Notes |
- From the 1841 Census (HO107 Piece 1427/4 Folio 25 Page 9/10) William, 30, Fisherman, was with his wife Jane, 25, in Llanaber, Barmouth, Merionethshire, Wales. With them were their children David, 10, William, 5, John, 3, and Owen, 1.
From the 1851 Census (HO107 Piece 2511 Folio 441 Page 11) William, 44, Fisher Man, born Montgomeryshire, was with his wife Jane, 34, born Llanelltyd, Merionethshire, at Barmouth, Merionethshire, Wales. With them were their sons William, 15, and John, 12, Scholars Owen, 11, Hugh, 9, and Catharine, 4, and Daughters Elizabeth, 2, and Ruth, 11 months.
From the 1861 Census (RG9 Piece 4320 Folio 57 Page 18) William, 54, Fisherman, born Mallwyd, was with his wife Jane, 46, born Llanfachreth, at Garreg Goch, Barmouth, Merionethshire, Wales. With them were their children William, 25, Mariner, Elizabeth, 12, Ruth, 9, Jane, 8, Catherine, 7, Griffith, 3, David, 5, and Edward, 1.
From the 1871 Census (RG10 Piece 5706 Folio 78) we see that William, 66, and two of his sons Owen, 31 and Griffith, 13, are aboard the smack 'Defiance' in Pwllheli Harbour. William was the Master of the Caernarvon vessel (No. 27435) which was employed in the Trawling and Dredging industries. His sons were Mate and Boy respectively.
From the 1881 Census (RG11 Piece 5547 Folio 6 Page 5) we see that William, 76, was a Fisherman living at home with his wife, Jane, 67, at Penycei, Barmouth, Merionethshire. The remainder of the household comprised unmarried daughters Ruth, 30 and Catherine, 27, unmarried sons Griffith, 23 and Edward, 20, and married daughter Jane, 29 with her husband Evan Lewis Jones, 30.
Courtesy of Ian and Meriel Haynes:-
William Jones, circa 1805, was a quite famous character from Barmouth, Merionethshire who was a fisherman. He lived at Pen y Cei which is now the lifeboat museum. He was illiterate as according to the 1871 census [ he filled in census as master of vessel ] he signed it with a cross next to his name and the statement ' the mark of'. His headstone is in in the top corner of Llanaber Cemetery. Also on the headstone is an inscription to his wife Jane Jones nee Pugh also their son David. The inscription states that William was a fisherman from Barmouth.
From the book "Wherever Freights May Offer", by Lewis Lloyd - pages 95-97.
For several decades, William Jones (1805-) of Pen-y-Cei, Barmouth, was the port's best-known fisherman. According to the census of 1881, William Jones was 76 years old yet still a fisherman. Two years later, a fine photographic portrait shows him seated in front of his nets. His wife Jane (b. 1814) was a native of Llanfachreth parish near Dolgellau. They had at least eleven children and were the grandparents of Jenny Jones (1882-1969) who married Dr. Joseph Herbert Lister (1859-1929), M.R.C.S., L.S.A., shipowner.' William Jones's career as a fisherman was almost cut short in September 1861 when he was returning from Porthmadog to Barmouth with a cargo of timber for Robert Roberts of Dolymelynllyn: HARLECH.-Boat Wrecked.-On Friday morning, the 13th inst., a boat was observed to be in very great distress between Harlech and Mochras Point, the wind blowing a gale from the south west. Notwithstanding that every effort was made by the crew to keep her off the shore in order to obtain an entrance inside of Mochras bar, the attempt proved futile, and she struck the ground amongst fearful breakers, which made her careen, and the poor fellows were seen struggling in the water. Soon after the sea ran over them and tossed them to and fro as mere feathers, but fortunately by the timely assistance of well-disposed persons on shore, they were all rescued. This boat was the property of William Jones, Barmouth, who, along with his two sons, were returning thither from Port Madoc, with a cargo of timber for Mr. Robert Roberts, lath splitter, Dolgelley. The boat is now lying on the beach a total wreck (C. & D.H. September 21, 1861). So William Jones's sole means of livelihood was destroyed. This report confirms how close William Jones and his sons came to drowning: BARMOUTH.-Wreck.-On the night of the 12th inst., a sad calamity happened to a poor fisherman of this town, named Wm. Jones, which was nearly attended with loss of life. It appears Wm. Jones, two of his sons, and a child of eight years of age, were returning from Port Madoc, in their small fishing smack, when near Mochras, a gale sprung up, a heavy sea broke over their frail bark and swamped it; all hope seemed lost to the distressed father, when one of the sons bravely took the little boy under his arm, struck out for the shore, and never relinquished his hold until he reached it in safety. It must have been almost a death struggle, for the blue mark is still visible in the child's side, where the nervous arm and hand of the young fellow pressed when struggling to save his life. The father has lost his all wherewith to procure the necessaries of life for his wife and a family of ten children, all dependent upon him. Nets and boat were swallowed up by the greedy waves just at the time when the herring fishery commences (C. & D.H. September 21, 1861). In fact, a subscription in Barmouth had been opened immediately so that William Jones's nets and boat might be replaced. The subscription list was opened by the rector of Llanaber, the Rev. John Jones, M.A., who is ever first in any work of charity', with the assistance of Captain Evan Edwards. Contributions had been received by J. R. Davies, Corsygedol Hotel, contributed by visitors, who evince the greatest sympathy in this case'. On October 5, the Herald' recorded that Captain Evan Edwards had received £ 1 14s. I Od. from the rector of Llanfair parish which had been collected by his congregation'. William Jones certainly did not get his new boat for the herring fishing of 1861, but, on March 23, 1862, this report appeared in the Herald': BARMOUTH.-The Fishing Boat. - It will, doubtless, be satisfactory to those parties who generously contributed towards procuring another boat for William Jones, fisherman, of this port, who was wrecked, and lost his boat, some months since, to hear that one has been purchased to the satisfaction of the gentlemen who had the management of the fund. She is a well-built, useful craft, with deck and cabin, and brought in her first supply of fish last week, which consisted of a few hundred delicious oysters. There is now every prospect of Barmouth being well supplied with fish, and that the visitors will not be disappointed, as in days of yore. With this timely and generous assistance William Jones was able to support his large family until members were able to fend for themselves and he remained a fisherman for at least another 20 years. Illiterate as according to 1871 census [ he filled in census as master of vessel ] he signed it with a cross next to his name and the statement ' the mark of'. The vessel has the number 27435 and is registered in the port of Caenarvon. The ship Defiance was a fishing smack with the desccription of 'trawling and dredging trade'. His headstone is in in the top corner ofLlanaber cemetery. Also on the headstone is an inscription to his wife Jane Jones nee Pugh also their son David. The inscription states that William was a fisherman from Barmouth.
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