The Thomas Family Website
From Wales to America
1795-2024
The Line of John J. Thomas
Brynmawr, Breconshire to Scranton, Pennsylvania
Copright © 2024 by Jeffrey L. Thomas
| This genealogy of the Thomas family lists the known descendants of John J. Thomas and Elizabeth Davis of Brynmawr, Wales and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Brynmawr is a small community in southern Breconshire (today Blaenau Gwent) that was transformed in the mid-19th century by the iron and coal industries into a thriving industrial center. In 1848 John, Elizabeth, their baby daughter Elizabeth, and John's mother and brothers and sister, decided to leave their native Wales and seek a better life in the anthracite-rich community of Hyde Park/Scranton in Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania. The pages that follow then, tell the story of the Thomas family in Wales and America, and are based on my own research which began in late 1986. Much of that research is presented in several sections found below, using a combination of essays, photographs, documents and vital records.
As with virtually every family genealogy, it is likely that errors have been made, and I therefore encourage anyone who finds an error or omission, or who would like to contribute additional information to this record, to contact me at the e-mail address below. This is by no means a final account of the descendants of John J. Thomas, as it is my intention to update this record from time to time. I would also like to take this opportunity to mention the Thomas family genealogy that was compiled some years ago by the late Wilfred Harris of Scranton, Pa., husband of my great aunt Blanche Thomas. Uncle Wilfred's work formed the basis of my own research, and has therefore been a valuable asset in discovering the story of our Thomas ancestors. I hope you enjoy what you find here, and I look forward to hearing from you. Jeffrey L. Thomas
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 Elizabeth Thomas(1847-?) |
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| Hannah Thomas (1848-1886) |
Essay | Descendants | Obituary | buried Washburn Street Cemetery | |
| John J. "Drummer" Thomas (1850-1923) |
Essay | Descendants | Death Certificate | Obituary | Cemetery Plot - Forest Hill Cemetery |
| David O. Thomas (1852-1923) |
Descendants | Death Certificate | Obituary | Cemetery Plot - Washburn Street Cemetery | |
| Thomas J. Thomas (1854-1909) |
Descendants | Death Certificate | Obituary | buried Washburn Street Cemetery | |
| Jeremiah Thomas (1856-1891) |
Essay | Descendants | Death Certificate | Obituary | Cemetery Plot, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Mary Thomas (1858-?) died young |
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| Hosie Thomas (1861-1932) |
Essay | Descendants | Death Certificate | Obituary | Cemetery Plot - Abington Hills Cemetery |
| William Henry Thomas (1864-1947) |
Essay | Descendants | Obituary | Cemetery Plot - North Chilchilla Cemetery | |
| Benjamin Franklin Thomas (1868-1925) |
Death Certificate | Obituary | buried Washburn Street Cemetery | ||
| Daniel Thomas (1872-1888) |
Essay | Death Certificate | Obituary | buried Washburn Street Cemetery |
Aligned and Other Family Essays
The Hares Family of Somerset, England, Brynmawr/Nantyglo, Wales and Scranton, Pa.
George Hares (1834-1867), of Somerset, England, Brynmawr/Nantyglo, Wales and Scranton, Pa.
William C. Williams (1815-1888), of Monmouthshire, Wales and Scranton, Pa.
Daniel Thomas (1888-1916), Carnegie Medal Recipient, son of Hosie Thomas.
Isaac B. Morgans (1828-1899), later husband of Elizabeth Davies Thomas (above)
Brynmawr, Wales - History & Culture
Visit the Brynmawr Wales History - Genealogy project
History of Brynmawr by Hilda Jennings.
Photographs of Brynmawr and surrounds, April 2004, by Jeffrey L. Thomas.
Pigot's 1844 directory of Brynmawr and Llanelly Parish.
Scranton, Pennsylvania - History & Culture
Hyde Park/Scranton History, with an emphasis on coal mining & labor disputes.
Excerpts from an 1859 edition of the Scranton Republican
Lackawanna County, PA GenWeb Project - Genealogy resources for Scranton/Hyde Park.
Lackawanna County, PA Rootsweb Mailing List
Some prominent Welshmen of Scranton
Learn about the connection between Scranton and Brynmawr, Wales
- John J. Thomas of Brynmawr and Scranton
- David & Hannah Davies of Brynmawr and Scranton
- George Hares of Somerset, Brynmawr and Scranton
- Benjamin Hughes of Brynmawr and Scranton
- Ann Rosser Hughes of Brynmawr and Scranton
- David Aubrey of Brynmawr and Scranton
- Elizabeth Edwards of Brynmawr and Scranton
- David & Gwen Rosser of Brynmawr and Scranton
- Dan Powell of Blaina and Scranton (Dunmore)
- William Thomas, Nantyglo, Pontypool and Scranton
Washburn Street Cemetery burials (Hyde Park)
- Surnames: A through D (except Davies/Davis)
- Surnames: Davies/Davis
- Surnames: E through G
- Surnames: H through L (except Jones)
- Surnames: Jones
- Surnames: M through P
- Surnames: Q through T (except Thomas)
- Surnames: Thomas
- Surnames: V through Z
- Avondale Disaster victims buried at Washburn Street
Details of the Avondale Mine Disaster of September 6, 1869
- Description of the mine and narrative of the accident
- Initial recovery efforts
- Recovery of the miner's bodies
- The funerals, widows and orphaned children
- The official inquest into the accident
- Harper's Weekly illustrations of the Avondale Disaster
- Avondale Disaster victims buried at Washburn Street
Diamond mine accident (Scranton), December 9, 1914 (Tripp's Slope)
Mine casualty Daniel Thomas (1888-1916), Carnegie Medal recipient
General Genealogy Links
Ancestry.com - Commercial service offering access to thousands of genealogy source records.Genealogy.com - Commercial service offering access to thousands of genealogy source records.LDS Family History web site - Free access to the IGI Index, 1880 U.S. Census, 1881 U.K. Census, and a searchable listing of LDS resources and library locations.
Return to the Thomas GenWeb Web Site
This web site is copyrighted © by Jeffrey L. Thomas, with all rights reserved.
