Red River Ancestry

New Family Page: BENJAMIN DAVIES (1836-1927)

Please post comments and queries about the BENJAMIN DAVIES FAMILY here.

Hi there. Am planning a trip to the UK in July .

Crazy question - but Do you have any suggestions for seeking out the extended family of Benjamin Davies family in Wales?

Where does one even start?

Upon further review I discovered an obituary for Benjamin DAVIES (with his picture) and have updated the narrative accordingly. Note that his obit indicates his birthplace as Knighton, Wales.

I also discovered an ad in two 1962 issues of the Winnipeg Free Press indicating: DAVIES – WANTED to trace descendants of BENJAMIN DAVIES, emigrated to Winnipeg approximately 70 years ago, also a brother RICHARD emigrated to Grand Rapids. Two brothers by name of William and Robert remained in Leintwardine, Shropshire, England. Please reply by Airmail to:
L.W. DAVIES, 21, Ludlow Rd. Bridgenorth, SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND.

Several clues there for further investigation.

Thanks...the plot thickens

So further to this I sent a letter to the address in Shropshire (55 years later)

And lo and behold received this email in reply.

Hello Reid,



Your letter addressed to the Davies Family reached us today the 28th December. The current occupants of 21 Ludlow Road we know well so they knew where to find us.



The Newspaper advertisement was placed by my late Father in 1962 - at the time my elder brother was due to visit Canada and we were trying to trace relatives of

Benjamin & Richard – we had no computers in those days to aid us !! At the time we had very little information of the Davies Family in the UK as my Great Grandfather William left the Family

around 1901.



But now with various records being available online etc , I can confirm that Benjamin Davies was the elder of four Brothers – Benjamin , Richard, Robert & William.



I am a great grandson of William.



Benjamin was born in Leintwardine 6th October 1839 – Parents were William & Emma Davies. Benjamin died on 13th January 1920 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is buried in Kent County Michigan Cemetery, Valley City Cemetery, Parish Township.



Benjamin I believe had a large Family – children were;

· Charley

· Andrew married Clara Kemp

· Arthur

· Albert

· Harry

· Frederick

· Edward



We believe when Benjamin’s first wife died, he remarried and had more children.



I am in contact with Kevin Oakley of Pitt Meadows BC, who is a great great grandson of Benjamin through the Andrew & Clara Kemp line. Kevin’s mother Doreen Oakley, I believe lives in the Winnipeg area but I will have to check as they do move around abit.



I do have some early histories of Benjamin’s which Kevin’s grandfather, Harold, wrote in 1989, and updated by Doreen in 2001. If we are of the same family I will be happy to forward these on together with any other information I have.



Kind Regards



David





A 11A The Wheatlands Bridgnorth Shropshire UK WV16 5BD

T 00 44 (0)1746 763814

F 00 44 (0)1746 763814

E dgdavies@sikudirect.com