In February 2021, I was contacted by Carrie Rees from Australia on the MyHeritage Family History site regarding our DNA link. Initially, we couldn't identify a direct connection, but upon revisiting the DNA section, I discovered that Carrie was a 3rd-4th cousin match. Our shared ancestry traced back to our great-grandparents, John and Mary Lloyd, from the 1850s. One of their children was Lily (Lloyd) Rees, Carrie’s grandmother, who was married to Thomas John Rees, known as Johnny.

This discovery led to an unexpected turn in my family history. We have a long-held heirloom, a brass snuff box inscribed with "J REES BRYN COTTAGE TRIMSARAN" on the front and "XMAS 1929" on the back, displayed in our cabinet. For years, I wondered who it had belonged to, and now, it seems to connect to our shared family history.