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Unless he's this man (two transcriptions of the same GRO Index record):

Births Jun 1851 (>99%)
Mends Thomas Haverfordwest 26 728
MENDS Thomas Haverfordwst 26 788

EDIT:
Mind you, I don't see him after 1881, and his wife Caroline has remarried by 1901!

Her remarriage:
Marriages Sep 1885 (>99%)
ANDREW William Cardiff 11a 412
Mends Caroline Ann Cardiff 11a 412

Maybe his death:

Deaths Mar 1885 (>99%)
MENDS Thomas Leach 36 Cardiff 11a 190

Of course! But as you said earlier, there weren't many Thomas Mendus (or similar) born in Wales 1850-1852. In fact, there were only these two, and the first one is accounted for in censuses to 1911, and died in 1924 in Wales, so the second one has to be our man shown in the 1910 Pennsylvania record, (unless his birth wasn't registered):

Births Dec 1850 (>99%)
Mendus Thomas [T_]ropert Cardigan 27 40
Births Mar 1852 (>99%)
MENDUS Thomas Cardiff 11a 207

You do realise, this could all be a wild goose chase and we may be onto the wrong man?

Yes, saw that and if you look at the headstone it states she was born Pennsylvania - Elizabeth T, but I can't read all the inscription. Is there a site showing MIs?

Not on that site, but this looks like her:


Web: Pennsylvania, Find A Grave Index, 1682-2012 about Elizabeth Mendus
Name: Elizabeth Mendus
Birth Date: 16 Apr 1853
Age at Death: 45
Death Date: 8 Dec 1898
Burial Place: Tuckerton, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Those records have got to be connected, too much of a coincidence not to. Is there anything for Elizabeth who died in 1898?

This is from the Berks County, Pennsylvania, Register of Wills Application, Estate Search.
Don't know if that means when the Wills were made, or when they were proved, or whatever the US equivalent is called:
http://rwills.co.berks.pa.us/geneology/Estates.aspx

Mendus Thomas 02/07/1919 Tilden Township
Mendus Martha W. 05/04/1944 Reading City

Their names don't come up on the Berks County or Reading Death Searches on the same site, but they only go as far as 1905.

1919 doesn't match the gravestone - so maybe his Will took 3 years to prove??

It certainly looks like him, there are not that many Thomas Mendus (or similar) births registered at the right time - although I realise his birth may not have been registered.

Does anyone know if the Pennsylvania marriages are availble on-line? Also births, he had 1 child with Martha - according to the 1910 census.

Just wish we could find him on the passenger lists.

USA Directories

Name: Thomas Mendus
Residence Year: 1890
Street Address: 367 N River
Residence Place: Reading, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Railroader
Publication Title: Reading, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1890


Name: Martha Mendus
Gender: Female
Residence Year: 1943
Street Address: 5 N 3d
Residence Place: Reading; Hyde Park; Laureldale; Mount Penn; Pennside; Shillington; Spring Mount; West Lawn; West ReÉ, Pennsylvania
Occupation: Rll
Spouse: Thos Mendus *says widow of
Publication Title: Reading, Pennsylvania, City Directory, 1943

Yes, I agree MC. I think the 1900 census has the wrong immigration year, and it looks like the Thomas with Martha W in 1910 was previously married to Elizabeth T Mendus - as she was born Pennsylvania I guess the marriage was after his arrival. She died in 1898, hence him being a widow in 1900

Wasn't there a US census in 1890, I'm not familiar with US records.

Added, That'll teach me to refresh before posting!

