Timothy Jones Edwards was born around 1876 in Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire.^[1] He was the son of Rachel Jones of Hendrelas, Llanfihangel Ystrad, and Rev. Thomas James, an Independent minister at Soar Chapel in Neath. Edwards grew up in Ebbw Vale, Monmoushshire, and Llanbadarn Fawr, Cardiganshire. He also spent time living on his maternal grandparents’ farm in Llanfihangel Ystrad, Cardiganshire.^[2]

Edwards passed away on February 18, 1886, at the young age of 10.^[3] He was buried in the graveyard at Llanfihangel Ystrad parish church. According to Edwards’ father’s biography,^[4] Edwards was the first to be buried in that graveyard under the “Ddeddf Newydd.”^[5] This refers to the Burial Laws Amendment Act of 1880, which allowed burials to be conducted without the performance of Church of England burial rites so long as the family provided the officiating clergyman a written Notice of Burial.^[6] This act also allowed for the burial rites of other denominations to be performed in the parish graveyard. In Edwards’ case, the funeral rites were performed by his grandfather, Timothy Jones of Hendrelas. Jones was a farmer, but his role at the burial suggests he may have also been a lay preacher.^[7] When Jones passed away five years later, he was buried next to his grandson.^[8]

What I Learned While Writing this Biography

I didn’t realise Edwards’ connection to the history of religious freedom in Britain through the Burial Laws Amendment Act or that his grandfather performed his funeral ceremony! Very cool!

Citations & Footnotes

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[1] 1881. England and Wales Census, 1881. Cardiganshire, Aberystwith, ALL, District 8a. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Thomas Edwards, p. 3, entry 13.

[2] 1881. England and Wales Census, 1881. Cardiganshire, Aberystwith, ALL, District 8a. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Thomas Edwards, p. 3, entry 13.

[3] 1886. Deaths: Edwards. The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard. Feb. 26, 1886, p. 5, col. 6. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3416993/3416998/33/

[4] 1898. Taborfryn. Parch. J. Edwards, Castellnedd, p. 39. Tywysydd y Plant. 28(Feb.): 33-39. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/2666675

[5] 1880. Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/43-44/41

[6] The Notice of Burial would read as follows: “I , ____ of ____, being the relative [or friend, or legal representative, as the case may be, describing the relation, if a relative], having the charge of or being responsible for the burial of A.B., of ____, who died at in the parish of on the day of ____, do hereby give you notice that it is intended by me that the body of the said A.B. shall be buried within the [here describe the churchyard or graveyard in which the body is to be buried] on the day of ____, at the hour of ____, without the performance in the manner prescribed by law of the service for the burial of the dead according to the rites of the Church of England, and I give this notice pursuant to the Burial Laws Amendment Act, 1880. To the Rector [or, as the case may be] of _____.”

[7] 1886. Cardiganshire Burials. Llanfihangel Ystrad, p. 55. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Timothy Jones Edwards of Neath, Feb. 24, 1886, no. 433.

[8] 2019. Cardiganshire Family History Society. “Plwyf Llanfihangel Ystrad Parish, Ceredigion, Monumental Inscriptions at St. Michael’s Church, Ystrad Aeron.” Row 38, entry 261, p. 24.