Brief Life History of Thomas
When Thomas Williams was born about 1777, in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom, his father, Morgan Williams, was 34 and his mother, Martha Reese, was 34. He married Sarah Jane Thomas on 17 April 1803, in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know Thomas? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (1)
- Thomas Williams, "Wales, Glamorganshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (6)
1815
The defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo marks the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon defeated and exiled to St. Helena.
1831 · Merthyr Uprising
Sparked by a depression that was going through Wales the previous three years, the Merthyr uprisings were carried out by workers that were in debt. In the process, twenty-four people were killed and twenty-six were arrested. Troops were brought in to stop the protestors.
1839 · The Rebecca Riots Take Place
The Rebecca Riots were a group of protests in west Wales from 1839-1843. The people involved were mostly poor farmers, primarily men dressed as women. The group was called “Rebecca and her daughters”, a title believed to have come the book of Genesis. They mostly fought against the toll-gates. There is only record of one death during the riots: a young Sarah Williams had been warned that the rioters were coming, but upon refusing to leave, was killed.
Name Meaning
English: variant of William , with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This form of the surname is also common in Wales. In North America, this surname has also absorbed some cognates from other languages, such as Dutch Willems . Williams is the third most frequent surname in the US. It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans.
History: This surname was brought to North America from southern England and Wales independently by many different bearers from the 17th century onward. Roger Williams, born in London in 1603, came to MA in 1630, but the clergyman was banished from the colony for his criticism of the Puritan government; he fled to RI and founded Providence.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.