John Williams (1837)              <Back to Anne Williams Family Tree>         <Back to Main Family Tree>

Anne's father John was born in Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, the second of seven children.

By the age of 14 (in 1851) John was working as miner and living in Hengoed Hamlet nr. Llanelly with his parents William and Rachel.

In the 1861 Census he was working as a collier, having moved to Cwmdu Hamlet, Maesteg (Llangynwyd parish) with his sister Hannah who was working as a house servant. The rest of the family having stayed in Llanelly.

Around 1863 John married Alice Lewis from Brynamman north of Swansea. She was a dress maker who had also moved away from her family and was lodging in Maesteg before they got married.

By the 1871 Census John and Alice were living at 13 Garth Rd., Cwmdu, nr. Maesteg with two sons and three daughters, including Anne.

In 1881 John was still working as a coal miner but the family had moved to the Garw Valley. They were living in Llest Row (Lluest) - a small mining community south of Pontycymmer with Alice and seven children. The Lluest mine had been opened in the 1870's so John had probably moved as a result of the newly offered employment.

Sadly his wife Alice died in first months of 1885.

In 1891 John was 54 and had moved again to Oxford St, Pontycymmer. He was working as a 'fireman', probably at the newly opened Ffaldau colliery. He was living with his daughters Catherine (19, housekeeper); Elizabeth (16, housekeeper's assistant); Hannah (13) and Rebecah (10). His daughter Anne had moved out the year before to marry Llewellyn Jones.