Ivy WATKINS family, and also Isaac THOMAS (General)

by Lorri , Saturday, December 01, 2012, 10:10 (4378 days ago) @ slowhands

Thank you - I am sorry for the lengthy delay since my request was posted. I have been away from home.

Also I understand the limits of what Forest of Dean FH members can cope with, and am very grateful for what has come through so far.

I live in a small village just outside Christchurch. As you will know we have been dealing with the aftermath of lethal earthquakes here over the past couple of years. Our city and surrounding area has been so badly damaged from the 10,000 shakes since then (much more settled down now, thank goodness!), and that has severely affected our access to our local genealogy resources.

My reason for contacting the Forest of Dean Family History Forum is that my fellow members of our local Genealogy group in Darfield, New Zealand, told me that you folk are very good at responding to requests. I have no idea of what part of Wales (whether Monmouthshire or other) my husbands Watkins family member may have originated from, but having not found any other paths to follow, I decided to see what surfaced from my query.

Incidentally this week I have found that my own great grandfather, Isaac Thomas (b 1853, son of James and Elizabeth Thomas) came from St Arvans! - I have never heard of that town until now, but am going to do some family research in Wales and England next April-June (that trip is tied to a 'bucket-list' canal-boating on the Llangollen Canal during two weeks of that period!).

Thank you for all your help folk!