- Click on
the Cefnllys Church image to track analysis.
It
was stated (May/June 2002) to David
Ward
by Carol McGlasson in America that she has a great
grandfather, James DREW who was the son of James Edmund
Drew - b.1825 in Radnor. This news precipitated a series
of researches - now resolving in a general agreement that
the lines are linked by cousins of the same name and same
birth year - both lines descended from John Drew and
Keziah Beaumont.
David
Ward - who is descended from the Drew family of Cefnllys,
Radnorshire wrote (June 2002) - to Carol as follows:-
"I am a bit puzzled. My great
grandfather was Vincent David Drew,
baptised at Cefnllys, Radnorshire on 26 June 1831. He was
the son of Thomas Drew and Margaret
Sheen, who were married in 1817, at Glascwm,
Radnorshire. Vincent David had an elder brother called James
Edmond (sometimes spelt Edmund), who was
baptised at Cefnllys on 10 April 1825, and married a Jane
(possibly Probert) in 1850.
After that I lose
track of James, but from your information he seems to
have migrated to USA.
However,
David Drew-Smythe states that his g.g.grandfather was
James (? Edmund or
Edward!) Drew, who
appears in the 1881 British census as
"gentleman", living at Gore House, Hatton Road,
Harlington, Middlesex (outskirts of London). This James
Drew gives his birthplace as Cefnllys, 1825! From photos,
there are also facial similarities between this family of
Drews and my own aunts and uncles."
 dds 7/8/02 - This picture
shows James (Probert) DREW
(USA) and has Henry James
DREW-Smythe inset. HJDS's
mother was Ada Josephine DREW,
born c. 1864 in London to a James
Drew who himself is stated as
being born at Cefnllys and was aged 55 - and
therefore born in about 1825 - at the time of the
1881 UK census. He was married to Sarah
Ann NIAS, mother of Ada
Josephine DREW and grandmother of Henry James Drew
SMYTHE.David Ward continues ... "The
1881 census also gives a 68 year old John
C. Drew, hosier, born (circa 1813) at
Llandrindod Wells, Radnorshire (not far from
Cefnllys). His
wife Ann (67) was born in Davenport, Iowa, USA. In 1881 they were
living at 96, Fleet Street, London.
What's going on
here? Did James Edmond move to USA in 1854, make
his fortune, and then return to live as a
"gentleman" in London? If so, he must have left his son James
(your g.grandfather?) behind in USA, and found a
new wife called Sarah (born circa 1826) back in
England. The eldest child in the 1881 census was
Ellen Jane Drew, born about 1862, so quite late
in life.
There is a tale in my
family of a disputed will, in which a fortune was
left by a Drew who died in London. Supposedly,
my own great grandfather, Vincent David Drew,
contested the will, and so lost a lot of money in
legal fees, having to sell his farm, and ended up
labouring for his neighbouring cousins. I wonder
if this is relevant to James Edmond's apparent
sudden wealth?
The papers relevant to this
have all disappeared, but I was told by an uncle
that the name Holmes was
involved, and someone who moved to Canada
(mistake for USA?).
Also, in her will, my
g.g.grandmother, Margaret Drew (Sheen) left all
her children substantial money or land, with the
exception of James Edmond, who only got five
pounds!"
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Updated August
2002 - Carol
to David (Ward) writes as follows: [May
is a [proven] cousin (of David Ward) in the
United Kingdom.]
I am writing to
let you know what May has been able to find out
about my great great grandfather James E. Drew. First of all I
would like to tell you that we [David
Ward and Carol McGlasson] are
cousins. May says I am a third cousin once
removed.
May was able to
locate a birth record for my great grandfather James, the son of James Edmund Drew.
It shows he was born 11-14-1851 at Trawsdir
Cefallys [Cefynllys]. His mother's name
was Jane Probert. She [May]was
also able to find a marriage certificate for
James E. and Jane Probert. They were married
8-24-1850 in the Parish Church of LLandegley
according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the
Church of England.
I will give you
the information for James first. His age was
listed as "of full age", he was a
bachelor, occupation was farmer. His residence at
the time of marriage was Nanty [Nantdu]
in the Parish of Cefallys [Cefynllys].
His father's name is Thomas Drew and his
occupation was farmer.
