In 1831 a group of approximately 50 members of the Baran Chapel congregation emigrated from Wales to join a growing agricultural community of Welsh settlers in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, USA. Many of the new immigrants settled in the Bradford townships of Pike and Warren, while a few made their homes in Middleton township in the neighbouring county of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. The Welsh Settlement, as they came to be described, established a church in the Pike township in an area later known as Neath.
Although the above articles make reference to these settlers and their connection to the Baran Chapel, I had not, until recently, been able to find any extant records of their identities. In researching the family of Rev. Roger Howell, the minister of Baran Chapel, I came across a short biography by an American family historian, Horatio Newton Powell. In the biography, Powell refers to a Catherine Howell of Pwllfawatkin, Llangiwg - the farm where Roger Howell was born. Catherine, born on 10th April 1798, was apparently the daughter of a John Howell, who, from his surname and connections to Pwllfawatkin was probably a relative of Roger Howell. On 28th April 1821, Catherine married William Evans of Clyneithrim, Llangyfelach at Llangiwg church. According to Powell - who was the husband of their descendant, Margaret Irwin - the couple worshipped at Baran chapel and baptised 4 of their children there before emigrating to Pennsylvania in 1831. He describes how:
"William Evans and family arrived with a party of Welsh settlers on a small sailing vessel, the Elizabeth Clark, in New York in 1831 after a passage of about 3 months. From New York, they travelled by the Delaware and Hudson Canal to Honesdale, Pa., where they were met by men with horses and sleighs, and were driven to Neath, Pa., where they arrived in December."
The manifest of the Brig, Elizabeth Clark, captained by Robert Adler, confirms the above. It records that William, aged 35 and Catherine, aged 37 arrived in New York on 5th November 1831 with their children: Mary, aged 9; Harriet, aged 7; Evan, aged 4 and Catherine, aged 7 months.
53 adults and 33 children arrived in New York aboard the Elizabeth Clark on that day. Although the place of origin of all the travellers is recorded as being Great Britain, they bear recognisably Welsh surnames. References in the Cambrian Index also indicate that this vessel often embarked for New York from Swansea. According to Catherine Evans' obituary, written in 1867 by Rev. William H. Thomas, in "Y Cenhadwr Americanaidd", the emigrants left Wales on 10th September 1831 and arrived in New York 8 weeks later.
The list of passengers is transcribed below, as recorded in the manifest. An amendment has been made to the name of William & Catherine Evan's 2nd daughter, whose name is known - from Powell's book and subsequent census records - to have been Harriet, but who appears to have been recorded in the manifest as Anzaria. With regard to the children of the John family listed 42-47 inclusively, presumably they are the children of David John, the engineer as opposed to John John, the mason.
2. John Williams, 24, Farmer
3. Phillip Williams, 29, Farmer
4. Margaret Williams, 54, Widow
5. Gwenllian Williams, 22, Spinster
6. John Phillips, 42, Farmer
7. Jane Phillips, 35, his wife
8. Phillip Phillips, 14, his son
9. John Phillips, 11, his son
10. David Phillips, 9, his son
11. Elizabeth Phillips, 5, his daughter
12. David Roberts, 24, Smith
13. Mary Roberts, 22, his wife
14. William Roberts, 2, his son
15. Evan Roberts 4mths, his son
16. Thomas Watkin, 28, Farmer
17. Hannah Watkin, 30, his wife
18. ?Athina Watkin, 1, his daughter
19. Margaret Edmond, 24, Spinster
20. Samuel Davies, 44, Miller
21. Mary Davies, 38, his wife
22. John Davies, 15, his son
23. Elizabeth Davies, 12, his daughter
24. Gwenllian Davies, 10, his daughter
25. Samuel Davies, 7, his son
26. William Davies, 4, his son
27. William Evan, 35, Farmer
28. Catherine Evan, 37, his wife
29. Mary Evan, 9, his daughter
30. Harriet Evan, 7, his daughter
31. Evan Evan, 4, his son
32. Catherine Evan, 7mths, his daughter
33. John Morgan, 32, Farmer
34. Evan Bevan, 32, Farmer
35. Magdalen Bevan, 28, his wife
36. Ann Bevan, 8, his daughter
37. David Bevan, 3, his son
38. Gwenllian Thomas, 21, Spinster
39. Mary Ann John, 30, wife of David
40. David John, 37, Engineer
41. John John, 21, Mason
42. William John, 11, his son
43. Job John, 7, his son
45. Griffith John, 3, his son
46. Mary John, 2, his daughter
47. Jane John, 3mths, his daughter
48. Thomas Morgan, 28, Tiler
49. Mary Morgan, 30, his wife
50. Mariann Morgan, 1, his daughter
51. David Morgan, 2mths, his son
52. Hannah Griffith, 24, Spinster
53. Thomas Herbert, 27, Taylor (sic)
54. Mary Herbert, 26, his wife
55. Ann Herbert, 3, his daughter
56. Mary Herbert, 1, his daughter
57. Daniel Jones, 23, Minister
58. Thomas Williams, 26, Farmer
59. William Williams, 50, Farmer
60. Mary Williams, 48, his wife
61. Charles Williams, 27, his son
62. Lewis Williams, 24, his son
63. Morgan Williams, 19, his son
64. Richard Williams, 11, his son
65. David Hopkins, 22, Farmer
66. John Morris, 23, Sawyer
67. David Thomas, 34, Farmer
68. Hannah Thomas, 30, his wife
69. Ann Thomas, 8, his daughter
70. John Thomas, 4, his son
71. Elizabeth Thomas, 16mths, his daughter
