WHO WAS
RICHARD MEYRICK?
The surnames MEYRICK, MYRICK, MIRICK, and MERRICK are
derived from the earlier given names of Meurig and Meuric through the
patronymic naming tradition in early Wales.
A very detailed account of the evolution of the surname MERRICK can be
found at the following website: http://users.erols.com/jmirick/geneology/mirick.htm. MEYRICK is not a very common surname
spelling in Wales or in the USA. One
reason is that the name, MEURIG, (with a hard ending) was gradually replaced by
the more popular MORYS/MORRIS surname (with a soft ending). In present-day Wales, there are far more
people surnamed MORRIS than either MEYRICK or MERRICK.
Richard MEYRICK and Margaret
WILLIAMS, my second great grandparents, are listed as the parents of my great
grandmother, Annie MEYRICK, on her Tennessee death certificate. Richard is also mentioned by Philip FRANCIS
as his father-in-law in “Seventy Years in the Coal Mines”. Richard was described in the book as “an old
1849 California miner”. He may be the
Richard MYLOCK, age 30, in the 1850 census for Mauch Chunk, Carbon Co.,
PA. The Richard MEYRICK family was
found in Tuscarora, Schuylkill County, PA, in the 1860 census and in Mahanoy
City, Schuylkill County, PA, in the 1870 census. Richard was in the household of Philip and Annie FRANCIS in the
1880 census for Mahanoy City. Richard’s
US census ages (age 30 in 1850, 34 in 1860, 46 in 1870, and 58 in 1880) result
in a range of potential birth years from 1820-1826. The most accurate census age with respect to his age at death is
his age in the 1880 census. The next
most accurate is the age in the 1850 census.
The least accurate age is in the 1860 census. In 1860, Richard may have wanted to hide his actual age, as his
new wife was 10-15 years younger. So,
it would appear that Richard was born ca. 1822. All of the US censuses list his birth place as Wales. Three descendants: Mary Meyrick VAN HUSS; Phillip Meyrick “Mick” FRANCIS, Sr.; and
Phillip Meyrick “Rick” FRANCIS, Jr.; have been named in honor of our MEYRICK
ancestry.
He was called
"Dakie" by his grandchildren, which is spelled based on the family’s
pronunciation of the Welsh expression, Tad Cu (pronounced Tad kee), meaning grandfather. Margaret “Maggie” (Francis) WILLIAMS told
her grandson, John Philip WILLIAMS, Jr., that Richard returned from California
with a large amount of gold. (Of
course, the family story about Richard’s gold mining in California could have
been a “tale” that he told his children and might not be true.) He suffered with “coal miner's asthma” for
the last 15-20 years of his life and for that reason slept on a self-prepared
mattress of washed corn shucks. Richard
moved from PA to the KY/TN area at some point after the 1880 census. He lived with Philip & Annie. His granddaughter, Mary (Francis) VAN HUSS,
related stories about his living with them to her son, John Philip VAN
HUSS. Richard's family Bible record
shows that he died 7 December 1893 in Jellico, TN, at age 71. Philip and Annie had moved from Knoxville,
TN, to Jellico, TN, between 1890 and 1893.
The location of Richard’s grave is unknown.
The date of Richard MEYRICK’s immigration to the USA
is also unknown. If he came to the USA
after the 1841 Wales census, he should be one of the Richard MEYRICK names in
that census. There were only 8 Richard
MEYRICKs, 1 Richard MERRICK, and 1 Richard MYRICK in the entire 1841 Wales
Ancestry.com census index, and 8 of the 10 were in Glamorgan. After extensive census and other research
and the purchase of many Richard (and other) MEYRICK marriage and death
certificates, I was able to trace and
eliminate all but one Richard MEYRICK found in the 1841 census, and that individual
is rather unlikely to have been our Richard MEYRICK.
They are:
(1)
Richard, 11, in the
household of William, 45, and Mary Ann MEYRICK;
(2)
Richard, 14, in the
household of Ann MEYRICK, 55;
(3)
Richard 15, iron roller
and lodger in the household of John LEWIS;
(4)
Richard, 16, in the
household of David & Mary MEYRICK;
(5)
Richard, 20, in the
household of Diana MEYRICK, 50;
(6)
Richard, 25, in
household of David & Ann MEYRICK;
(7)
Richard, 70, pensioner,
head of household in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, (who died 18 Dec 1845 at age 75
in Gellygare, Glamorgan, based on his death certificate).
(8)
Richard MYRICK, 30,
agricultural laborer, born in Glamorgan, and living with wife Mary, and
children, William 2, and John, 1 month;
(9)
Richard MERRICK, 30, in
Newport, Monmouthshire, who was married with children;
(10) Richard MEYRICK, 44, in Llanbadar Fawr,
Cardiganshire.
