Williams Family Tree

From Mike Buxton Aug 2010. From Maisie's house after her death.

EJW wrote to Ivor Fielder, 3 Nov 2010:

 

 

 

Dear Ivor,

Mike and Peter Buxton, Cyril Buxton's sons, inherited Maisie's house when she died. She left no will, so Stephen Park, Maisie's stepson, received nothing. That doesn't seem very fair to me, but that's the way that inheritance law works - stepchildren don't inherit unless they are adopted or there is a will. Anyway, that's beside the point. Mike Buxton has been searching Maisie's effects for family photos, and turned up these of May's wedding. I wonder if you can help work out who was who?

The wedding was on Sunday, April 4th, 1917, at the church in Clapton, E5. I spotted Peg as a bridesmaid straight away. (The captions on the photos go left to right, back row to front row.) I didn't spot Gwladys, but now I think that she's the bridesmaid labelled Who453. I know she was there because she and Charles Fielder - Jimmy's brother - signed as witnesses. So was Charles Fielder the best man? He'd have been 22 then, and Jimmy 24. Do you recognise him?

The fascinating thing here is what's going on in the back row of the larger group photo. I think 5th from left in the back row is our grandfather, John Thomas Williams. I've enclosed a photo of him and Annie from Wella's wedding, 4 years earlier in 1913, for comparison. As far as I can make out, Annie and JTW broke up, and Annie moved back to Merthyr, in 1916. So this was just a few months later. Everything must have been very frosty! I have to say that the JTW at May's wedding looks like a chap who doesn't have a wife to look after him.

So, who's the chap standing on JTW's left, labelled Who442? Is that Jimmy's father, James Fielder? He'd have been 50. I can't remember - did you tell me that he was an alcoholic too? Jimmy's Mum, Emily, would have been 47. Is she there?

Margaret Wells thinks that Who447, standing proprietorially with her hands on May's chair, is our grandmother Annie Watkins. If she is, you can certainly tell that she and JTW are separated! I'm not sure.

The next interesting figure is the young man standing on JTW's right in the back row, who I've tentatively labelled John. John Williams was JTW's eldest son, born 1900 and therefore 17 when this photo was taken. I've also enclosed a photo of him when he joined up the next year. It's hard to be sure, but does that look right to you?

I don't know who the chap in the navy uniform is, Who441. Or the smallest child, Who440. But the child between them bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Ivor Williams, who would have turned 14 just three days before. I've also enclosed the earliest photo I have of Ivor, probably taken about 3 years later. Another possibility is that the boy is my father, LCW, who would have been 12. But I don't have an early photo of Dad, and I don't recognise him. I do know that Ivor and JTW remained close - they were in business together in the twenties. Any ideas?

At first, I thought I couldn't see Wella. Margaret Wells thinks that Wella is on the left of the middle row, Who444. Your opinion would be valued.

I love the idea, at this remove, of the tangled friendships and enmities that must have been present when the photo was taken. Did you hear any tales of the wedding? Did anyone come to blows? Anyway, please let me know if you agree with my tentative identifications, and whether you can pin down any more people there.

Margaret Wells and I have finally proved that, as was long rumoured, Gwladys and Charlie were first cousins. But, once removed. I'm writing up a little paper on that bit of the family which I'll send you when I'm done. I'm chasing down every Williams that ever lived in Merthyr at the moment!

Thanks!
Emrys

Meanwhile, margaret wrote to EJW:

 

In the big group isn't that Annie in the middle of second row, in front of JT Williams? I think 2 of the brothers left back row, left end of middle row Wella, front row all except 2nd right are surely the other sisters but I always have trouble saying which is Gwlad, which Peg etc! Compare the photo to Wella's wedding and you'll see them there.

And then, Delwen wrote to EJW:

Hi Emrys

I’ve seen a photo of May’s wedding before (not this one) and I know that the 2 boys who got to attend were your father and mine . So that’s your father at the end of the back row left looking very smart (My father commented ‘always the perfect schoolboy’)and the scruffy looking one next to him is indeed Ivor Edgar.( My father claimed being the fastest runner and the best fighter as his own achievements at the elementary school in Streatham. He was never ‘a good scholar’ as he would have put it.)

John and John thomas Williams are also correctly identified. Can’t help with the ladies, I’m afraid.

Thanks for the photo. I’ve wanted a photo of this event for some time

Delwen

So LCW is the one at the top left, Who440! He would have been 12. That's about a decade earlier than the next photo we have.

EJW queried this with Delwen, and she wrote:
...
Anyway back to May’s wedding photo. Someone produced a photo of May’s wedding at a Christmas party at Woking once and my father made the comments about the appearance of himself and and your father that I quoted to you then. On that occasion someone also said that Aneurin still had John Thomas’ glass plates in the flat at 1 Gordon Mansions. Apparently John Thomas was an avid amateur photographer, often singeing his moustache and eyebrows with the stuff they used for flash in those days. I’ve always regretted not asking Nye for some of those plates at that point. It would have been great to see the photos John Thomas took of his children.

Delwen

Ivor wasn't sure this was Emily, but it's his best guess.