Hello all, Can't fall to sleep so I thought I'd repost one of my brick walls which seems anchored in Wales. I'm interested in hearing from anybody with information to share regarding James and Berry Lewis who arrived in Canada about 1840 with their family of 6 children: Lewis, John, Hannah, Mary, Sarah and Thomas, all born in Wales. A 7th child, Ann, was born in what was to become Ontario, about 1843. The family settled in Walpole Township of Haldimand County, then Upper Canada. I have no maiden name for Berry Lewis nor any clue from where they came in Wales. Based solely upon census records, I make James to have been born about 1794 and Berry about 1800. I have marriages for Lewis, John and Thomas but nothing re the girls. It is believed that the mother of some of the children was a Margaret Walters but she either died in Wales or England perhaps, on the voyage over or soon after arrival: I speculate the former, and that Berry is James second wife. I have no notion of Margaret's birth date save that it was Thomas, born about two years before sailing in 1838, who declared Margaret Walters as his mother when he married in 1864. Said she was born in England [which is probably correct since he said that his father was born in Wales]. James and Berry would be GGGrandparents of mine, son Lewis being my GGrandfather. He married Nancy Ann Hopper, born on Amherst Island, Ontario, and Lewis and Nancy's 2nd child, Victoria Lewis, married my Davies Grandfather, Albert John. The latter's father is my other brick wall, also having its foundation in Wales. See my separate repost. I'm told that most Welsh folk who immigrated to Canada, did so from Glamorgan, Powys and Monmouthshire, sailing from Bristol or Liverpool. Were I a betting man, I'd lay a dollar on Bristol though you folks might insist upon at least a pound. I have been told that I am most unlikely to penetrate my brick walls in Wales without some clue as to how these ancestors got to Canada or some definitive link to Wales. I am, however, not ready to concede defeat. Were I in good health, I'd be on a plane for Wales without a second thought. I might not find my folks but I'd at least know the land of my paternal ancestors. I'll not tell any of you that my mother is of Northern Ireland descent. Sush now. Please feel free to contact me directly or on the board if there's even a remote hope of a connection. Thanks to a new found Welsh cyber pal, I now can say, Lechyd da Ron Davies Surrey, BC Canada

Hi Ron, Good morning from Tean! Have you tried the National Library of Wales website for Marriage Bonds, it is http://www.llgc.org.uk:81/index.htm I can't remember if I passed it on to you. I typed in the name Lewis and it came up with 10087 hits, just imagine what the number would be if you were looking for Jones. Don't panic!! It is easy to narrow down the search. You will want the period 1801-37 Dynion (male) for each of the Diocese. Look up James Lewis and see if you can find one marrying a Berry. You might just be lucky and find they weren't married by Banns so included in the list. Its a wonderful site for just browsing, I found one of my Hamer Wills listed so could send off for a copy. You never know what you might find. Iechyd da, Margaret ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Davies" <welt7@shaw.ca> To: <WALES-GEN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 9:09 AM Subject: [WALES-GEN] Family of JAMES LEWIS > Hello all, > > Can't fall to sleep so I thought I'd repost one of my brick walls > which seems anchored in Wales. I'm interested in hearing from > anybody with information to share regarding James and Berry > Lewis who arrived in Canada about 1840 with their family of 6 > children: Lewis, John, Hannah, Mary, Sarah and Thomas, all > born in Wales. A 7th child, Ann, was born in what was to > become Ontario, about 1843. The family settled in Walpole > Township of Haldimand County, then Upper Canada. > > I have no maiden name for Berry Lewis nor any clue from where > they came in Wales. Based solely upon census records, I > make James to have been born about 1794 and Berry about > 1800. > > I have marriages for Lewis, John and Thomas but nothing re the > girls. It is believed that the mother of some of the children was > a Margaret Walters but she either died in Wales or England > perhaps, on the voyage over or soon after arrival: I speculate > the former, and that Berry is James second wife. I have no > notion of Margaret's birth date save that it was Thomas, born > about two years before sailing in 1838, who declared Margaret > Walters as his mother when he married in 1864. Said she was > born in England [which is probably correct since he said that > his father was born in Wales]. > > James and Berry would be GGGrandparents of mine, son Lewis > being my GGrandfather. He married Nancy Ann Hopper, born > on Amherst Island, Ontario, and Lewis and Nancy's 2nd child, > Victoria Lewis, married my Davies Grandfather, Albert John. > > The latter's father is my other brick wall, also having its foundation > in Wales. See my separate repost. > > I'm told that most Welsh folk who immigrated to Canada, did so > from Glamorgan, Powys and Monmouthshire, sailing from Bristol > or Liverpool. Were I a betting man, I'd lay a dollar on Bristol though > you folks might insist upon at least a pound. > > I have been told that I am most unlikely to penetrate my brick > walls in Wales without some clue as to how these ancestors > got to Canada or some definitive link to Wales. I am, however, not > ready to concede defeat. Were I in good health, I'd be on a plane > for Wales without a second thought. I might not find my folks but > I'd at least know the land of my paternal ancestors. I'll not tell any > of you that my mother is of Northern Ireland descent. Sush now. > > Please feel free to contact me directly or on the board if there's > even a remote hope of a connection. > > Thanks to a new found Welsh cyber pal, I now can say, > > Lechyd da > > Ron Davies > Surrey, BC > Canada > > > ==== WALES-GEN Mailing List ==== > Have you used Tree Tops? > The Free FAMILY TREE & WE'LL MEET AGAIN SERVICE > http://freespace.virgin.net/tree.tops > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >