Y-DNA Is In!

And, my fathers' fathers do appear to be Welsh. Remember, Y-DNA only traces the direct, male line.

DNA doesn't lie.

Which brings us to the next problem. . . .
There simply is not enough data in this Y-DNA base. Oh, I've got hundreds of exact matches on my main strand making me Western European of a Celtic bent. But on my chart of closest matches, there is one Vaughan, probably a coincidence, and no Price, Rice, Rees, ap Rees to match our circumstantial evidence of Rees Price being the "tailor" father of illegitimate John Vaughan, born 1789.

But. . . .

There are 17 Davis or Davies names out of out of 58 total. The second most frequent is Wynn or Wynne at a total of 6. Both good Welsh names. But Davies is a likely culprit for fathering John Vaughan.

And. . . .

We simply do not have enough Welshmen tested. Maybe I can talk some into it on my next trip over. I'll ask all the Davies I meet.

Still. . . .

We're not without hints. Wynn is not a common name in our corner of Wales. Davies most certainly is. And, there is a Davies who was a tailor in Hay in Pigot's 1830 Directory. He is too young, but it could have been his father or an uncle. So far in my quick search, I've come up with the following possibilities.

Possible Davies/Davis father for John Vaughan 1789

1841 Census, Hay

Name:  James Davies

Age:    80 [old enough – close to Joanna’s age]

Estimated birth year:   abt 1761

Gender:           Male

Where born:    Breconshire, Wales

Civil Parish:    Hay

Hundred:         Talgarth

County/Island: Breconshire

Country:          Wales

Says for profession “Ind.” Which means living by independent means – had a house servant. Lived at “The Prospect”

1841 Census, Hay
Name:  David Davies

Age:    87 [old enough]

Estimated birth year:   abt 1754

Gender:           Male

Where born:    Breconshire, Wales

Civil Parish:    Hay

Hundred:         Talgarth

County/Island: Breconshire

Country:          Wales

Weaver, lived on Black Lion Road

1841 Census Hay
Name:  John Davies

Age:    65

Estimated birth year:   abt 1776 (a little young, who was father?) born in county

Gender:           Male

Where born:    Breconshire, Wales

Civil Parish:    Hay

Hundred:         Talgarth

County/Island: Breconshire

Country:          Wales

Tailor, lived on Castle Street

From Llanstephan Parish Bastardy Papers, Powys Records Office R/EP/41/0/BB/11 [Llanstephan is a parish across the Wye from Glasbury. Of course I have no idea who this Elizabeth Vaughan was].

1841 Census, Bronllys
Name: John Davies

Age:    85

Estimated birth year:   abt 1756

Gender:           Male

Where born:    Breconshire, Wales

Civil Parish:    Broyn llis

Hundred:         Talgarth

County/Island: Breconshire

Country:          Wales

Occupation labourer

Glasbury Parish Register (Wood on-line)
1833 Baptisms

Ap. 3. Charles son of Henry Davies of Glasbury, Tailor, & Anne. (p. 207)

Pigot’s 1830 Directory of South Wales
John Davies, High Town [Castle Street], Tailor 
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We have a lot of work to do!