I usually find that the best way to explain what my job entails is to liken it to solving a jigsaw puzzle. However, sometimes the jigsaw puzzle is the type which has thousands of pieces of sky and the lid is missing as well! And this was certainly the case with my last reunion.
After reading my blog last year about returning an old family bible to the descendants of its original owner Esther Croke got in touch, and offered me the chance to repeat this task with a bible she had discovered among her late mother’s possessions.
Edward Thomas' bible and details written on the inside cover
It was obviously a very old bible, the torn and worn cover made of plain dark curling leather with the feintest hint of a pattern once embossed upon it but now held together with nails where the spine was breaking.
Inside the front cover it was clear that several pages were missing, unfortunately including the front cover, which would confirm which year it had been published, but nonetheless it started with the words:
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE
JAMES
BY THE GRACE OF GOD
KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE AND IRELAND
DEFENDER OF THE FAITH
In 1604, King James I of England authorised that a new translation of the Bible into English be started. It was finished in 1611 and became known as the King James Bible. So it was clear that the oldest this bible could possibly be was 1611. I doubted that it was this old because of what was written on the inside cover.
Of course, I could be wrong but my interpretation of the information provided would suggest that Edward Thomas was born in January 1787. His father was James Thomas who died on April 20th 1821 and that his mother Elizabeth died some time in November 1830.
The fact that the precise date of his mother’s death has been omitted could imply that these details were entered at a later date, perhaps when the bible had resurfaced, and had been forgotten by then. When you examine it closely it is clear that earlier pencil written notes have faded, so I assume that it was a work in progress.
Next came the information that on 23 March 1870, Edward Thomas died aged 83 years (which precisely fitted with him being born in 1787). The word 'Coxit' puzzled me for a while and I tried to determine what sort of old fangled occupation this was, having never seen it given on a census return or similar historical document.
It turned out that Coxit was not an occupation after all, but a location, now known as Coxhead, near Presteigne in the county of Powys.
Esther Croke was certain that the bible had not been in her family home while growing up and although she came from a large family there were no Thomas that she knew of. It was thought that perhaps the Bible had been in the drawer of an old desk that her mother purchased at auction.
And so began the task of searching for people called Edward Thomas - much like commencing a jigsaw puzzle without having the lid!
The crucial piece of the puzzle was the date of Edward’s death; 23 March 1870. Civil registration started in 1837 so I was able to search for an entry in the death indexes. Amazingly there were two deaths registered in the district of Knighton that quarter aged 80 and 83. Ideally I would have taken a day trip over to Llandrindod Wells to wade through the parish registers held at the county archives, but time evades me all too often.
However, a search of the family trees posted on Ancestry revealed that someone else had already entered the same date of death for an Edward Thomas.
When Sebastian Bywater replied to my message it felt a little bit like unwrapping a chocolate bar to reveal a golden ticket.
Incredibly Sebastian is Edward Thomas’ 4 x great grandson and he has researched all of his family history. Not an inconsiderable feat when you consider the huge number of people called Thomas living in Wales!
Edward Thomas married Mary Palfrey. Their eldest son was named Edward and his eldest son in turn was also named Edward and then once more his eldest son was named Edward. It was Sebastian’s grandmother’s eldest brother who was named Edward Thomas.
Not only has Sebastian researched the family tree, he has done what so many people forget to do; put the flesh on the bones by researching where they lived and died.
Last week on a beautiful sunny afternoon I found myself accompanying Esther and her husband to a glorious peaceful hillside location in mid Wales to oversee the return of Edward Thomas’ bible.
Esther Croke passing Edward Thomas' bible to Sebastian Bywater
The church of St Michael and All Angels, stands in the community of Llanfihangel Rhydithon, formerly in Radnorshire but now in the county of Powys. Nestled between a pair of yew trees lies the raised tomb of Edward Thomas and his wife Mary, as well as their daughter Martha Bore and her husband William.
Inscription on Edward Thomas' grave
Sebastian had not managed to confirm the names of Edward’s parents and while it remains to be confirmed (perhaps by a trip to the National Library in Aberystwyth) it seems a reasonable assumption to me that Edward’s father was James Thomas.
There is a possible matching will for a James Thomas who died in 1821 held at the National Library of Wales.
This document names Elizabeth as James’ wife, daughters Martha, Jane, Mary, Ann and Dianah. His two executors are James and John Thomas and the two witnesses are Richard and Edward Thomas.
Hopefully, with a little bit of luck and a bit more hard work it will be possible for Sebastian to confirm the link and so take his 'Thomas' family tree back yet one more generation.
Listen to Cat on Eleri Sion’s programme on BBC Radio Wales on Wednesday 25 June
