The family traveled on the S/S Minnesota in March 1869 to New York. On board there was Thomas age 35/ Jane 32/ Mary 7/ Elizabeth 5/ John 4/ Arthur 3. I would like to learn where they lived before leaving the UKK.

I have a little more information on this Parry family now.
On the 1880 census, they lived in Looking glass, Platte county, Nebraska. The two girls were not at home but there were two more children, Griffith, age 10 and Annie, age 5, both born in Wisconsin. Elizabeth, later married David. D. Jones, They had two children, Jane and David Arthur {my father}, Elizabeth died 6 days after he was born in Ipswich.
South Dakota.

Elizabeth (Parry) Jones was older sister to my grandmother, Annie (Parry) Owens. Jane and David lived with their grandparents (Jane and Thomas Parry) for a while after Elizabeth died. I have information and photos of the Parry Family and am looking for more. Can you tell me your connection to the Parrys of Nebraska

Elizabeth (Parry) Jones was my grandmother, she died six days after my father was born.
What I am hoping to learn is, where in Wales did the family come from in 1869. On the 1861 census in Wales, I have found a family with Thomas, Jane and daughter Mary. This family lived Pan Y Waen farm near Llanrhaiadr in Denbighshire.
Does any of this sound familar to you?

As you have found through Rootsweb, the Welsh have a confusing lineage – all the surnames of Jones, Hughes, Parry, Williams, Owens, Evans (it seems to be easier if you have a standout name such as Caldwaldr or Llewelyn). Then there are the people like “JosRWilliams” who have a common surname in their history (such as Parry) and the same first names littered throughout (Thomas, William, John, Owen, Mary, Jane, Elizabeth, Ann) and yet have no connection, except possibly because of intermarrying which happened frequently even into the late 1800s. Even the farm which Mr. Williams cites as his Parry family farm located SE of Llanrhaedr is in close proximity to the Parry family farm our Thomas Parry lived in, yet is quite different.

However, I’m pretty sure this Parry connection is the right one, because I grew up hearing of my mother’s “Aunt Lizzie” who died shortly after the birth of her son, David, in 1892. Most of my Parry information comes from Elsie Porter, who was the only daughter of Griffith Parry, your Elizabeth’s younger brother born in Wisconsin. She was interested in family research most of her adult life (she died a few years ago in New York) and got a lot of her information directly from her father, Griffith. Also, a lot of family history was researched first-hand by John Holliday (also deceased). His wife was the daughter of Elizabeth Parry Turner, the only daughter of Arthur Parry (another brother of your Elizabeth) and Effie Williams. He was very thorough and I trust his and Elsie’s research because I’ve checked it out personally with some cousins of my mother’s who live in Wales. At any rate, Annie Parry – the youngest and last child of Thomas and Jane Parry – was my grandmother and Elizabeth (Parry) Jones’ little sister. My mother, Eleanor Owens, was the only daughter of Annie (Parry) and Robert Owens, and she grew up in Wymore, NE.

Now, to fill in gaps: Your information from the 1861 census in Wales seems to be correct. According to my information, Thomas and Jane (Hughes) Parry lived on Tan-y-Waen Farm near Prion Church, 1.2 m. SW of the village of Llanrhaedr, Denbighshire, N.Wales. Tan-y-Waen (“under the hill”) was the home of Thomas Parry after he moved there from his boyhood home of Bryndu (Brùnde). Bryndu (“black hill”) is located approx. 8.5 m. straight SE of Tan-y-Waen, or approx. 4 m. S of Ruthin, just west of the A595. Thomas Parry had an older brother, William (who married and remained in Wales), who would have been heir to the Bryndu Farm – which may have been the reason Thomas moved north to the Prion District, because his mother, Mary (Hughes), was from that area – Y-Foel Farm. Thomas met and married Jane Hughes (a cousin – her father was his mother’s brother) on May 29, 1857. They lived at Tan-y-Waen ten years, had four children (Mary-1860, Elizabeth-1862, John-1864 and Arthur-1865)) and immigrated to America in (according to Griffith’s daughter, Elsie) 1867. The T. Parry Family arrived in New York in March 1868; moved to Dawn, MO in April; then moved to Oshkosh, WI in January 1869. Griffith was born in Oshkosh in 1869 and Annie was born in Racine in 1873. They ended up in 1880 near Postville, NE.

So there you have a “thumbnail sketch” of our family tree. I have written a lot of specific information in this email. But I wanted to prove to you that your Thomas Parry is the same as mine. I have further detailed written information from both Elsie Porter and John Holliday which I would be happy to send to you, and a couple of family trees that would be very helpful to you in untangling the threads of the Parry and Jones and Williams Families. I also have numerous family photos, including one of the entire Thomas Parry family; and I believe I have one photo of Lizzie (Parry) Jones and one of her husband David, although I’m not certain of them. There are also copies of photos of your father’s sister, Jane (Jones) Welty, and her family, if you would like to have them.

Let me know if you are interested in exchanging addresses. Do you still live in Canada? I had read that David Jones moved to Canada and remarried and then his son, David, left the Parrys to live with him. Also, if you have family photos of Elizabeth and David Jones, they would help to fill in the gaps in my heritage album. Do you happen to have any information on the other Parry siblings – Mary, John or Arthur? I have just a little on each. Mary (Parry) Hughes, the oldest, has been the hardest to research – she ended up in California. That’s all for now. Even though all this may be a little overwhelming, I hope it helps.

I couldn't help but notice the names Thomas, Jane, Mary in Llanrhaiadr Denbigh & Montgomery. I'm descended from Thomas Parry b 1826 and Jane Thomas b 1829 who were married May 25, 1849 in Llangedwyn Denbigh. They had 6 children Mary b 1851, Robert b 1853 (my G grandfather), Jane b 1855, Harriet b 1856, Thomas 1858 and Catherine b 1860. All of the above were born in Llanrhaiadr, Denbigh & Montgomery (now spelled Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Powys). My grandmother mentioned there was a relative who immigrated to Ithica or Attica NY but I don't know who or when. My grandparents immigrated to Canada in 1924 on the Carmithia.
regards,
Bob