Thomas Charles Howells, raised in a primarily female environment was motivated by very strong family ties. Delia, his mother, was called "Gran Howells" for she was to carry on for forty years after the death of her husband Thomas. Unfortunately there are no pictures of Thomas perhaps because he passed away quite young. Gran Howells left many photographs, (Portraits of her parents, a self portrait, family portraits, "The Choir Boys" and the remarkable 1896 standing portrait of daughter Amelia). Delia was an innkeeper at the Cwmbran Mount Pleasant Inn at the time of her death in 1936. Thomas, Delia's husband was also an innkeeper until his death in 1896, 40 years earlier.
Thomas Charles at the age of 15, and 4th of Delia's 12 children, lost his baby brother in 1891 followed by his father in 1896. After these tragic events, Thomas (Tom) and his brother Willie went to South Africa around the turn of the century to seek their fortunes. There, at the age of 29, Tom met and married (May 23, 1904) Dora Crompton, from Newton, Lancaster, England. Their first child Delia died and son Fred was born in 1906. Tom and Dora's birth certificates, marriage certificate and birth certificate of Fred are amoung the heirlooms of Tom and Dora.
They returned to Cwmbran Wales where James (1908), Bill (1910), and Kathleen (1914) were born. Tom lost contact with his brother Willie in South Africa and his only other brother Charles was killed in action in France in 1917. They lived at Number Eleven and Tom was innkeeper at the Rising Sun. The tragic death of Kathleen from pneumonia in 1919 motivated the migration of the family, not as a group, to Canada. This was the last time Tom saw his eight sisters and mother. Fred told the story of himself arriving in Edmonton alone at the age of 15 (1921) at the CPR station with 25 cents in his pocket and not knowing what to do or where to go. An attempt by Tom and Dora to adopt a niece (Alice Crompton, daughter of Dora's brother Ernest) didn't happen because it meant separating Alice from her twin brother Alfred.
The resources of the family in Edmonton Alberta contributed to the success of youngest son Bill who with a PHD in Geology became a Vice President of a major oil company in Calgary. Bill and his wife Jean raised a family of seven in Calgary. James and his wife Lil and Fred with wife Alice raised families of three in Edmonton. James was a CNR railroad engineer and Fred was a University of Alberta purchasing agent.
Tom who passed away in 1958 and Dora who passed in 1964, survived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in 1954 in Edmonton, the last time the Canadian Howells family gathered. At the time of his death in 1982, Fred Howells said to his daughter-in-law Marlene, " Don't weep for me sweetie, I've lived my life... Remember Kathleen, it's important." Also, James spoke of Kathleen frequently. If Kathleen had not died or if Tom and Dora succeeded in adopting Alice as their own, Tom and Dora would have stayed in Cwmbran with their four children and there would be no branches of the family in Canada!
Heirlooms brought to Canada from Wales
1. The Hob Origin of this 28 pound brass "foot stool" is unknown. However, there is a story that it was given to settle a tavern tab in Cwmbran, Wales. It appears to have been used as a hob (a warming shelf) as the heat trap is blackened by soot. It was passed to his son Fred Howells 1906 - 1982, then passed to grandson Dennis Howells 1936 - 2001 and next to be passed to a great grandson of Thomas Charles Howells 1875 - 1958 2. The Tortoise Shell Snuff Box Little or nothing is known about the origin of this box, however it has the following inscriptions; Bottom center plate, Initials? " R F " original owner? Top center plate, " John Burges " second owner? a date plate, " 1728 " Next in this time period, it could have belonged to John Howell 1765? - 1850?, (wife Sarah Burges?) and next, it could have been passed to his son Charles Howells 1796 - 1873 Then it appears that Charles Howells passed it on to his son C. (Charles) Howells, because, back hinge plate, " given by C. Howells to his brother Tom March 1873 " Charles Howells, 1830 Bristol. had a brother, Thomas Howells, 1844 - Nov. 13,1896. Charles Howells, father of these two brothers died March 18, 1873 and it may well be that the snuff box was given by one brother to the other to mark that occasion. The snuff box apparently was passed from Thomas Howells 1844 - 1896 to his son Thomas Charles Howells 1875 - 1958 and was brought to Canada about 1920 Front plate, "To Fred Howells from his father Thomas Howells June 1957" Front right plate; "To Dennis Howells from his father Fred Howells Sept. 1982" The next plate; To a great grandson of Thomas Charles Howells These heirlooms will be passed on to sons of Ron Howells, Bill Howells, Jim Howells, Christopher Howells, David Howells, or Ray Howells, or any two of them. One for the snuff box and one for the hob.
by Thomas Charles Howells 1875-1958
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