Williams, William Rhys - Minister of St Thomas’ at Old Carbon, Wyoming 1890-1892
Page by Miriam Ross-Parker.
Dear Mr Leathers,
Please find attached a biography of a great-grandfather who was, for a short time, Minister of St Thomas, Carbon, Wyoming. It contains as much biographical information and evidence as I've been able to find to date.
Regards,
Miriam Ross-Parker
Please find attached a biography of a great-grandfather who was, for a short time, Minister of St Thomas, Carbon, Wyoming. It contains as much biographical information and evidence as I've been able to find to date.
Regards,
Miriam Ross-Parker
William Rhys Williams, Minister of St Thomas’, Carbon, Wyoming 1890-1892
The information comes from the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Crockford’s Clerical Directory, UK census records and information found on the Findmypast and Ancestry websites. The 1901, 1911 and 1921 census returns for William Rhys’s daughter all give her place of birth as Carbon, Wyoming. I’m unable to find a record of the family’s arrival in the USA. As they sailed from the West Indies, they may have arrived at a southern port rather than New York.
William Rhys Williams
1852: born in Cwmtwrch. Baptized July 1852 at the Congregational Chapel, Cwmllynfell (sworn statement by his mother, Jennet, in William Rhys’s ecclesiastical records). He seems to have been born William Williams and to have incorporated Rhys into his name in his twenties.
1861 UK Census: scholar.
1871 UK Census: miner in Aberdare.
23rd August 1879: William Rhys nominated stipendiary curate (£120 p.a.) by William Wynne Jones, Vicar of Aberdare (ecclesiastical records).
24th August 1879: notice of intent that William Rhys Williams wishes to be ordained a deacon (ecclesiastical records).
25th August 1879: testimonial letter sent to the Bishop of Llandaff in support of William Rhys’s ordination as a deacon (ecclesiastical records).
21st September 1879: permission from the Bishop of Llandaff for William Rhys to become a stipendiary curate in Aberdare (ecclesiastical records).
1879: Curate of Aberdare (ecclesiastical records).
1881 UK Census: Curate of Llanedy.
1880 - 1883: Curate of Ty Croes, Llanedy (ecclesiastical records).
1883 - 1887: Curate of St Paul’s, Llanelli (ecclesiastical records).
30th April 1884: testimonial letter sent to the Bishop of St David’s in support of William Rhys’s ordination as a priest (ecclesiastical records).
31st August 1884: notice of intent that William Rhys is to be ordained a priest (ecclesiastical records).
28th September 1884: ordination of William Rhys as a priest (ecclesiastical records).
September 1887: marriage of William Rhys Williams and Sarah Jane Thomas, St Paul’s Llanelli.
1887 - 1889: Curate of St George’s, Basseterre, St. Kitts (ecclesiastical records).
1888 Parham, Antigua: birth of son, John Basil Percy Williams.
1889 - 1890 Rector of St Paul’s, Nevis (ecclesiastical records).
1890 Nevis: birth of son, Hubert Melville Williams.
1890 - 1892: Minister of St Thomas’, Carbon, Wyoming (ecclesiastical records). Details from Crockford’s Clerical Directory 1898.
1891: birth of daughter, Irene Ethelberta Williams.
1892: Arrival of the Williams family in Liverpool from New York on 15th June 1892 aboard the Nevada. Irene isn’t named but presumably she is one of the infants listed. Details from the UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960.
1892 - 1895: Curate of Llanfihangel-Geneur-Glyn, Cardiganshire (ecclesiastical records). The village is now known as Llandre. William Rhys seems to have been based in Talybont where there was a ‘tin’ church (newspaper articles).
1895 - 1900: Curate of Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire (ecclesiastical records).
1900 - 1901: Curate of St James’, Oldham, Lancashire (ecclesiastical records).
William Rhys Williams died 4th March 1901. An obituary in the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 8th March 1901 noted that William Rhys Williams “had previously been Vicar in the West Indies, and also occupied a benefice at Wyoming, U.S.A.”
Notes:
There seems to have been a theme of incorporating the names of senior clerics into the children’s names. Irene Ethelberta’s second name seems to be a reference to Bishop Ethelbert Talbot, Bishop of Wyoming and Idaho. John Basil Percy’s name appears to incorporate Basil as a reference to Bishop William Basil Jones who was Bishop of St David’s, Wales at the time of William Rhys’s ordination. At the moment I’m unable to find a definite clerical connection with Hubert’s name.