Don't know how accurate the info is, but this grave reference indicates it could be the same man:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=MEN&GSpartial=1&GSbyrel=all&GSst=40&GScntry=4&GSsr=1201&GRid=60810095&

The first wife's name is mentioned as Elizabeth but the birth and death years tally with those of Mary. These are the birth and death dates the submitter has for "Elizabeth"

Birth: Apr. 16, 1853
Death: Dec. 8, 1898

ADDED:

This is the information they've submitted for his second wife:

Martha W Shaneman Mendus

Birth: 1867
Death: 1944

I'm very sceptical about the immigration year of 1865 on this 1900 (mentioned above by Flip)

1900 United States Federal Census

Name: Thomas Mendus [Thomas Menders]
Age: 48
Birth Date: Dec 1851
Birthplace: Wales
Home in 1900: Muhlenberg, Berks, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1865
Relation to Head of House: Boarder
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: Wales
Mother's Birthplace: Wales
Occupation: Section Bose ?? (RR)

Household Members:
Name Age
George Hill 45 - works on railroad too
Clara J Hill 39
Thomas Mendus 48


EDIT: This birth registration fits with a December 1851 birth.

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Thomas Mendus
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1852
Registration District: Cardiff
Inferred County: Glamorgan
Volume: 11a
Page: 207

????

Deaths Dec 1893 (>99%)
Mendus Mary 41 Pontypridd 11a 264

That would fit with Thomas Menders/Mendus in Pennsylvania in 1910,married 6 yrs.

British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
Name: Thomas Mendus
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1880
Age at enlistment: 20
Birth Parish: Manson
Birth County: Glamorgan
Document Year: 1900
Regimental Number: 3393
Regiment Name: Guards Machine Gun Battalion
Number of images: 6

(next of kin as, Brother, David John Mendus, Taffs Well, near Cardiff)

Chris :)

(apologies if you already have!)


Deaths Dec 1893 (>99%)
----------------------------------------------------
Mendus Mary 41 Pontypridd 11a 264

This one emigrated in 1886 - He was on the 1900 census as well, but described himself as a widow. He works on the railroads.

Thomas Menders
[Thomas Mendus]
Age in 1910: 58
Birth Year: abt 1852
Birthplace: Wales
Home in 1910: Tilden, Berks, Pennsylvania
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1886
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Marth W Mendus
Father's Birthplace: Wales
Mother's Birthplace: Wales
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Menders 58
Marth W Mendus 42
Louis L Shuman 74

Added, they've been married 6 years - when did Mary die?

That did cross my mind, Flip :-)

Or he may have just cleared off, and she states widow to save face!

The 1891 census shows the youngest child as born 1884 so theoretically Thomas could have died any time between then and the census:

MENDERS, Mary Head Widow F 38 1853 Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, David Son Single M 16 1875 Coal Miner Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, Charles Son Single M 15 1876 Coal Miner Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, Margarett Daughter Single F 13 1878 Scholar Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, Mary Jane Daughter Single F 11 1880 Scholar Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, Thomas John Son Single M 10 1881 Scholar Taff's Well, Glamorganshire
MENDERS, Benjamin Son Single M 7 1884 Scholar Cardiff, Glamorganshire

Piece: 4411 Folio: 98 Page: 2
Registration District: Pontypridd
Civil Parish: Eglwysilan

Address: 2, Cardiff Road, Eglwysilan, Rhydyborthan County: Glamorganshire

(Name correction submitted on FindMyPast)

I know you said you were only looking for the deaths but it helps us if we can see all of the information about a family so I'm posting that 1881 as a reference:

MENDOS, Thomas Head Married M 29 1852 Railway Platelayer Llantrisant, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, Mary Wife Married F 28 1853 Eglwysilan, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, David I Son Single M 6 1875 Eglwysilan, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, Charles Son Single M 5 1876 Eglwysilan, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, Margaret Daughter Single F 3 1878 Eglwysilan, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, Mary Jane Daughter Single F 1 1880 Eglwysilan, Glamorganshire, Wales
MENDOS, Thomas I Son Single M 0 1881

Piece: 5293 Folio: 171 Page: 34
Registration District: Pontypridd
Civil Parish: Eglwysilan

Address: Taffs Well, Eglwysilan County: Glamorganshire

Hi Vicci, we will try to help but in order for us to do so you need to help us!

Patchem asked what evidence you had to support your theory that Thomas died around 1890 so could you answer that?