160 acres'. The parish is south-east of Bridgend on the coast and extending inland and is home to extensive limestone quarries and the beach below Dunraven Castle, generally known as Southerndown beach. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/GLA/StBridesMajor/ has links to maps and the village is shown on the map as Heol-y-mynydd. On that GENUKI page there is also a link to an index of a book "ST. BRIDE'S MAJOR, SOUTHERNDOWN AND OGMORE BY THE SEA, A Chronicle of a Parish in the Vale of Glamorgan,By Stanley W. Bevan 1980" which appears to include several illustrations including 'W.Powell', possibly your William. In 1871 census Edward Powell aged 44 b St Brides Major, with wife Cathrine aged 48 b Cowbridge , 3 children (all born Merthyr Mawr, Glamorgan ( a parish on the other side of the Ogwr estuary) and two servants was at 'West Vawr', farmer of 130 acres. One of the children is shown as Mary J aged 11, the eldest Edward aged 12. I wonder whether this entry in the 'Cambrian' newspaper www.swansea.gov.uk/cambrian is about the same Edward : BIRTHS 01 April 1859 AT WHITNEY, MERTHYR MAWR - TO THE WIFE OF EDWARD POWELL, A DAUGHTER. BIRTHS 09 March 1860 ON 24 FEBRUARY,AT WHITRA,NEAR BRIDGEND,TO THE WIFE OF EDWARD POWELL,FARMER,OF TWINS,A SON & DAUGHTER. In 1881 census Edward is now a widower, at West Farm, St Brides Major. His sister Alison aged 63, unmarried, is also there. I agree that this looks the same Edward Powell aged 14 in Margam in 1841 at 'Pandy' with parents Edward,40, farmer and Mary, 35, younger sister Elizabeth b abt 1829 and younger brother Rees b abt 1831. In 1891 Edward was still at West Farm, St Brides Major in the 'hamlet or village of Southerndown', a farmer, widower, with his three unmarried children Edward, Mary J and David (26) It is a very attractive piece of countryside and you will find many images of Southerndown beach, officially named Dunraven Bay (after Dunraven Castle which is perched on the cliff above it). If you look at https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/287823/173773/12/100196 or search the old-maps site for Southerndown you will see on the 1878 map 'West' and 'West cottage' which is where they lived, on the road above the cliffs leading from Ogmore-by-sea to Southerndown village proper, which had several hotels in it. One of those hotels later became the 'home for blind babies' I think. I see that in 1911 William Powell's address is 'Ogmore, Merthyr Mawr' but in the parish of St Bride's Major. There is a set of stepping stones across the river Ogwr (Ogmore in English) from Ogmore Castle to Merthyr Mawr village. Maybe in 1911 Merthyr Mawr was a better-known address than St Bride's Major. He says he was born in Margam., and was a retired farmer aged 78. If you do a Google search for image Ogmore Castle you will almost certainly find one showing the stepping stones. Not quite what you are looking for, but a bit of background. And a lovely area to visit if you come looking for the ancestors. Best wishes with your research Jeff ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charlene via" <glamorgan@rootsweb.com> To: <glamorgan@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2015 1:56 PM Subject: [GLA] Researching Rees POWELL > Hi all, > I am new to this list and new to researching in Wales. I am tracing a > Rees POWELL born about 1831 in South Wales. I find him in the 1885 Kansas > Census in Osborne County and in the 1880 US census living in Westmoreland > County, Pennsylvania, with his brother William born about 1832 who is > married to Anna and has a child Alice. I have found no other records of > Rees in the US census, but William is listed in the 1900 census in > Westmorland County as widowed with Alice living with him. I believe I > locate Rees and William in the 1841 Wales census as children of Edward and > Mary POWELL living in Margam Parish. Edward is a farmer and the children > listed are Edward 14, Elizabeth 12, Rees 10, William 9, David 7, Jennis 5, > Alice 3, Ann 1. In the 1851 census, the older children are found in St. > Brides Parish with Edward listed as farmer of the acres and Elizabeth, > Rees, David, and Janet. I seem to lose track of Rees at this time but find > William in 1871 listed with his father Edward in! > St. Brides Major. I also find William in the 1911 Wales census living in > St. Brides Major with his daughter Alice who was born in Pennsylvania, > USA. > > Is anyone familiar with this family or doing research on this POWELL > family? > Charlene > > > Sent from my iPad > --