Welsh Settlers In Johnson & Iowa Counties, Iowa
Genealogies and Histories of some of the first Welsh Settlers
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Welsh in Iowa Co

Excerpts from History of Iowa Co and It's People, 1915
Williamsburg History

Excerpts from Pioneer Recollections, 1941
H.D. Evans Letter & Williamsburg

Williamsburg Welsh History, Nov 1870
: The Settlements and the Welsh Churches
Hanes Cymry America, by Rev. Robert David Thomas, 1872

Williamsburg Congregational Church History: Iowa County's Oldest, Observes 77th Anniversary
The Cedar Rabids Gazette, Linn County, Iowa; 1933

Welsh in Johnson Co

Excerpts from Hawkeye Heritage, Vol VII, No 3, July 1972
Johnson Co History

Unity Presbyterian Church History: Fifty Years of Church Life
The Iowa City Citizen, Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa; Tuesday, 26 February, 1909

From Atlas of Johnson Co, 1870
Land Owner Map of Union Township
  Map of Union Township, Johnson County, Iowa


Wales
 
1898 Map of North Wales
Map of North Wales

Introduction

  This site consists of genealogies, biographies, historical excerpts, and other source information for a group of the Welsh settlers who made their homes in Johnson, Iowa and Louisa counties. These families include the surnames Williams, Tudor, Baxter, Pugh and Evans. They were among the earlest settlers of these 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

 Welsh Families
 of Iowa Co
 
Williams Family Bio Richard Williams & Ann Evans Family
Williams Family Sheet >>


Pugh Family Bio Richard Pugh & Ann Evans Family
Pugh Family Sheet >>


Evan D. Evans & Jane Simon
Evan Evans Family Sheet >>

More to come...

   Family Journeys


Tudor, Williams, Baxter; Evans, Pugh, Simon


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.

Immigration, migration, and settlement >>

 Welsh Families
 of Johnson Co
 
Baxter Family Bio John Baxter & Elizabeth Pryce Family
Baxter Family Sheet >>


Richard Tudor & Elizabeth Lumley Family
Tudor Family Sheet >>


Edward T. Williams & Phebe Wilson Family
Williams Family Sheet >>


John Breese & Mary Breese Family
   Breese Family Sheet >>
* Breese Family Biography >>


More to come...


   Marriage Ties

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.

Tudor/Baxter    Williams/Tudor
Evans/Williams    Pugh/Evans


Marriage Connections>>


Copyright © 2002-2010 Stephen David Williams

 

Brothers of Richard Williams found!

Richard Williams wrote a letter (in Welsh) on May 29th, 1860 to an unnamed brother. In it he mentions another brother, William, in America and possibly nearby, and two sisters, living in the old country!
Read the letter >>

And now the brother, John Jones—who Richard wrote to—responds after Richard's death.
Read the letter >>



Unidentified Evans or Jones?
Click to enlarge.
Taken in Des Moines, Iowa. Thomas J. Evans lived here once. An Evans relation? Or perhaps this is John Jones or John Jones Jr.


More unidentified people:
Help ID Thomas Family Relatives or Friends

Photographs >>


ID'ing a Picture

Irish Cattle Fair

See the photo>>