Find Ancestors

I'm really stumped with this one. Hubby and I have been searching for days for these people on the 1939 and failed miserably.

William Meredith Richards, born 1893 in Risca and died in 1949 in Newport.

Ann Cecilia Richards, William's wife, born in 1893 in Ebbw Vale, maiden name Sullivan. They married in 1918.

Ann moved to the U.S after William died so that may be why we can't find her in 1939. She died in 1987 in San Diego. I'd have thought William would have shown up, though.

If it helps, they had these children:

Terence William, 1924-1945 (killed in the war)
Eugene, 1919-1981
Theresa Marcella, 1921-2012
Patricia Ann, 1930-2019

Apart from Terence, all children died in San Diego. They were all born in Bedwellty district.

I'm sure we must be missing something obvious so I'd be glad if someone could put us out of our misery.

Annie

As the deaths occurred oversesas, it's unlikely that they will have been picked up, so there will be no records of the children on 1939 register

Ditto the wife.................

For info

Name: William Meredith Richards
Registration Year: 1893
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration District: Pontypool
Inferred County: Monmouthshire

Deaths Dec 1949 (>99%)
Richards William M 56 Newport 8c 262

Yes, we thought only William would appear on the 1939. That's his birth entry.

Annie

According to the son's death record on CWGC, the parents were living in Newport in 1945

If Ann Cecilia moved to the USA after William's death, as you say, then she should still have been in the UK in 1939, as William didn't die until 1949.

I don't see Terence's birth - unless this is it??

Births Mar 1924
.Richards Kenneth W Sullivan Bedwellty 11a 182

I don't see Eugene's birth, either.

EDIT:
I suppose this is it, with mms O'Sullivan;

Births Sep 1919 (>99%)
Richards Eugene H O'Sullivan Bedwellty 11a 172

RICHARDS, EUGENE HENRY O'SULLIVAN
GRO Reference: 1919 S Quarter in BEDWELLTY Volume 11A Page 172

????????

First name(s) EUGENE HENRY
Last name RICHARDS
Gender Male
Birth day 2
Birth month 6
Birth year 1919
Age -
Death quarter 3
Death year 1981
District Birmingham***************************
County Warwickshire
Volume 32
Page 1384

Yes, that's Terence's birth but for some reason he appears as Kenneth. The CWGC has him recorded as Terence and Eugene has acquired an "O".

A bit of background and the reason why we're so obsessed with this. William's granddaughter has turned up as a DNA match for my hubby and they've never heard of each other. He is her closest match and she is his second closest. She's in San Diego. Someone obviously knew something and they weren't telling. We may never get to the bottom of it but we're desperately trying!

Thanks, both, for your help.

Annie

Presumably, you've researched your husband's FH?

Did you notice the death I posted?

Purely for INFO.........
Births Jun 1921 (>99%)
Richards Theresa M Sullivan Bedwellty 11a 242

Births Sep 1930 (>99%)
Richards Patricia A O'Sullivan Bedwellty 11a 129

Yes, thank you, we have Eugene's death record. It's confusing that sometimes it's Sullivan and sometimes O'Sullivan.

Annie

BUT......you wrote.........I copy below

Apart from Terence, all children died in San Diego.

Eugene H Richards
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Eugene H Richards
Registration Date: Jan 1954
[Feb 1954]
[Mar 1954]
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration District: Rowley Regis
Inferred County: Staffordshire
Spouse: Betty Meese
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 960

hi
do you know what william m richards occupation was ?

Sorry, yes, you're right about the deaths. I stand corrected. We're not sure of William's occupation. We're still trying to establish the one we found in 1911 is him. We think his parents were Henry and Elizabeth.

Annie

RICHARDS, WILLIAM MEREDITH (MMN) RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1893 J Quarter in PONTYPOOL Volume 11A Page 164


Risca is NOT in Pontypool district

1911 Census For England & Wales
7 Pretoria Terrace Steelworks Ebbw Vale, Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales

Henry Richards Head Married Male 63 1848 Hydr Pumps Glam Dowlais
Mary A Richards Wife Married Female 58 1853 - Mon Tredegar
Therese Richards Daughter Single Female 20 1891 House Duties Mon Blaenavon
Richard Richards Son Single Male 19 1892 Engine Boy Mon Blaenavon
William M Richards Son Single Male 17 1894 Engine Boy Mon Blaenavon
James S Richards Son Single Male 23 1888 Clothier Mon Blaenavon

In 1911 he was an "engine boy", presumably in a mine:

W M Richard
in the 1911 Wales Census
Name: W M Richard
Age in 1911: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Civil Parish: Ebbw Vale
County/Island: Monmouthshire
Country: Wales
Street Address: 7 Pretoria Terrace Ebbw Vale
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Engine Boy
Registration District: Bedwellty
Registration District Number: 585
Sub-registration District: Aberystruth
ED, institution, or vessel: 03
Household Schedule Number: 136
Piece: 31816
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Richard 63
Mary A Richard 58
Therese Richard 20
Richard Richard 19
W M Richard 17
James S Richard 23


Willie Richard
in the 1901 Wales Census
Name: Willie Richard
Age in 1901: 7
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894
Relation: Son
Father: Henry Richard
Mother: Mary Ann Richard
Gender: Male
Where born: Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales
Civil Parish: Ebbw Vale
Town: Ebbw Vale
Ecclesiastical parish: Ebbw Vale Christchurch
County/Island: Monmouthshire
Country: Wales
Street Address: View image
Condition as to marriage: View image
Education: View image
Employment status: View image
Occupation: View image
Registration District: Bedwellty
Sub-registration District: Aberystruth
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 179
Piece: 4933
Folio: 42
Page Number: 35
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Richard 53
Mary Ann Richard 48
Edward Richard 25
Eliz A Richard 21
Jno Hy Richard 19
M Ann Richard 17
D H Richard 15
Jas T Richard 13
Theresa Richard 10
Richard Richard 9
Willie Richard 7


RICHARDS, WILLIAM MEREDITH mms RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1893 J Quarter in PONTYPOOL Volume 11A Page 164

Siblings:

RICHARDS, RICHARD mms RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1892 M Quarter in PONTYPOOL Volume 11A Page 156

RICHARDS, TERESA JANE JOSEPHINE mms RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1890 S Quarter in PONTYPOOL Volume 11A Page 135

RICHARDS, JAMES THOMAS mms RICHARDS
GRO Reference: 1887 D Quarter in PONTYPOOL Volume 11A Page 129


Parents' marriage:

Marriages Jun 1874 (>99%)
RICHARDS Henry Merthyr T. 11a 673
RICHARDS Mary Ann Merthyr T. 11a 673

Marriages Sep 1918 (>99%)
Richards William M Sullivan Crickhowell 11b 152
Sullivan Annie Richards Crickhowell 11b 152

Do you have a copy of the cert?

There's no mention of the name Cecilia until Annie's burial:

Ann Richards
in the California, Death Index, 1940-1997
Name: Ann Richards
[Ann Osullivan]
Social Security #: 564808972
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 24 Aug 1893
Birth Place: Other Country
Death Date: 10 Jul 1987
Death Place: San Diego
Mother's Maiden Name: Kelvin
Father's Surname: Osullivan


Ann Cecelia Richards
in the U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
Name: Ann Cecelia Richards
Birth Date: 1893
Death Date: 1987
Cemetery: Greenwood Memorial Park
Burial or Cremation Place: San Diego, San Diego County, California, United States of America


Annie Sullivan
in the 1911 Wales Census
Name: Annie Sullivan
Age in 1911: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales
Civil Parish: Ebbw Vale
County/Island: Monmouthshire
Country: Wales
Street Address: 7 Third Row Newtown Ebbw Vale (Mon)
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Domestic Servant
Registration District: Bedwellty
Registration District Number: 585
Sub-registration District: Aberystruth
ED, institution, or vessel: 01
Household Schedule Number: 69
Piece: 31814
Household Members:
Name Age
Eugene Sullivan 54
Catherine Sullivan 9
Jerry Sullivan 7
Bridget Sullivan 6
Annie Sullivan 49
John Sullivan 24
Ellen Sullivan 23
Thomas Sullivan 21
Eugene Sullivan 18
Annie Sullivan 17
James Sullivan 16
Mike Sullivan 13




SULLIVAN, ANN mms CAVIN
GRO Reference: 1893 S Quarter in BEDWELLTY Volume 11A Page 98


SULLIVAN, BRIDGET mms KARVON
GRO Reference: 1905 M Quarter in BEDWELLTY Volume 11A Page 61

SULLIVAN, MICHAEL mms KERVIL
GRO Reference: 1897 S Quarter in BEDWELLTY Volume 11A Page 94

SULLIVAN, EUGENE mms KENVYN
GRO Reference: 1891 S Quarter in BEDWELLTY Volume 11A Page 83

Thank you so much for all this. I'll study it now. We think the 1901 has a mistake with William's wife. She was Elizabeth. They did have a daughter, Catherine, so it looks as though the daughter's and the wife's names have been mixed up. I'm very grateful to you all.

Annie