I am interested in finding other Watkins whose family came from Wales to northeastern Pennsylvania, near Mt. Carmel.

My father was Ralph Thomas Mitchell, bn Sept. 19, 1902, Plymouth, PA to John Mitchell & Margaret Coombs Mitchell. Both John & Margaret were Welsh but only one was born in Wales. The other was born in the US. Margaret Coombs Mitchell had a sister that married a WATKINS. Ralph was the 3rd of 4 children which would suggest that the first 2 were born before 1900. Ralph was an orphan by 1915 and was working his way across the US by 1919. He livedout his life in Calif. We had very little contact with his side of the family. Only 4 contacts from a relative coming west and my sister & parents went east only once. My Dad had one sister, Bess and her married name was Conner. She lived in Youngstown, Ohio. His youngest brother (4th child), Charles became a mason & lived in Arlington, VA, had no children.

WATKINS connection via the sister of Margarte Coombs Mitchell:
I remember an Aunt Mary Watkins & a Cousin Mary Watkins (who never married). They lived in Wilkesbarre, PA. There was also a Cousin Ethel Watkins (married a brother of Cousin Mary?) who lived in Rahway, New Jersey.
Met Aunt Mary once in the early 1950s some time. Cousins Mary & Ethel were on the same trip. Saw Cousins Mary & Ethel Watkins again later in the late 50s or early 60s. Cousin Mary had had a mastectomy many years before when it was a new procedure & the arm would swell. Later she had another (in the 70s) and finally felt "balanced"!

Lynn,

My grandfather's name was William. He had a brother "Neelie" short for Cornelious. They lived at one time in McAdoo PA, a small coal mining area near Interstate 81. William moved to Western PA and settled in a mining town called Crabtree PA. Any chance this is the same family? Please take a moment and let me know. Thank you.

Rich Watkins

Hello Rich, I don,t know if we can help each other or not. Is there any mention of a Harold Watkins in your family born 1900 in Harrison City, PA? Or a Thomas Watkins that lived in the Dravosburg, PA area? That would have been his father. Thank You! Bob

My great-great grandfather, James Matthew Watkins, came to Pennsylvania in the early 1850s from Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales. He was born in 1793 in the Forest of Dean, moved to Blaenavon as a child [he may have been born after the family moved to Wales to work at the ironworks. He died in Mt. Carmel, Northumberland Co., PA on 4 Oct 1861. They had 5 children: Ann, born 1839; James, 1842-1878; William [my ancestor], 1845-1892; Elizabeth, b. 1848; and Matthew, 1851-1917.

On the Forest of Dean Family History Web site there is a transcript of the baptism of a James Watkins at Goodrich in 1793. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth.
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/

Do you have any additional information of the family in England and Wales before they went to the United States?

My Dad and all my other Watkins ancestors going back to the 1600s were born in the Forest of Dean.

David Watkins
Western Australia

1880
Mary Ann Watkins MT Carmel, Northumberland, Pennsylvania abt 1816 Wales Self (Head)
Lizzie Watkins MT Carmel, Northumberland, Pennsylvania abt 1846 Wales Dau (Daughter)
Matthew K. Watkins MT Carmel, Northumberland, Pennsylvania abt 1852 Pennsylvania Son

1870
Mary A Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania abt 1815
James Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania abt 1842
Willia Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania abt 1845
Lizzie Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania abt 1849
Mathew Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania abt 1852

1860
Jas Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 67 abt 1793
Mary Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 47 abt 1813 / 1803 ?
Ann Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 20 abt 1840
James Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 18 abt 1842
William Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 14 abt 1846
Elizabeth Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 12 abt 1848
Mathew Watkins city, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania 9 abt 1851
All born WALES except Matthew

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A Gloucester Boy in Wales