The last 4 names can be eliminated by age and other
reasons. The 6 remaining Richard
MEYRICKs from the 1841 Glamorgan census are discussed below in order of
increasing age (based on the census):
(1)
Richard, b. ca. 1830,
son of William and Mary Ann, was also a son in his parents’ household in the
1851 census, and is the Richard MEYRICK who married Mary WILLIAMS 5 March 1853
in the Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff, Glamorgan.
The family is in Llandaff, St. Mary, Cardiff, Glamorgan, in the 1861
Wales census. The marriage certificate
dated 5 March 1853 shows the groom as Richard MEYRICK, age 23, bachelor,
laborer in the Iron Yard, residing at Peel St., Cardiff, son of William
MEYRICK, laborer in the Iron Yard, and the bride as Mary WILLIAMS, age 24,
spinster, residing at Peel St., Cardiff, daughter of Daniel WILLIAMS,
collier. Witnesses were William MEYRICK
and Gwenny JAMES. He is eliminated.
(2)
Richard, b. ca. 1827 in
Glamorgan, in the household of Ann, was a saddler apprentice in the Cardiff
District in 1841. In the 1841 census,
Ann MEYRICK also has a son, Thomas, born abt. 1822, who is the Thomas MEYRICK
who married in 1848 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, Catherine Elizabeth
PALMER. This Richard could not be found
in the 1851 census, and a death certificate 2 March 1849 shows that Richard
MEYRICK, 21 years of age, saddler, died of phlebitis of 12 months
duration. Richard’s address at the time
of death was 7 Ebenezer Street, which was the same address as the informant,
Thomas MEYRICK. In the 1851 census, Ann
MEYRICK (erroneously enumerated as Elizabeth) was living at 8 Ebenezer Street,
so this is almost certainly the same Richard MEYRICK from the 1841 census. He is eliminated.
(3)
Richard, b. ca. 1826 in
Glamorgan, lodger in the household of John LEWIS along with LEWIS’ wife and 3
other lodgers, was in the Merthyr Tydfil District as an iron roller. He could not be found in the 1851
census. However, he almost certainly is
the Richard MEYRICK who married Mary Ann JENKINS. The marriage certificate dated 9 August 1851 at the Parish Church
of Merthyr Tydfil shows the groom as Richard MEYRICK, full age, bachelor,
shingler, residing in Ynysfach, son of Rees MEYRICK, laborer, and the bride as
Mary Ann JENKINS, full age, spinster, residing at Jackson Bridge, daughter of
Robert JENKINS, “potatoe merchant”.
Witnesses were W. ROWLAND and Robert JENKINS. The Richard and Mary Ann (Jenkins) MEYRICK family was living with
Mary Ann’s mother, Sarah JENKINS, in the 1861 census. Richard’s occupation was squezerman (squeezerman). The occupations: iron roller, (iron) shingler, and squeezerman were all related
occupations in the iron industry in the 19th century. He is eliminated.
(4)
Richard, b. ca. 1825 in
Glamorgan, son of David & Mary MEYRICK, who were also in Merthyr Tydfil in
1841. This Richard was still in his
parents’ household in 1851 as a 25 year-old coal miner, born in Merthyr Tydfil,
Glamorgan. Since I could not find him
in the 1861 census, this could be our Richard MEYRICK if he immigrated to the
USA shortly after the 1851 census. He
is an unlikely candidate but still possible, if our Richard MEYRICK was not the
Richard MYLOCK in the 1850 US census, and the 1849 California miner story is
untrue.
(5)
Richard, 20,
cordwainer, born in Glamorgan, in the household of Diana in the Cardiff
District, Glamorgan, is probably the Richard MEYRICK who was christened 8 Dec
1817 at St. John and St. Mary, Cardiff, as the son of James and Diana
MEYRICK. He is the Richard MEYRICK who
married Mary WOODWARD. The marriage
certificate dated 17 March 1845 in the Parish Church of Rudry, Glamorgan, shows
the groom as Richard MEYRICK, full age, bachelor, shoemaker, residing in Rudry,
son of James MEYRICK, gardener, and the bride as Mary WOODWARD, full age,
spinster, residing at Rudry, daughter of James WOODWARD, weaver. Witnesses were James WOODWARD and Eliza
______. The Richard and Mary (Woodward)
MEYRICK family was in the 1851 and 1861 censuses for Cardiff, Glamorgan. He is eliminated.
