This site consists of genealogies, biographies, historical excerpts, and other
source information for a group of the Welsh settlers of Johnson and Iowa counties.
These families include Williams, Tudor, Baxter, Pugh and Evans families, who were
among the early settlers of Johnson and Iowa counties.
Eventually I wish to include information encompassing all Welsh settlers of
Johnson and Iowa counties. If your Welsh ancestors settled here, and you would
like to add information about them to this site, drop me a line.
- Steve Williams
An outline of the Welsh settlers mentioned on these pages of their first
journeys in America.
Tudor, Williams, Baxter, Pryce from Pennsylvania to Iowa; Evans,
Pugh, Simon from Ohio to Iowa. Welsh immigrants, like so many
others who first came to America, stuck together.
The initial families outlined here were Welsh Congregationalists. Marriage
within the Welsh Congregational Church, especially among first generation
Welsh Americans, was strong. This was a testament to the ideology that
made them "Independents" and the desire to maintain their culture.
What follows is a tree showing some interesting marriage connections between
some of the people mentioned on this site.
Richard Williams wrote a letter (in Welsh) on May 29th, 1860 to an unnamed
brother. In it he mentions another brother, William Williams, in America and
possibly nearby. Two sisters, living in the old country, were also mentioned!
