Lewis Lewis, why oh why are there SO many of them?

[alisondaviesbell]

I am trying to find my great grandfather Lewis Lewis.

i have found him in the 1901, where he is married to my great grandmother Catherine Lewis (nee Thomas), they have 3 children together
Elizabeth Lewis age 8,
Ceinwen Lewis age 2
Olwen Lewis age 8 months,
and William Lewis age 11, (he is Catherines child from a previous relationship)

By the 1911 Census he has died,
and Catherine Lewis is now living with her children
William Lewis now age 21 (who has changed his name back to William Thomas)
Ceinwen Lewis now age 12
Olwen Leiws now age 10
Menna A Lewis age 2 (my grandmother)

i have a copy of his marrage certificate to Catherine Thomas on 14th December 1891,
Fathers name Robert Lewis (d'ced)
address at time of marrage ynysgyffylog, Llangelynin.

i have checked this address on the 1881 census and he is not listed as living there (at least on the night of the census)

My problem is that there seem to be SO many Lewis Lewis living in the Dollgelley area that i don't know how i would be able to narrow down the search or even be sure that i had found the right person,

i thought i had found him in the 1891 census married to Margaret Lewis but then when i got hold of the marrage cert and it was December of the same year it just seemed extreamly fast to have got remarried......

any help would be great
Thanks

[kiterunner]

Alison, does the marriage certificate state whether he was a bachelor or a widower when he married Catherine?

[kiterunner]

Okay, so this is the 1901 census entry you mention:
1 Gardens Cottage, Llangelynin, Merionethshire

Lewis Lewis Head M 59 Platelayer(?) Montgomeryshire Both
Catherine Lewis Wife M 31 Merionethshire Both
William H Lewis Son 11 Do Both
Elizabeth S(?) Lewis Daughter 8 Do Both
Ceinwen M Lewis Daughter 2 Do -
Olwen Lewis Daughter 8 months Do -
Elizabeth Thomas Mother in Law Wid 70 Charwoman Do Both

[kiterunner]

i thought i had found him in the 1891 census married to Margaret Lewis but then when i got hold of the marrage cert and it was December of the same year it just seemed extreamly fast to have got remarried......


I wouldn't say that ruled him out, but that Lewis's occupation is Farm Servant in 1891 so maybe not very likely to be a Platelayer in 1901. What is his occupation on the marriage certificate?

[Merry]

The handwriting for the page with Lewis and Margaret is the same as the handwriting for the page with Catherine in 1891 so they must be close. Don't have time to go back to check, or look for a death for Marg.

[Merry]

or look for a death for Marg.


I did look, but no death, so prob diff people as Kate said.

[kiterunner]

Another question which may or may not help:

Who were the witnesses at Lewis and Catherine's wedding?

[Nell]

If you think Lewis Lewis is bad, you should try Evan Evans or William Williams! I have a WW in my tree and one in my husband's lot. He's got William Thomas and Thomas Williams and John Jones as well!

[alisondaviesbell]

i have just been looking at the wedding Cert for Lewis and Catherine
so here is all the info of it;

Reg number 67,
Register Office District Dollgelley for the counties of Merionth and Montgommery

Grooms name - Lewis Lewis
Grooms status - Widower
Grooms age - 48
Grooms Ocupation - labourer on railway
Groom address - ynysgyfylog, Llangelynin
Grooms Fathers name - Robert Lewis (d'ced)
Grooms Fathers occupation - general labourer

Brides name - Catherine Thomas
Brides status - spinster
Brides age - 28 (actually on the 1891 census it says 21 which i believe was her correct age)
Brides address - Capel Sion, Arthog
brides fathers name - William Thomas (d'ced)
brides fathers occupation - slate quarryman

Witness for groom - John Edwards
Witness for bride - Gwen Thomas

registrar - Morris Jones

date - 14th December 1891

[kiterunner]

I've never seen a marriage certificate which specifies that a witness is for either the groom or the bride; does it actually say that? "Labourer on railway" fits well with platelayer, doesn't it? I'll see if I can find anything with that info.

[kiterunner]

Found a possible on the 1891 census:

Wind Mill, Guilsfield, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire
Lewis Lewis Head M 50 Laborer (Railway) N K Both
Margaret Do Wife M 55 Montgomeryshire Llanfyllin Both

(N K = not known)

It might not be easy finding the right Margaret Lewis death!

[kiterunner]

Ah, I forgot he remarried so soon after the census - easy death to find!

Jul-Sep 1891 Margaret Lewis age 55 Llanfyllin vol 11b p 147.
Llanfyllin was the district for Guilsfield.