|
|
|
Chapter 2: Barry Puzzles
|
|
Puzzle 1: The Jamaica connection. Thomas Davies sailed from Wales to Jamaica in the mid 1800's. He worked there as a sugar planter, died, and is presumably buried in Jamaica somewhere. His children, born in Jamaica, sailed back to Britain in a banana boat. Margaret Davies, Eva Barry's mother, was one of these children. As Margaret Davies was born in Jamaica her birth would have been registered in the Jamaican parish records. But neither Margaret nor her sister's (Sarah) birth's have been confidently traced, and so Margaret's mother remains unknown. Also, Thomas Davies death has not been found, and so his grave is 'lost', presumably somewhere in Jamaica.
| |
A potential key to Margaret's parentage lies in the 1871 and 1881 census. In these records Margaret identifies a Miriam Sainsbury (nee Davies) as her sister, and this sister is listed as having been born in Wales. As siblings have identical genealogies, and Miriam was born in the UK, then tracing their parentage should be possible. But Miriam's birth has not been found either. Was Miriam a full sister and was she really born in the UK? Will knowledge of Miriam help resolve any of the other questions pertaining to Margaret and her families' life in Jamaica?
|
|
|
|
Where the track runs cold: the Barry family as they were in Aberbeeg , Wales: David Barry with wife Margaret ( nee Davies ) , and 4 eldest children: Nellie , Mary , Annie and Stephen
|
|
|
|
|
The Barry home at Railway Terrace , Aberbeeg.
|
|
|
Puzzle 2: Tracing David Barry. David Barry is known to have come from Ireland, as all his census records indicate. His work records state his date of birth to be 26 May 1851, but other records point to him being born up to 5 years earlier. His father's name was Robert Barry, who was deceased by 1882. It is thought that David came from Cork. Why did leave Ireland? What was his family background?
| |
|
|
|
|
|
