Was Mary Jane Kelly really called Margaret?

Was Mary Jane Kelly really called Margaret?
A friend of Mary Kelly stated Mary Kelly looked thirty but was really twenty-four. Presumably, it was Mary Kelly who stated her age as twenty four – it wouldn’t be the first time a person has lied about her/his age. Mary Jane Kelly said she married a collier named John Davies/Davis at age sixteen.

This John Davies’s age ranges from 24 to 27, but undoubtedly refers to the same man (only one man died in the Cwm Bargoed Colliery in this accident).

3rd September 1881

THE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT DOWLAIS. On Wednesday afternoon Mr Thomas Williams, deputy-coroner, held an inquest touching the death of a collier, named John Davies, aged 24, who lost his life on Monday night, owing to a slight explosion of gas at the Cwm Bargoed Colliery, the property of the Dowlais Company, by which same occurrence four other men were burnt; one rather severely. The explosion, it appears, took place in what is known as the long Work, and it is supposed that the deceased went into a part of the workings where there was gas with a naked light, the gas being thus exploded. The inquiry was adjourned until the 13th, in order that the injured men may be enabled to give evidence, and that the Government Inspector may be communicated with.

10th September 1881

At the same place, also, an inquiry was held into the cause of the death of John Davies, collier, aged 27, living at 18 Lewis Street, who was killed by a slight explosion of gas in the Cwm Bargoed Colliery, Merthyr Tydfil on the 23th August.

This is an easy John Davies to trace as his death is registered after the 1881 census and helpfully, the newspaper sited his address: 18 Lewis Street.

John Davies

England and Wales Census, 1881

Name         John Davies

Event Type            Census

Event Date            1881

Event Place            Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, Wales

Registration District          Merthyr Tydfil

Residence Note     Lewis St

Gender       Male

Age            26

Marital Status (Original)    Married

Occupation            Coal Miner

Relationship to Head of Household          Head

Birth Year (Estimated)      1855

Birthplace Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales

John Davies                      Head    M         26        Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales

Margaret Davies               Wife     F          23        Dowlais, Glamorganshire, England

Howell Davies                   Son      M         2          Dowlais, Glamorganshire, England

David Davies                     Son      M         5 M      Dowlais, Glamorganshire, England

Timothy Callaghan            Lodger M        35        Bandon, Ireland

George White                    Lodger M        20        Castletown Beacheaven, Ireland

Howell Davies, census of 1891, is not living with his mother or brother. I haven’t found David Davies – as yet.

Howell Davies

England and Wales Census, 1891

Name         Howell Davies

Event Type            Census

Event Date            1891

County       Carmarthenshire

Parish         Conwil Elfet

Ecclesiastical Parish           CONWIL

Registration District          Carmarthen

Gender       Male

Age            13

Occupation            Farmers Servant

Relationship to Head of Household          Servant

Birth Year (Estimated)      1878

Birthplace Carmarthenshire, England

David Edwards     Head              M        23        Carmarthenshire, England

Sarah Edwards      Wife               F         21        Carmarthenshire, England

Anne Thomas        Servant          F         20        Carmarthenshire, England

Howell Davies       Servant         M        13        Carmarthenshire, England

John Davies

England and Wales Marriage Registration Index

Name         John Davies

Event Type            Marriage

Registration Quarter          Apr-May-Jun

Registration Year 1873

Registration District          Llandovery

County       Carmarthenshire

Event Place            Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales

John Davies probably married one of the following people

Name         John Davies

Name         Margaret Jones

Name         Mary Morgans

Margaret was fifteen or sixteen when she married this John Davies. She was born in 1858.

Dowlais, as well as coalmining, has an ironworks. Mary claimed her father, John, worked as a gaffer in an ironworks. If Mary Kelly’s is Margaret, her surname is therefore Jones and her father is John Jones! It could be worse. He could be called John Smith.