In 1841 William was one of six servants working for Cradogan Thomas, a farmer, at Whitney Farm, Merthyr Mawr. Within a decade Cradogan Thomas was no longer running his farm and William had moved further west, to the parish of Margam, where he found work as an agricultural servant.

The move to Margam seemed to do William good in that he met his wife, Mary Hopkin, while working in the area. Mary was born on the 27th August 1818 in South Cornelly, Glamorgan to Daniel Hopkin and Anne Lewis. She was baptised on the 20th September 1818 at St James’ Church, Pyle.

In 1841 Mary was living in South Cornelly with her parents and her sister, Margaret. A niece, Anne Price aged two, also shared the home along with Ann Bynon, aged fifteen. Anne Price was the daughter of David Price and Mary’s sister, Anne Hopkin, and she continued to live with Mary into the early years of her marriage with David John. Around this time Mary would walk with a neighbour, Mary Francis, from Cornelly to Neath, and back, in a day, to deliver bonnets.