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Hi there

I've been researching this strand of my family history for about 10 years on and off but this one is always a sticking point.

Jane Thomas, also known as Jenny, was my great grandmother. Her daughter (my nan) is adamant she was born 9 Feb 1896, but as yet, I have found no official records of this.
She also says that Jane was adopted...

1901 census - St. Dogmells
Jenny Thomas, aged 6, adopted daughter of James (1861) and Rachel (1863) Davies.

1911 census, Bellfield Hotel, Water Street, Pembroke Dock.
Jenny Thomas, aged 16, niece to David (1863) and Eleanor (1857) Jenkins.

Eleanor Musgrave, nee Davies (1885) appears in both 1901 and 1911 census.
My nan says that Eleanor Musgrave moved to Newport with Jenny and lived there until her death.

Marriage certificate (2 June 1919 to Frank Williams) states that father was David Thomas, occ: master mariner.

My thoughts are that Jenny was adopted by her aunt and uncle and I believe David, Eleanor, James or Rachel is the sibling of Jenny's mother. But which, I can't work out! :-(

Please bear with me - this is my first post. I hope I've included everything I can think of!

Many thanks in advance
Sarah

for info


1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Station Road, St Dogmells Municipal (Pembroke), Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Birth place Occupation
James Davies Head Married Male 40 1861 Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales Seaman On Merchant Vessel
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Rachel Davies Wife Divorced Female 38 1863 Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales -
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Eleanor Davies Daughter Divorced Female 17 1884 Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales -
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Jenny Thomas Adopted Daughter Divorced Female 6 1895 Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales -
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Joshua Davies Father-In-Law Widower Male 67 1834 Cardiganshire, Wales Coachman Not Domestic

????

THOMAS, JENNY DAVIES Order
GRO Reference: 1895 D Quarter in LLANDOVERY Volume 11A Page 1017

????

THOMAS, JANE - Order
GRO Reference: 1895 M Quarter in CARDIGAN Volume 11B Page 9

Thanks so much for your quick response.
I've looked up:
THOMAS, JENNY DAVIES Order
GRO Reference: 1895 D Quarter in LLANDOVERY Volume 11A Page 1017

I can find Jenny Thomas with that reference but not Jenny Davies Thomas?

Please can you clarify?

Davies is her mother's maiden surname, not part of Jenny's name.

The GRO website (which is where safc found it) gives that information. You have to register, but it's free to use. It gives details of births (1837-1917) and deaths (1837 - 1957) in England and Wales,

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Click "Order certificates online".
Then: "Search the GRO historical birth and death indexes and order Certificates/PDFs Online."
Then: Login (or register if you haven't already done so).
Then: "Search the GRO Indexes"

That’s great thanks.
I’ll have a look now!

If Jane's daughter is certain that she was born 9th February, then I would be inclined to go with the Jane Thomas born in Cardigan in the March quarter of 1896. People often get the year of birth of a relative wrong by the odd year or two but they usually remember the actual date (day and month) correctly.

The Jenny Thomas birth where the mother's maiden name was Davies was registered in the December quarter so wouldn't be a February birth.

Or there is this birth in Cardiganshire:-

First name(s) JANE
Last name THOMAS
Birth year 1896
Birth quarter 1
Registration month -
Mother's last name Edwards
District Tregaron
County Cardiganshire
Country Wales
Volume 11B
Page 59
Record set England & Wales Births 1837-2006

or is this the same birth that was posted above by safc but the page number is given as different?

Kath. x

But the GRO website won't tell you any more than safc has posted.

For full details (father's first name, etc) you'll have to buy a copy of the certificate.
You can buy a PDF copy from the GRO website for £6, if you don't want a "proper" more expensive copy.