Hello listers! I'm new to the group, so I thought a brief introduction would be appropriate. My name is Jeff Thomas, and my Welsh ancestors emigrated from Brynmawr, Wales to Scranton in 1848. John J. Thomas (1823-1875/6) and his wife Elizabeth Davies (1827-1896), lived on Hyde Park avenue and are buried in Washburn Street. They raised a family of 11 children in Scranton. At least one of their sons (Daniel) was killed in the Diamond mines, and their grandson (another Daniel) was a mine casualty in 1916 and was awarded the Carnegie medal for heroism. My other Welsh/Scranton ancestors include William C. Williams (1818-1888) and family from Bedwelty parish in Monmouthshire, and Civil War soldier George Hares (1838-1867), all buried at Washburn street. I have a couple of web sites dedicated to Brynmawr and Scranton. My Brynmawr, Wales site features quite a lot of town history, and several sets of records that should be of interest to family researchers. My site on Scranton features some history, a database of Washburn street burials, and information on the Avondale Disaster. A theme running through both sites is the close connection between Brynmawr and surrounding communities and Scranton. I hope to enjoy many pleasant conversations here and look forward to chatting with you all. Sincerely, Jeff Thomas Baltimore, MD Brynmawr, Wales http://thomasgenweb.com/brynmawr.html Thomas Genweb/Scranton http://thomasgenweb.com/thomas01.html