72. Anna Morris, 25, Spinster
73. Griffith Hopkin, 36, Farmer
74. Mary Hopkin, 27, his wife
75. Hopkin Hopkin, 3, his son
76. Thomas Hopkin, 8mths, his son
77. Samuel Hopkins, 18, Shopkeeper
78. Anna Davis, 20, wife of Z. Davis (sic)
79. Griffith Loughor, 49, Farmer
80. Matthew Loughor, 14, his son
81. Evan Jenkins, 43, Farmer
82. Thomas Jenkins Jones, 23, Agent
83. Ann Jones, 23, wife of ? Jones
84. Catherine Aubrey, 20, Spinster
85. William Price, 26, Farmer
86. David Williams, 45, Sawyer
While there is no evidence from this list that all these settlers originated from the Llangiwg/Llangyfelach vicinity of Baran Chapel, the possible marriages of some couples can be identified from local parish records:
An Evan Bevan of Llangiwg married a Magdalen Thomas of Llangiwg at Llangiwg church 15/06/1822
A Samuel Davies of Bettws married a Mary Jones of Llangyfelach at Llangyfelach church 25/02/1815
A William Evans of Llangiwg married a Catherine Howell of Llangyfelach at Llangiwg church 28/04/1821
A Thomas Herbert of Llangiwg married a Mary Morgan of Llangiwg at Llangiwg church 4/11/1826
A John Phillip of Llangyfelach married a Jane John of Llangyfelach at Llangyfelach church 27/07/1816
A David Roberts of Llangyfelach married a Mary Loughor of Llangyfelach at Llangyfelach church 01/11/1828
A Thomas Watkin of Llangadoch married a Hannah Edmund of Llangiwg at Llangiwg church 17/05/1828
The maiden names of some of these brides suggest further links with other settlers in the party, e.g. Hannah Watkin (nee Edmund) may well be related to Margaret Edmond. Similarly, Mary Roberts (nee Loughor) is probably related to Griffith & Matthew Loughor.
There is no direct evidence from the list that all these passengers settled in Pennsylvania, however American census records from 1840 (and particularly 1850) onwards confirm that many did:
The census of 1840 only records the head of the family and gives no clear indication of their age and none regarding their place of origin. However, the following settlers have been identified:
Evan Bevan at Delaware, Pike County (not to be confused with Pike township), Pennsylvania
Samuel Davies at Middletown, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
William Evans at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Thomas Herbert at Northern Liberties, ward 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Daniel Jones at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Thomas Jones at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
John Phillips at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
David Roberts at Northern Liberties, ward 3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Thomas Watkins at Clifford, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
David Williams at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
John Williams at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Phillip Williams at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Richard Williams at Bradford County, Pennsylvania
With so few recorded details, many settlers cannot be clearly identified in this census.
With more details available, a greater number of settlers can be identified, including sons who have now started their own families. Some settlers have apparently moved further afield to the mining areas of Pennsylvania.
John Davies, 34, farmer, unmarr., (son of Samuel), b. Wales, living at Middletown, Susquehanna Co.
Samuel Davies, 64, farmer, & ? wife, Catherine, 55, both b. Wales, living at Middletown, Susquehanna Co.
William Davies, 23, farmer, (son of Samuel), b. Wales, living at Middletown, Susquehanna Co.
William Evans, 54, farmer & wife, Catherine, 52, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Evan W. Evans, 22, student, (son of William), at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut *
Thomas Herbert, 46, farmer, & wife, Mary, 45, both b. Wales, living at Palmyra, Portage Co., Ohio
Thomas Jones, 38, farmer, b. Wales & wife, Harriet, 40, b. N.Y., living at Pike, Bradford Co.
John Phillips, 60, widower, farmer, b.Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
John Phillips Jr., 31, farmer, & wife, Jane, 28, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Phillip Phillips, 34, farmer, (son of John), & wife, Gwenny, 30, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Daniel Phillips, 28, farmer, (son of John), b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Thomas Watkins, 47, farmer & wife, Hannah, 52, both b. Wales, living at Clifford, Susquehanna Co.
Charles Williams, 46, miner & wife, Anna, 50, both b. Wales, living at Banks, Carbon Co., Pa
David Williams, 53, farmer & wife, Hannah, 50, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
John Williams, 41, farmer & wife, Elizabeth, 30, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Lewis Williams, 45, Pres. clergyman & wife, Margaret, 39, both b. Wales, at Carbondale, Luzerne Co., Pa
Phillip Williams, 40, farmer & wife, Harriet, 26, both b. Wales, living at Pike, Bradford Co.
Richard Williams, 30, miner, b. Wales, living at Banks, Carbon Co., Pa
* Evan W. Evans' whereabouts at Yale University, were revealed in Horatio Newton Powell's biography of his family. Evan went on to become the first professor elected by the trustees of Cornell university, New York in 1867. Although he had many interests and academic abilities, his subject at that time was mathematics.
