My Great-grandfather Alfred Rees had huge business and family ties to Clearwell and the surrounding area.He owned and worked a quarry(I think at Futterhill) for many years,and was also a farmer/shopkeeper and involved with the Church in Clearwell as a warden, during the 1860s. His sons continued the connections until the 1960s when my step-grandmother, Jesse Rees) ran the Post Office until her death.
I have had great difficulty researching his previous generations. Recently,through a DNA test, I have been able to trace some records of his father John Rees being born in Newchurch West Monmouth, and his parents John Rees/Reece(1760) and Eleanor Lewis(whose father, Walter Lewis,owned a farm at Wentwood Mills, Monmouth) and then moved to Stowe Hall Farm,on the Stowe Road,just outside Clearwell. I know their son John(1808) married Margaret Jarrett Thomas, who lived at Stowe Grange about a mile down the same road.
Has anyone any proof or comformation that can help me connect my confusing family?!!

Ill assume this is your Alfred

Year: 1911
Month: May
Day: 16
Surname: REES
Forenames: Alfred
Residence: Clearwell
Age_at_death: 71 years
Officiating_Minister: W.Robinson
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P88 IN 1/8
Page_No: 13
Parish_Chapel: Clearwell

1871 nr Butchers Arms Clearwell
Alfred Reece Head - Male 31 1840 - Gloucestershire, England Stone Cutter
Sarah Reece Wife - Female 30 1841 - Wiltshire, England
Fanny Reece Daughter - Female 5 1866 - Gloucestershire, England
Alfred Reece Son - Male 4 1867 - Gloucestershire, England

1861 Clearwell
Margaret Reece Head Widow Female 57 1804 - Stow Grange, Gloucestershire, England
Thomas Reece Son Unmarried Male 25 1836 Quarry man Coleford, Gloucestershire, England
Alfred Reece Son Unmarried Male 21 1840 Stone cutter Coleford, Gloucestershire, England

Year: 1851
Month: Sep
Day: 13
Surname: REECE
Forenames: John
Residence: Clearwell
Age_at_death: 14
Officiating_Minister: C W Grove Curate
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: Son of Margaret Reece (Widow)
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/27

1851 Clearwell
Margaret T Ress Head Married Female 46 1805 Scholl mistres dautr St Briavels, Gloucestershire, England
Tom Walter Ress Son - Male 15 1836 Ag lab Newland, Gloucestershire, England
John Ress Son - Male 14 1837 A cupper Newland, Gloucestershire, England

Year: 1841
Month: Jun
Day: 5
Surname: REES
Forenames: George Thomas
Residence: Coleford
Age_at_death: Months 8
Officiating_Minister: G Ridout Vicar
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda: Son of the late John & of Margaret
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/16
Page_No: 250
Parish_Chapel: Newland

1841 Coleford
Margaret Reece Female 38 1803 Gloucestershire, England
Thomas Reece Male 5 1836 -
John Reece Male 4 1837 -
Alfred Reece Male 3 1838 -

By deduction John dies 1840 or early 1841 before the census is taken, if his son was born late 1840 hence conceived early 1840

Births Sep 1838 (>99%)
Rees Alfred Monmouth 26 57

Year 1837
Month Apl
Day 2
Parents Surname REES
Child Forenames John Jarrett
Fathers Forenames John
Mothers Forenames Margaret
Mothers Surname
Residence Coleford
Occupation Saddler
Officiating Minister George Roberts BA Perpet: Curate
Event Baptism
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference P93 IN 1/5
Page Number 22
Parish Chapel Coleford

Year: 1834
Month: Jun
Day: 7
Grooms_Surname: REES
Grooms_Forenames: John
Grooms_Age:
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation:
Grooms_Residence: Newland
Grooms_Fathers_Surname:
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames:
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation:
Brides_Surname: THOMAS
Brides_Forenames: Margaret Jarret
Brides_Age:
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Newland
Brides_Fathers_Surname:
Brides_Fathers_Forenames:
Brides_Fathers_Occupation:
Licence_or_Banns: licence
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: James Harper
Witness_2: Mary Reece
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: George Ridout Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P227 IN 1/11
Page_Number: 270
Parish_Chapel: Newland

Year: 1804
Month: Oct
Day: 14
Parents_Surname: THOMAS
Child_Forenames: Margaret Jarret
Fathers_Forenames: George
Mothers_Forenames: Mary
Mothers_Surname:
Residence:
Occupation:
Officiating_Minister: Ezra Powell
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P278 IN 1/4
Page_Number: 18
Parish_Chapel: St Briavels

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Yes . I am ok on his history. It`s his father John Rees 1808-1841) that causes problems. He died in 1841,but try as I might I have not been able to fin his burial records. He died before his youngest son George Thomas died in the same year (!841).Said to be buried at st. Johns Coleford.
Problem is his father was called John and his Grandfather was called John!! Add to the confusion that they flipflop between Reece and Rees and the family seem to come from the Usk/Newchurch area where every other person is a Reece!
From my research through DNA it leads back to a Capt. David Reece Married to a Margaret and born in Usk. He was a yeoman farmer and there seems to be a connection to The Duke of Beaufort Land. I thought some fresh eyes might help. I would like to confirm that John(1760) did move to Stowe Hall Farm and where the actual farm is situated. Looking on Google Maps it shows a Stowe Court Farm but Stowe Hall as a field with barns. Is it the same farm?

https://maps.nls.uk/view/109726267

top right hand corner hamlet of Stowe

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Thank you,Slowhands. The only reference to Stowe Hall I found was on 1861 Census and it was just up from Platwell House.

Welsh Rhys and Ap Rhys, Anglicised forms of the name include Reece, Rees, Reese and Rice.

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>