Thomas

Thomas coat of arms

The Thomas line, on my maternal side, originates from Wales.  It has been the primary focus of my research for decades.  This is partly due to easy access to records, partly due to the desire to investigate the legend that the “Thomas” name descended from the “last Prince of Wales,” and partly to be able to tell my grandfather where his family came from.

Profiles of Thomas Family Members & Spouses:

Legends

I have no idea if, centuries ago, this bloodline was Welsh royalty (more on that below).  But I will never forget the day I took my 95-ish-year-old, mostly blind grandfather to the gravesite of his 6th great-grandfather.  There was an eerie feeling of completeness as we stood on the hard-earned land of “Elder William,” where the church he built of log and stone once stood.

Difficult Characters

Tracing this line back from my maternal grandfather, Russell Thomas, was initially easy thanks to his first-hand recollection of his many cousins, aunts, uncles, and forefathers and often humorous accounts of their lives.

Difficulty struck when my research came upon one Nathan Thomas.  There are shockingly few documents even mentioning Nathan: no record of his birth or death, only of his marriage.  There was not even record of where he was buried.  Confirming Nathan’s parentage, therefore, was impossible.  Though there is still no proof that the individuals I claim to be Nathan’s parents are actually his bloodline, I base this on two points:

  • I have researched every other Thomas family in the area, and none of them had a member named Nathan.
  • The dates line up, based on one census, that Nathan was born to his parents before their marriage.  This “sin” may have excluded him from any church activity for his entire life.  Since most available records of the time other than census were related to the church, this may explain why there is nearly no documentation for him.

While researching Nathan, I chronicled the process and my theories at the time into “The Nathan Problem” in the following series of blogs:

Colorful & Mysterious Characters

The Thomas line has turned up many surprising and mysterious characters:

  • “Elder” William’s youngest son (also William,) who was found hanged. His murder was never solved.
  • Asa, who served in the Revolution and narrowly escaped British soldiers.
  • Oliver, son of Josiah, who did jail time for giving Union Army soldiers bread during the Civil War.
  • Harvey, son of William H, who my grandfather said was a racketeer and sold black-market tires during the Depression.
  • Charles, another son of William H, who purportedly fathered a son but denied it and spent two nights in jail for refusing to marry the mother.
  • William H, who died of a heart attack in a railroad watchtower his first night on the job
  • And there’s dear Henry, son of Jeremiah, who went west to search for precious metals and was killed by an avalanche…. or was he? Family legend claims he was murdered by his greedy partner. We will never know, but working with a volunteer out in Colorado to unearth his story and add his name back to the Animas Cemetery website was a priceless experience. No one’s name or story should be forgotten.

Royal Blood?

As for the Prince of Wales question: if one is to believe what is written on the “House of Names” website’s entry for the surname “Thomas:”

The surname Thomas was first found in Breconshire (Welsh: Sir Frycheiniog), a traditional county in southern Wales, which takes its name from the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog (5th-10th centuries), where the family claims descendance from Owen Glendower, Lord of Glyndwyrdwy, Prince of South Wales.

Years back I did actually communicate with some kind Welsh folks at the Owen Glendower Society, but was unable to learn if our line is linked to this figure in Welsh history.

Furthermore, the website states that:

The roots of the surname Thomas lie in the rugged landscape of Wales. Thomas was a popular Medieval given throughout Europe, coming from the popular biblical name. It is ultimately derived from the Aramaic personal name meaning “twin.” Prior to the Norman Conquest, this name was rarely found, but by the 13th and 14th centuries, it became extremely common in Britain.

Next Steps

Finding Elder William’s parents is the next step in this journey. It is one that may take me to Wales. History is still being written, forwards and back.

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