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Having spent the last few years discovering my ancestors, and researching some of them in considerable detail, I decided to create this site to share the information with the family and with anyone else who may be interested.
 
I found that nearly all my ancestors originated from Wales (hence the website title) and contained all the classic Welsh surnames: Jones, Williams, Lewis, Jenkins, Evans, Price, Davies etc. which made some of the research a bit of a challenge.
I have created a < MAP > showing where the various family lines came from and where they moved to.
 
Their backgrounds are as might be expected - a lot of miners, some metal-workers, agricultural labourers and farmers. There was also a hat maker (the 'original' Jones) and a couple of mariners, one living through the period of the Napoleonic Wars and the other who captained small merchant schooners to ports all over the world. Some of my relatives also gave their lives in the first and second world wars and I have done them the honour of telling their stories.
 
The two I've written most about are my Great Grandfathers - one on my father's side - Llewellyn Jones and one on my mother's - Captain John Jenkins.
 
Llewellyn started as a colliery blacksmith in Pontycymmer in the Garw Valley and went on to be President of the Pontycymer Coop Society; Secretary of Garw Valley Medical Aid Society; 1st Chairman of Glamorgan NHS; Chairman of Ogmore & Garw Council; a Bridgend Magistrate and National Chairman of a leading Friendly Society. Quite an influential character in the local area.
 
John Jenkins was born in Borth (near Aberytswyth) and spent 30 years on sailing ships, many of them as Captain. I have managed to uncover a lot of detail of his voyages and his story is typical of the large maritime community that once thrived all around the coast of Wales. 
 
These main stories are referenced from the the front index page. The rest of my ancestors can be found via links from the Family Tree.
 
I hope you find some of this interesting. If you have any comments please contact me at: mlcajones@aol.com  or leave a message in the Guestbook