Episode synopsis:
Ruth Jones grew up in Porthcawl in South Wales, the third of four children. Her mother was a GP and her father, who died in 2017 aged 89, was a legal executive at the steel works in Port Talbot. Her grandmothers both lived nearby, and both her grandfathers died before she was born. Ruth went to Porthcawl to see her mother, who still lives there. Her mother showed her a photo of her father (i.e. Ruth's grandfather), Griffith Llewellyn Jenkins, known as "Lyn", who died when Ruth's mother was 2. Griffith tried to enlist in the army in 1939 but the army doctor told him to go and see his own doctor about a heart problem, from which he died soon after at the age of 39. He was a licensed victualler, as was his father, Griffith Owen Jenkins, who had a pub in Carmarthen. Ruth's mother showed her a family Bible which contained information about Griffith sr, born in 1860, the son of David and Hannah Jenkins, and his 8 siblings. There was also a photo which Ruth and her mother thought could be of Griffith and his brothers and sisters.
Ruth's mother then showed her the baptism record of David, the son of Evan and Elinor Jenkins at a parish near New Quay, Cardiganshire. Evan's occupation was shown as Mariner. Ruth went to New Quay and met an historian who showed her a list of voyages of a ship called the Eleanor, with Evan Jenkins age 37 listed on the crew list as Mate. The ship mostly travelled around the Welsh coast. Then the crew list for the Elizabeth in 1838 had Evan as the Master and owner, age 40. Another document showed that in 1846, Evan Jenkins purchased a plot of land in New Quay to build a house, which is now 1 Marine Terrace. Ruth went to look at the house.
Another crew list, from 1847, showed that Evan died in Liverpool on a voyage there from New Quay. His death certificate showed that he died from apoplexy (i.e. a stroke). His son David Jenkins, age 19, was one of the crew. Ruth met another historian who showed her the certificate of David's marriage to Hannah Thomas in 1858, with David's occupation being Master Mariner. Lloyd's Captain's Register showed that in the 1870's, David was the Master of a ship called the Adela S Hills, built in America. The ship's log from 1876 showed that it went to the East Indies, Mauritius, and Australia, probably carrying coal to trade.
Ruth showed the family photo to an historian who agreed with her that the wall in it looked like the wall at the harbour in New Quay, and dated the photo to around 1883 or 1884 going by the clothes and the hats. There were 6 women or girls in the photo, and 3 men or boys, so she agreed that it was likely to be the Jenkins siblings. Ruth then met a genealogist who showed her newspaper reports of the deaths of two of the Jenkins children, Hannah Jenkins, aged 25, in May 1892 from TB, and Thomas Jenkins, aged 23, in Sep 1892, drowned when his ship was wrecked near Montevideo. Ruth went to look for their graves at St David's Churchyard in Llanarth, and she found a gravestone commemorating David, Hannah sr, and their children Mary, Hannah jr, Thomas, Evan and Lizzie.
Ruth then went back to Porthcawl to find out what her older brother Julian could tell her about their father's father, Henry Richard Jones. Henry was born in 1897, and his birth certificate showed that his father was a blacksmith, but Ruth knew that Henry himself worked in a pharmacy and served in the forces in WW1. His records showed that he joined up in 1917 and served as a sick berth attendant. Julian showed her a wedding photo of Henry and Anita (their grandmother), and some letters which Henry wrote to Anita during and after the war, some written in Welsh and some in English. There was a note written in 1931, on paper headed "Neath & District Medical Aid Association".
Ruth went to the address on the letter and met an historian who told her that Henry had been the Secretary of the Association, and also the Secretary of the Alliance of South Wales Medical Aid Societies. He showed her several letters written by Henry to government ministers, including Aneurin Bevan, asking for the societies to be consulted about the plans to set up a National Health Service. There was a document which showed that Bevan did meet with representatives, including Henry, in 1946, but that he told them that he already knew all about the Medical Aid Societies and so didn't need to consult them. The Medical Aid Societies agreed not to oppose the setting up of the NHS, but were concerned about what would happen to their staff. Henry sent in the CV's of the staff, including his own, asking to be employed by the NHS, but he received a reply saying there was no suitable vacancy for him. In 1949 he took a job running a convalescent home, The Rest, in Porthcawl. Ruth had already known that he worked there. She read a report of his funeral which included some information about his career.
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