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The
MORDECAI / MORT Family of C18th/C19th Glamorgan, Wales &
Bristol, England
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Distribution of the MORDECAI
family name
(left) & the MORT
family name (right) in 1881.
The MORT regional area in SW
Wales is still defined by 2000-2005 data, below.
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Head of my tree is Hopkin
MORDECAI who married Alice
DAVID at
Briton Ferry, Glamorgan in 1753, my 5xGGPs. Hopkin died in 1779
and is buried at Margam Abbey. Their children were:
Anne
MORDECAI (1753-53 Neath);
John
MORDECAI (1754 Neath);
Hopkin
MORDECAI (1756-58 Neath);
Hopkin
MORDECAI (1758 Neath);
Leyshon
MORT (1762 Neath);
Llewelyn
MORDECAI (1765 Neath);
William MORDECAI
(1769-1829 Neath), unclear if a child of his first or second
wife;
In 1769 Hopkin married Mary
WILKS in Neath. Their children were:
Jane
MORDECAI (1770 Neath);
Thomas
MORDECAI (1771-72 Neath);
Anne
MORT (1774 Margam);
Mary MORDECAI (1776-77
Margam);
Leyshon MORDECAI
m. Margaret of
unknown family by 1804 and lived in the Margam area, on the coast
of West Glamorgan near Port Talbot, Wales, my 4xGGPs. Two
daughters are known:
Mary
MORT (1804-07);
Alice MORT (1807).
As Alice MORDECAI she
m. Benjamin
OSBORNE,
a Master Shoemaker/Cordwainer, in 1826 at Bitton Parish Church,
Kingswood area, near Bristol, England (my 3xGGPs).
Genes
Reunited contact also for this branch: Philippa VOWLES.
Home
Page & Contact Info
The
outline above is indicative only and not necessarily fully
correct or complete.
The CreativeGraces family tree can be
found here on
Ancestry:
http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/pt/pedigree.aspx?tid=9072976
This
is where you can find the most up-to-date information.
You
will need approval for Guest access.
MORDECAI
or MORT?
Families may have
originated from 3 brothers around 1800 in Bridgend, Coychurch,
Llangan, Treos, spreading to Cowbridge and Cardiff. C19th
families seem to be concentrated in three areas: Cardiff, Margam
& Swansea. Each follows the same naming pattern and changed
their names about the same time.
One story is that they
took the name MORDECAI. MORT
was used before, alongside or as an alias at times. The reason
for this change is not clear. These original males were weavers
and small farmers. Often moving from farm to farm in Glamorgan.
A more likely
explanation is the name changing to MORT in the late C18th.
Following the Welsh naming convention of X ap Y, or the X (the
son of) Y, this meant that the "family name" changed
with every generation. After this time, last names were
standardised. So, for example, Morris ap Jenkin's son Mordecai
(ap Morris) would have children "ap Mordecai". Future
generations would then continue with MORDECAI as the surname when
more modern conventions were adopted. It is suggested that the
impetus to change to MORT may have been due to some local
anti-Jewish sentiments at the time, and having an apparent Jewish
surname may have caused the family problems.
- thanks to Caryl
Jones for an
update on the most recent thoughts on the history of the family
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