Catherine Owens/Bird, lodging house keeper ~1854- 1933 & Lizzie Edwards - No Ancestry tree for Catherine Owens

Had a hunch she might have been Catherine Owen , but could not find a marriage to Philip Bird. Then

1871. Catherine Owens marries Philip Bird Aberystwith Sep 1871

1881C. Aberystwith

Catherine Bird Head Married Female 27 1854 Labourers Wife Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
William Bird Son Single Male 9 1872 Scholar Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
Thomas Bird Son Single Male 7 1874 Scholar Cardiganshire, Wales  
Evan Owen Bird Son Single Male 6 1875 Scholar Cilcennin, Cardiganshire, Wales  
John Owen Visitor Single Male 25 1856 Labourer Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales

 

1891C. Gelly Road, Ystradyfodwg, Pontypridd, Glamorgan

Phillip Bird Head Married Male 39 1852 Coal Miner Shropshire, England  
Catherine Bird Wife Married Female 37 1854 - Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
William Bird Son Single Male 19 1872 Coal Miner Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
Thomas Bird Son Single Male 17 1874 Coal Miner Bath, Cardiganshire, Wales  
Evan Bird Son Single Male 15 1876 Coal Miner Cardiganshire, Wales  
David Bird Son Single Male 12 1879 Scholar Corris, Merionethshire, Wales

 

1901C. 4 St David Street, Ystradyfodwg, Pontypridd, Glamorgan. Ystrad just N of Tonypandy, well N of Pontypridd

Phillip Bird Head Married Male 50 1851 Collry Timberman Below Ground Shropshire, England  
Cathrine Bird Wife Married Female 47 1854 - Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
William O Bird Son Single Male 28 1873 Collry Haulier Below Ground Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, Wales  
Thomas Bird Son Single Male 26 1875 Collry Haulier Below Ground Borth, Cardiganshire, Wales  
Evan O Bird Son Single Male 24 1877 Coal Hewer Below Ground Cardiganshire, Wales  
Thomas P Bird Grand Son - Male 7 1894 - Ystrad, Glamorgan, Wales  
David Paul Boarder Single Male 23 1878 Coal Hewer Below Ground Glamorgan, Wales

1906. Her husband, Philip Bird, aged 52, died Pontypridd Sep 1906

At this stage she likely adopted Lizzie, a Dr Barnado's girl, to help her run her boarding house

"Nain,[Catherine] by Doris' account, was a pretty astute business woman and bought and sold houses".   So I think she sold/gave the David Street house to her son after her husband's death and bought the one in Cooperative Street to run as a lodging house .

1911C. 1 Cooperative Street, Gelli, Pentre, Rhonda in 5 rooms. She had had 4 children, all still alive- these 4 sons seen in 1891C . She has a boarding house for theatrical folk. Gelli about the same as Ystrad just N of Tonypandy, well N of Pontypridd . Catherine's age slightly wrong here . Gelli and Ystradyfodwg (1901 address) are the same place

Catherine Bird Head Widow Female Domestes 49 1862 Mackynleth Cardiganshire  
Thomas Bird Son Single Male Coal Miner Hewer 34 1877 Borth Cardiganshire  
Lizzie Bird Daughter Single Female Domestes 17 1894 Ystrad Glam  
Thomas P Bird Son Single Male Coal Miner Hewer 15 1896 Ystrad Glam  
Harry T Daniell Boarder Single Male Theatrical Manager 50 1861 Midl London  
Charles Levey Boarder Married Male Actor 34 1877 Shoreham Kent  
Frank Carlton Boarder Married Male Theatricak Manager 33 1878 Leeds Hunslet Yorkshire

 

1912. Doris Ethel Osmond was born- to Ethel Beard & Henry Lewis Osmond, - in Catherine's son's, William's , house at 4 St David Street, Gelly, Rhonda, on 3/12/1912. Informant on the b.c.was Louisa Bird, Catherine's daughter in law .

1911C At 4 St David Street Gelli, Pentre, Rhondda i

William Owen Bird Head Married Male Coliery Haulier Underground 38 1873 Montgomery Machguleth  
Louisa Ann Bird Wife Married Female - 29 1882 Glamorgan Pentre  
Katie May Bird Daughter - Female - 7 1904 Glamorgan Pentre  
Harriet Ann Bird Daughter - Female - 5 1906 Glamorgan Pentre  
William Owen Bird Son - Male - 1 1910 Glamorgan Pentre  
Lee Walters Boarder Single Male House Painter 23 1888 Pembroke Neyland

Catherine looked after Doris for likely at least 12 years, with Doris regarding her as her grandmother and Lizzie as her mother . Doris regarded Lizzie as her Mum, but was disillusioned one day when she told her friends that her Auntie Ethel was coming to stay- "that's not your Auntie, she's your Mum"

1921C .Catherine Bird, 61, widow, born Machynlleth, Montgomery, is living with Elizabeth Bird(Lizzie), 26, Thomas P Bird, 27. underground miner & Doris Osmond Bird,8, adopted daughter-1 Cooper Street, Ton Pentre, Rhondda -less than a km from Gelli, where she was living in 1911

1921c

I doubt if there had been a legal adoption

1933. Catherine Bird, 75, died Pontypridd Dec 1933 - suggests ~1858 as her birth year

"Doris always called Catherine, Nain (pronounced nine), which is Welsh for grandmother.   Lizzie had been a Doctor Bernardo's girl, adopted by Catherine Bird to help run the boarding house.   Lizzie did marry, a Frederick Owen (who had a son Phillip).    My mum always considered Lizzie to be her 'real' mother and loved her deeply all her life.   She nursed her down in Wales when she had cancer of the stomach.   And she helped her buy her house, 16 Oakwood Street, in Port Talbot.  When Lizzie died she left the house to my mum with Fred having the right of occupancy for his lifetime.  That actually came as a big shock to him, as you can imagine. "

A Phillip R Owen was born Neath Mar 1929, mother Chadwick - Neath includes Port Talbot and

Frederick Owen had married Elizabeth M Chadwick Bridgend Dec 1927. Seemingly- from Gaynor- he already had a small son, his wife having died, when Lizzie married him- she then brought this son up . An Elizabeth M Owen, 27, died Pontardawe Mar 1929, and seemingly Frederick Owen then married our Lizzie, Elizabeth M Edwards

Not sure when she died- after 1960: I cannot find her death in Neath reg.district or nearby. Nor a probate for Elizabeth M Owen .. Gaynor used to holiday there, Port Talbot, with her mother, Doris

 

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