His Port Talbot aunt and uncles?

Can you help me find out more about the three Owens?

Dylan's father, D J Thomas, had a brother, Arthur. There's more information on him in the paper His paternal aunts and uncles on this site. After leaving school, Arthur moved to Port Talbot to work on the railways

He lodged for over ten years in Llewellyn Street, Aberavon, where in 1911 he is shown as a boarder in a family of railway workers.

By the 1939 War Register, Arthur was living at 37, Beverley Street with Ken and Hettie Owen, and was still there in 1945 on the Register of Electors; he was there at his death in late 1947.

But who were Ken and Hettie Owen? Were they just Arthur's landlords?

Biographers have been uncertain: sometimes Ken and Hettie are described as friends and sometimes as relatives.

Letters from Dylan's mother, Florence, to Hettie certainly suggest a familiar and affectionate relationship. The letters greet Hettie as "My Darling" and Florence signs them as "Mam" or "Mummie".[1]

Ken and Hettie visited, and stayed with Dylan's parents, Florence and D.J. Thomas, at both Blaencwm outside Llansteffan (there are photos of them there in the 1940s) and at Laugharne. They also looked after Florence for several months at their home in Beverley Street.

Both Florence and D. J. visited Ken, Hettie and Arthur in Port Talbot, as did Caitlin.[2] Jeff Towns relates how Florence gave Hettie a clutch of Dylan’s papers and manuscripts when they were clearing out a cupboard at Blaencwm.[3] Dylan’s children, Aeronwy and Llewelyn, kept in touch with Hettie in the 1950s.[4]

Florence was generous to Ken and Hettie in her Will, leaving them personal possessions and a small sum. But, as yet, I've been unable to find the evidence that they were relatives. This is what I've established so far:

Kenneth Owen was born in 1912, the son of George John Owen, a laundry vanman and then a motor mechanic of 69, Tanygroes Street, Port Talbot, and his wife Annie (nee Stevens). George had been born and brought up in nearby Margam where in 1891 his father had worked as a haulier. George’s parents, John James and Harriet Owens, had been born in Pembrokeshire.

Hettie Mary Phillips (1919-1997) was the daughter of David John Phillips, a bricklayer, of 97, Beverley Street, Port Talbot and Anna Morris. They married in Merthyr Tydfil in 1910. Hettie had a brother Tom, who was married and lived in Aberavon, and a cousin, Lillian, who lived on Tanygroes Street, Port Talbot.

Ken and Hettie were married on November 19 1938 in the Congregational church in Port Talbot. Ken was working as a shipbroker at the time. Presumably, they set up home in 37, Beverley Street soon after, and then took Arthur Thomas in as a lodger. During the War, Ken worked in the War Office in London.

The other mystery relative in this story is also an Owen but she seems to be no relation of Ken and Hettie. This is Marjorie Owen. She is described in various reports as (a) a cousin of DJ Thomas (b) the niece of DJ Thomas' mother, Anne Thomas nee Lewis, born in Llangadog but living in Carmarthen by the 1860s (c) sister-in-law to Annie Jones Fernhill, Florence’s sister. Annie’s funeral report has her living in the Mumbles in 1933.

Marjorie is known to have lived at some time with Florence's sister, Theodosia and her husband David Rees, who lived in the Manse of Paraclete chapel, Newton, Swansea.

If you have any information, please contact me on davidnt@hotmail.co.uk

Notes

[1] The letters were in the possession of Reg and Eileen Evans, 2003.

[2] Visits to Beverley Street, War Office, Hetties’ relatives etc: information provided by Nesta Boyle nee James who lived next door at 35, Beverley Street. The photos of Ken and Hettie at Blaencwm are on pp247-248 in D. N. Thomas (2004) Dylan Remembered 1934-1953 vol. 2, Seren.

[3] J. Towns (2014)’Borrowed Plumes’ – Requiem for a Plagiarist in Dylan Thomas: A Centenary Celebration, ed. H. Ellis

[4] Children kept in touch: see https://www.rogersjones.co.uk/en/the-welsh-sale/306/2018-03-24/lot/64