The WATERS Family of West Wales

Description

Photographs and family details provided by Sandy Brown of New York State, USA

Sandy's great grandfather, William Morgan WATERS, was born on 7th June 1852 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. He was a stonemason and married Mary Elizabeth PHILLIPS, born on 19th November 1852 in St Clears, Carmarthenshire. In April 1881, they were living in Stepney Terrace, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, with their three children, Mary (then aged 5), William Howard (aged 3), and John (aged 3 months).
William went to the USA in 1881 and again in 1883, this time with his wife, three children, and Mary's brother, Joseph Thomas PHILLIPS. They settled in Pennsylvania where another seven children were born. William lived to be 98 and his daughter Emily lived to be 101!

Image 1:

William Morgan WATERS's wife Mary Elizabeth, with their son William Howard. The photograph was taken in 1879 when William was less than a year old.

Image 2:

William Morgan WATERS's nephew Will WATERS with his wife Bella and daughters Annie and Betty. The undated photograph was taken at Cambrian Place in the Seaside district of Llanelli.
Will was the son of William's brother, John WATERS, who was a newspaper editor. John's other children were: Irene, Sarah, Jim, and Howard (who lived in Swansea).

Image 3:
(Left to right):

Bella WATERS, Betty (aged 3), Annie (aged 5½), Will WATERS

(Enlarged portraits taken from the previous photograph)

Image 4:

Lucy KENT (née WATERS) and Mary Burnett KENT (or MILDE), photographed in Carmarthen.
Lucy was the sister of William Morgan WALTERS, but Sandy has conflicting information about Mary Burnett.
She was either Lucy's daughter, or she was the daughter of Martha BURNETT (née WATERS) another sister of William Morgan WATERS.

Image 5:**
(Left to right): Mary Burnett, Lucy

(Enlarged portraits from the main photograph)

Sandy has discovered that at one time, Lucy KENT was living at 83 Crwys Road in the Cathays district of Cardiff, Glamorgan, and Martha BURNETT was living at 6 Coveny Street in the Splott district of Cardiff.

Image 6:

An old photograph of Hill Side, St Clears, Carmarthenshire, where Sandy's great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth WATERS (née PHILLIPS) was born in 1852. Mary's parents were named William and Mary, and her siblings were Joseph Thomas, Morris, William, John, and Regina. In 1893, the PHILLIPS family was living in Llanelli.

The history of the photographs

Sandy Brown says, "The photos originally belonged to my great grandparents, William Morgan WATERS and Mary Elizabeth PHILLIPS. They were passed on to me by my mother before she died."

Thus far, most of Sandy's information about her family history has come from letters and memories passed down through the generations. Her great grandfather, William Morgan WATERS, left a letter detailing what he claimed was his lineage back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but unfortunately he didn't include anything about his parents or siblings.
Sandy says, "I have tried to keep in contact with at least one person from each family. It's not easy, because my own grandmother had nine children. Just recently I found a great grandson of Joseph Thomas PHILLIPS. He is planning to visit Wales in November."

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to Sandy Brown for allowing me to use her family photographs.

Update - 9 May 2003

I've just received the following gratifying message from Sandy: I would like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for your web site and all you do. If not for you I would have never found Judy. Her great grandmother and my great grandfather were brother and sister. Thanks to you the pond is not as wide as it once seemed. Take care, Sandy.

• http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/oldwales/waters.htm (link opens in new window)