(6)
Richard, 25, engineer, in
the household of David & Ann MEYRICK in the Neath District, is a little too
old. He is most likely the Richard
MEYRICK who was christened 9 June 1816 in Briton Ferry, Glamorgan, as the son
of David MEYRICK and Ann. He is
probably the Richard MEYRICK, 34, engineman, who was a lodger in Swansea in the
1851 census and shown as born in Briton Ferry, Glamorgan. In the 1841 census, his family was living 3
households away from the Robert BODYCOMB family in which there was a teenage
daughter named Matilda. Almost
certainly, he is the Richard MEYRICK, 36, engineer, son of David MEYRICK, who
married Matilda BODYCOMB 9 October 1852 in the Parish Church of Llansamlet in
the Neath Registration District of Glamorgan.
The family of Richard and Matilda (Bodycomb) MEYRICK was in the 1861
census for Swansea, Glamorgan.
According to the Cambrian Index, Richard MEYRICK, engineer, age 61, died
31 July 1877 at 2 Balaclava Street, Swansea.
His wife, Matilda, died 2 April 1888 at 6 Vicarage Terrace, St. Thomas,
at 67 years of age. He is
eliminated.
It is possible that our Richard MEYRICK was in Wales
in 1841 but not shown on the surviving census.
The entire 1841 census for Upper Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, was
lost. Also, he could have been
enumerated in the census with the wrong surname making a search for him very
difficult if not impossible.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
International Genealogical
Index (IGI) entry:
Richard MEYRICK,
christened 11 Mar 1823 at Ewenny, Glamorgan, Wales, son of Rees and Lovic(sp?)
MEYRICK.
There are only two Rees MEYRICK names in the entire
1841 Wales census, and they were father and son in Newcastle, Glamorgan. They were also present in the 1851
census. In 1841, the elder Rees was age
44, labourer, and in 1851 was age 55, railway labourer. He was married to wife, Catherine, in both
censuses. They are probably the Rees
MEYRICK and Catherine MORGAN who were married 20 Apr 1822 in Newcastle,
Glamorgan. There was a previous
marriage of a Rees MEYRICK to Lovic PEADOW in 1820 in Ewenny, Glamorgan. The actual record shows that Rees was a
widower when he was married in 1820 as well as in 1822. In the 1841 Glamorgan census transcription
by the Glamorgan Family History Society, a Richard MEYRICK, age 25, b.
Glamorgan, was in Rees’ household. The
actual census image shows that the 25 year-old is a female named Elizabeth and
not Richard, a male. So, if this Rees
MEYRICK was the father of Richard, there was no son by that name in the family
household in 1841 or 1851. In FreeBMD,
there are two Glamorgan marriages for Elizabeth MEYRICK between 1841 and
1851. One was in Jul-Sep 1841 in the
Newport district to Thomas JONES. The
other was Oct-Dec 1848 in the Bridgend district to one of four possible males.
If this is the same Rees MEYRICK, then his wife, Lovic
died during or shortly after childbirth with Richard. That would also mean that Richard was not baptized until 11
months after his father’s marriage to Catherine and would also suggest that
Rees’ son, Richard, was born probably in 1821.
Since our Richard’s Bible shows that he died in Dec 1893 at age 71, that
is only 1 year off from an exact calculation.
If this is a different Rees MEYRICK, then there is no
trace of Rees & Lovic MEYRICK in the 1841 and 1851 Wales censuses, or the
1850 US census. The only Richard
MEYRICK not living with one or both parents in the 1841 Glamorgan census was
age 15 (born abt. 1826), occupation iron roller, living in the household of
John LEWIS and wife and three other presumed boarders at 062A Trevor Street,
Merthyr Tydfil. He was a son of a Rees
MEYRICK, but his birth in Merthyr Tydfil instead of Ewenny or nearby towns
suggests that he may have been a different Richard MEYRICK, and he remained in
Wales at least through the 1861 census (see #3 above).
There is no Richard MEYRICK, born Ewenny, Glamorgan
in the entire 1851 or 1861 census for Wales.
There was a Thomas MEYRICK, b. abt. 1816, at Ewenny, Glamorgan, who may
be related, but would have been born 4 years prior to the 1820 marriage for
Rees and Lovic. This is probably the
Thomas MEYRICK who married 1 Aug 1837 in Llantwit Fardre, Glamorgan, Hesther
JONES, a widow, daughter of John BRYANT, laborer. His wife’s name is shown variably as Hesther and Esther in the
censuses. I obtained their marriage
certificate, and Thomas MEYRICK’s father is shown as Rees MEYRICK and appears
to be the same Rees MEYRICK who married Lovic PEADOW and perhaps later,
Catherine MORGAN. Thomas and
Hesther/Esther named their first son, born abt. 1841, Rees MEYRICK. Our Richard MEYRICK named his first son,
Thomas MEYRICK. In 1851, there was also
a Mary MEYRICK, b. abt. 1787 in Ewenny, who was a widow and servant in the
household of 100 year-old William PARRY, born in Breconshire. I have no additional information about her
or to whom she was married.
