GRONOW One Name Study

Amusing Bastardy Case at Swansea - The county magistrates (Measrs. J.G. Hall, S.B. Power, and E.M. Richards) sitting in petty sessions at Swansea on Wednesday, were occupied for several hours in hearing a case in which Cecilia Gronow charged William Jones of Morriston, with being the father of her illegitimate child. Mr Woodward appeared for the complainant, and Mr C.H. Glascodine for the defendant. The complainant stated she met the defendant for times in August last year, and one night he had improper connection with her, which resulted in the birth of a child. Mary Jenkins and Catherine Williams stated that they saw the defendant and the complainant together in August last, but Mary Jenkins admitted, in cross-examination, that when she went to tell the defendant that he was the father of the child, she was not sure that he was the man, and when his brother went out, she told him that Cecilia Gronow had a boy for him.
Several witnesses were called to prove that the complainant stated that the father of the child was taller than David Jones, and David was taller than William Jones. The mother also said that the father had a moustache, and all the witnesses for the defence swore that the defendant, who is not 18 years of age, never had a moustache. The bench believed that it was a case of mistaken identity, and dismissed the case with costs.

Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales), Thursday, June 26, 1879; Issue 3161.

The boy in question was William Gronow born the 12th May 1879 in Morriston, Swansea. Glamorganshire. His mother Cecilia went on to marry a William Jones in 1900, 21 years after the birth of her son.