Timothy Jonathan was born at Fronfedw Farm in Ciliau Aeron, Cardiganshire, in 1884. He was the son of Mary Davies of Capeli, Lampeter, and Thomas Jonathan of Fronfedw.[1] Sadly, Jonathan was victim to one of the many illnesses of the late Victorian period, which set the child mortality rate at 15.3%.[2] On Dec. 7, 1884,[3] at just 10 weeks old, Jonathan passed away. He was buried three days later in the Dihewyd parish graveyard.[4]
Interestingly, Jonathan’s death was announced in four periodicals: The Aberystwith Observer on Dec. 13, The Cambrian News and Y Llan on Dec. 19, and Yr Ymofynydd in the March 1885 edition. The most complete account of his life and death comes from Yr Ymofynydd, which reads: “Dec. 7, 1884, Timothy, son of Thomas and Mary Jonathan, Fronfedw, Ciliau, at 10 weeks old. He was buried in Dihewyd graveyard.”[5] What becomes clear from all of these announcements is that 1) his parents had a lot of disposable income and that 2) they were trying to reach relatives who were members of different communities. Much like today, different periodicals had different readerships based on their politics and themes. Yr Ymofynydd (The Inquirer), for instance, was a denominational magazine, printed in Welsh for the Unitarians.[6] At that time, Yr Ymofynydd was edited by Rev. Rees Jenkin Jones, the well-known antiquarian, historian, author, and minister of Hen Dy Cwrdd meeting house in Trecynon, Aberdare.[7] Jones was also a great, great grandson of Timothy Jacob of Goitre Isaf and a descendant of Jonathan’s 4x great grandparents. Undoubtedly, Jonathan’s parents were attempting to inform their literate, Welsh-speaking, Unitarian loved ones and may have even been readers of Yr Ymofynydd themselves.
What I Learned While Writing this Biography
I didn’t realise that this Timothy existed before I sat down to write. I was collecting some last records for his older brother, Timothy, who I was hoping to write about, and I stumbled on this Timothy’s baptism.
Citations & Footnotes
[1] 1884. Cardiganshire Baptisms. Ciliau Aeron, p. 74 (p. 40/46). Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Timothy Jonathan, Oct. 5, 1884, entry 589.
[2] This mortality rate includes Wales and England. See: Jalland, Patiricia. 1999. Death in the Victorian Family, p. 120. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[3] 1884. Deaths. The Aberystwith Observer. Dec. 13, 1884, p. 4, col 6. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3043922/3043926/44/, accessed Nov. 22, 2024.
[4] 1884. Cardiganshire Burials. Dihewyd, p. 8 (6/40). Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Timothy Jonathan of Fronfedw, Dec. 10, 1884, no. 60.
[5] 1885. Marwgofion. Yr Ymofynydd 4(43): 71. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/2566163
[6] Undated. The National Library of Wales. “Denominational Magazines.” https://www.library.wales/catalogues-searching/about-our-collections/printed-materials/welsh-periodicals/denominational-magazines, accessed Nov. 22, 2024.
[7] 1959. Jones, John D. “Jones, Rees Jenkin.” Dictionary of Welsh Biography Online. https://biography.wales/article/s-JONE-JEN-1835, accessed Nov. 22, 2024.
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