Thus, this Rees MEYRICK appears to have married three
times, and the first two wives died in childbirth or shortly thereafter. The first wife’s name is unknown. His third wife, Catherine, died in 1855 in
the Bridgend District, Glamorgan. The
elder Rees MEYRICK died 5 Jun 1856 in Llangewyd Higher, Neath District,
Glamorgan, at age 59 when a horse he was riding fell on him. Their son, Rees, died 17 Apr 1879 in Stormy,
Lythegstone, Bridgend District, Glamorgan, at age 50, of cancer of the rectum.
IGI Entry:
Richard MYRICK, b. 16 Aug 1825 and christened 10 Sep
1825 at the Soar
Calvinistic Methodist Church, Llanddarog,
Carmarthenshire, Wales, as the son of James MYRICK and Ann SAMUEL (IGI births
& baptisms, 1811-1837, Llanddarog, Carmarthenshire, Wales).
This IGI entry shows the surname spelling as
MYRICK. All of the Richard MEYRICK
names in the correct age range in the 1841 census for Wales were born in and
living in Glamorgan. None of these are
likely to be the son of James and Ann, so their son Richard either died or left
Wales before the 1851 census. Hence, he
could be our Richard. He would only
have been 68 years of age in 1893, the year that our Richard died at age 71;
however, this is close enough to merit consideration. Our Richard was unable to read or write, so he could have been
wrong about his own age. Since our
Richard named his first child, Annie, that could be a clue to his mother’s
given name.
The 1841 census for Llan Non, Llanelly,
Carmarthenshire, shows Anne MEYRICK, 56, next door to David SAMUEL, 55,
collier. In David SAMUEL’s household is
Mary MEYRICK, 14, who may be a daughter of Anne. All were born in Carmarthenshire. A few households away, Jane MEYRICK, 9, female servant, is in the
household of Joseph EVERETT, Publican.
She may also be a daughter of Anne MEYRICK. If this is Anne (Samuel) MEYRICK, David SAMUEL is probably her
brother, and her son Richard is no longer in the household. The only person in Anne’s household is
Eleanor THOMAS, 6, possibly a grandchild.
Other data:
Richard MEYRICK born 1830 in Trevethin,
Monmouthshire, Wales, whose father was John and mother, Anne. (Personal
communication from Ted MEYRICK 27 March 1998 based on research in Cardiff)
The 1830 birth year is not consistent with the likely
age of our Richard, but he cannot be eliminated as a possibility. I could not find him in the 1841 census or a
John and/or Anne MEYRICK family. The
interest in the mother’s name, Anne, is similar here as discussed above.
Richard MEYRICK, born ca. 1817 in Tredegar,
Monmouthshire, in 1851 Wales census.
In the 1851 census, there was a Richard MEYRICK, coal
miner, born ca. 1817 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, who was a prisoner in Swansea,
Glamorgan. He is a little old to be our
Richard if his age in the census was correct (especially since people whose
ages were over 20 in 1841 were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5). I could not find him in the 1841
census. If the prisoner was our
Richard, he would have been released from prison after the 1851 census and
traveled to the USA and married by 1852 in PA (and the story about being an
1849 California miner would have been a fabrication). The Cambrian Index dated 19 October 1844 shows a Richard MEYRICK
of Llansamlet charged in Neath by David WILLIAMS for poaching, game offences,
and trespass. This could be the same
Richard MEYRICK who was in prison in 1851.
The only MEYRICK name in the 1841 Glamorgan, Wales census for the Swansea
Registration District was Margaret MEYRICK, age 70, of independent means, not
born in Glamorgan. She had other
families living at her address who were probably boarders. The Cambrian Index also shows a Richard
MEYRICK who, on 9 October 1874, was charged in Swansea for being drunk while
driving a horse cart down the High Street.
If this is the same Richard MEYRICK, he cannot be the Richard MEYRICK
who immigrated to the USA.
Since Margaret WILLIAMS’ family was in Blaina,
Aberystruth, Monmouthshire, in the 1841 census, it is possible that our Richard
MEYRICK was raised in the same general area of Monmouthshire, could have known
the Evan WILLIAMS family and rekindled the relationship in PA. This, however, is pure speculation.
P. Bailey Francis
Revised 03 March 2008