Thomas Rees 1776 from Steynton Married date and location unknown Elainor Furlong or Thomas 1781 of St Ishmaels        1777 to 1841 Thomas Reece (Rees) was baptised 13th April 1777, at Steynton parish Church, the son of James Reece. Thomas was the youngest of four children. His elder sisters were Ann born 1771, Mary born 1774 and his elder brother James born later in 1774. All but Ann were baptised in Steynton parish church, Ann was baptised in Johnston.  The two elder sister married men from the Milford Haven area and settled in that area with their families James the elder brother of Thomas seems to have slipped the net and nothing more is heard from him again. It is possible that Thomas lived in the Herbranston, or the area surrounding area of Milford Haven. According to the 1851 census, Thomas puts his place of birth as Herbranston, but on the 1861 he enters his place of birth as Steynton. It is more than likely that Thomas lived in both Steynton and Herbranston in his youth. The Marriage sometime around 1790 – 1806 As of to date I have not been able to trace a marriage of Thomas Rees to Elainor. I assume it was around 1790 to 1806, and was possibly in the Hasguard or Walton West area. As the surrounding parishes have good records that cover that period. The reason I suspect that they married in Hasguard or Walton West is that there are large gaps in their parish records around about that time. Which Elainor is Which According to the American branch of the family Thomas Rees married Elainor Furlong of St Ishmaels. Elainor was reputedly born in St Ishmaels in 1781, the daughter of Peter Furlong and Elizabeth Williams. But they have not produced any evidence to corroborate this. That said the bottom of the page for 1781 on the baptism register is damaged and there may be three or four entries gone missing. So I will not dismiss it out of hand and keep an open mind on it. The only Elainor that I have found that fits the date of birth given on the 1841 and 1851 census, is the daughter William and Margaret Thomas. They had a daughter Eleanor who was baptised at Talbenny in 1781, Although this Elainor was baptised in Talbenny, we must remember that the old parish of Talbenny is an adjoining parish of St Ishmaels. For the moment I will pencil in Elainor Furlong as the wife of Thomas until it can be proven one way or the other. I know that Thomas and Elainor Rees, had a son Thomas who married Rebecca Williams, and that the Furlongs are on Rebekah’s side of the family and the facts got a little mixed up over the years. But again all this is pure conjecture. 1807 through to 1813 at Talbenny We know that Thomas and Eleanor lived in the Talbenny area from 1807 through to 1813, when three of their children were baptsied in the parish church at Talbenny. The three children are Mary born 8th October 1807 and baptised that year 15th November. The second child was George who was born 13th October 1810 and baptised 28th October that year. The third child was William baptised 22nd August 1813. 1818 in Hasguard At some point in time the family moved to Spread Eagle in the parish of Hasguard, when their fourth child John was baptised 22nd March 1818 at Hasguard parish church. John was born within a few days of his future wife Lettice Howells who was born just up the road from him at Sandy Hill. Back again to Talbenny at Middle Hall by 1821 Thomas and Eleanor moved back to Talbenny sometime after the baptism of John in 1818 and before the baptism of their youngest child Thomas Rees. Thomas was baptised 14th January 1821 at Talbenny parish church. His address was given as Middle Hall. Tragic Death of Young William Rees 1831 Tragedy struck in 1831, when their son William died aged just eighteen years old, he was buried at Talbenny parish church. The register did not record the cause of death, and one can only speculate as to the cause. Thomas and his family must have been devastated at the time, to have their son struck down in the prime of his life. Talbenny parish church taken 2017 The parish church of Talbenny would have looked very much the same then as it is now 1841 St Ishmaels Ten years after the death of their son William Thomas and Elainor can be found in the village of St Ishmaels, Thomas is described as a farm worker, and they are living on their own. By this time all the children had married or were about to get married. 1851 Census at the Lep (Leap) Little Haven The picture on the left is of an area in Little Haven known as the leap, the properties can be accessed by the lane on the right of the gate. Thomas and Eleanor lived in this area but it is recorded as the Lep. Obviously the enumerator wrote it phonetically. It should have been recorded as the Leap. It is possible that the wall existed in 1851, but the trees would have been much smaller. The road to the right of the picture takes you to Talbenny and if you were to turn around and walk down the hill, you would be in the village of Little Haven, which is in both the old parishes of Talbenny and Walton West. Depending on your point of view the road is either known as Strawberry Hill or St Brides Road. Some locals argue that Strawberry Hill ends just about where the photographer was standing and others disagree. The Death of Eleanor Elainor Rees the wife of Thomas died in 1859 in Broad Haven. If her date of birth of 1781 is correct, then she was aged 78 at the time of her death. As yet I have not been able to find her last resting place. But it is not in the parish churches of Talbenny or Walton West, or the Baptist Chapel in Broad Haven. Her son Thomas Jnr was a member of the LDS, and it is possible that both she and her husband Thomas Snr were also members, and are buried in one of their cemeteries. 1861 Census Broad Haven Thomas now aged 85 and a widower, and he is lodging at the house of Thomas and Jane Gudridge at Coxs Croft in Broad Haven. It is possible that Jane Gudridge (formally Rees) is a relative of Thomas Rees.  But the family connection is hard to prove because there is no data as regards to Jane’s birth or baptism. According to the census returns, Jane was born in the parish of Hasguard, and as previously stated the records for that parish are sketchy at best. Another thing that strengthens the argument that Jane is family is that John Rees the son of Thomas and Elainor Rees, also lodge at the home of Thomas and Jane. It may simply be that it was a coincidence, but I feel it in my bones that there is a family connection, but feelings are not proof, so for the minute me must simply take it as it is, that Thomas and John were only lodgers. Thomas’s final days at Swanswell Broad Haven Thomas died in 1865 aged 85 years old, he was possibly living at Swanswell Broad Haven, with his daughter Mary George (nee Rees). But the last resting place and Thomas’s last known address are still unknown Children of Thomas Rees and Eleanor Furlong 1.      Mary Rees 1807 Hasguard Married James George 1804 Lambston 2.      George Rees 1810 Talbenny Married Martha Hughes 3.      William Rees 1813 -1831 died aged 18 years old no children 4.      John Rees 1818 Hasguard Married Lettice Howells 1818 Hasguard 5.      Thomas Rees 1820 Talbenny Married Rebecca Williams 1821 Walton West