For Jane the
following information was listed. Her age was
listed as "minor" and she was a
"spinster". Her residence at the time
of marriage was Faldey [Ffaldau] and her
father's name was John Probert
and he was a farmer. John Probert and James
Davies were the witnesses listed and John Jones
was the Vicar.
Now I will
let you know what May wrote to me in her letter:
"The father
of James born 1825 appears to be my great great
grandfather Thomas Drew of Nantdu (or Nanty)
Cefnllys. I am enclosing the birth certificate of
my great grandmother Hariet who would have been
the younger sister of James.This shows that
Hariet was born at Nanty. I also have the birth
certificate of Eliza, the youngest of the 13
children of Thomas and Margaret Drew (née Sheen)
who married at Glascombe on 12 Oct.1817. This is
all extra proof."
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"I
have seen the baptism entry for your James at the church
at Cefnllys on 15 April 1825. His father's occupation is
"gentleman", and his abode then was Trawsdir,
Cefnllys. Ten of the thirteen children were born at
Trawsdir, all that is except the oldest, Margaret
Beaumont Drew, who was born at Glascombe and the two
youngest, Hariet and Eliza, who were born at Nanty. Nanty
and Trawsdir are farms at Cefnllys, (Kevenleece)."
"From the marriage
certificate we can see that Jane's father was a John
Probert, a farmer from Faldey, Llandegley. From this
information we could work out other details from the
census years, about other members of Jane's family. In
the L.D.S. version of the 1881 census index, there is a
John Probert at Llandegley age 72. Fingers crossed that
he is your great great great grandfather!"
She also added a
P.S. to the original letter and she said:
"I have enclosed the
O.S. Map for Llandegley. There is a place there still,
called Ffaldau. It looks like quite a large farm, by the
side of the road near the Church. Trawsdir (Trawsty) and
Nantdu (Nanty) are also still there, not very far away
from Llandegley. Now the big question remains, who is the
James Drew, born 1825, the "Gentleman's Hosier"
of Burlington Arcade in London, the ancestor of David
Drew-Smythe? His marriage certificate to Sarah Nias might
give us a clue, but I cannot find this marriage in the
index."
Then she gave this
additional information:
"Looking again at the
map, I can see that the next farm to Ffaldau is Carnau.
My Jenkins ancestors lived there and they too are buried
at Llanbadarn Faur, close to at least three generations
of Drew graves. Gwystre Farm (or Goosetree) to left
corner of the map is an old Drew farm. Your 4 x great and
5 x great grandparents farmed there."
- dds 7/8/02 - From
Ancestry.com - PRO Register of Births, Marriages
and Deaths for England and Wales. Who is this
James Edmund Drew and who are his parents?
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Year: |
1862 |
Quarter: |
September |
| |
Record Type: |
Births |
Volume: |
11b |
| |
District: |
Presteigne |
Page: |
157 |
Created 1st
July 1837. Abolished 1st July 1877 (incorporated into Kington
district). Mainly in Radnorshire, but included parts of
Herefordshire.
Sub-districts : Brilley; Kington; Presteigne;
Radnor.
GRO volumes : XXVI (1837-51); 6a (1852-76).
Badland
(1838-70), Barland (1838-70), Burfa (1838-70),
Cascob, Colva (1838-70), Discoed, Drewern (1838-70),
Ednol (1838-70), Evenjobb (1838-70), Gladestry
(1838-70), Kinnerton (1838-70), Litton (from 1844),
Llandegley (1838-70), Llanfihangel-Nantmellan
(1838-70), Michaelchurch on Avon (1838-70), Newcastle
(1838-70), Newchurch (1838-70), New Radnor (1838-70),
Norton, Old Radnor (1838-70), Pilleth, Presteigne,
Salford (1838-70), Swydd (1837-80), Trewern and
Gwythia (1838-70), Vaynor Glare (1838-70), Walton and
Womaston (1838-70), Whitton.
Registers
now in Radnorshire East,
Kington and Leominster
districts.
This may be
the John Probert in question:
Dwelling: Whitegate
Census Place: Llandegley, Radnor, Wales
Source: FHL Film 1341628 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2609
Folio 41 Page 5
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
John PROBERT M 72 M Llanfihangel Rhydithon,
Radnorshire, Wales
Rel: Head
Occ: FarmerHe was alone
(at the time of the census, anyway) at the
property. The families nearby included LEWIS,
MANTLE, DAVIES and ABBERLEY.
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