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Price, Leonard Edwin

Leonard Edwin Price was born on the 26th of March 1910, but was possibly not registered before the next quarter – April – June 1910, therefore that would explain the difference in the registration and the birth (Registration District – Wellington, Shropshire Volume: 6a Page: 707).   This according to his RAF Service Record.

He is seen for the first time on the 1911 census, he is living with another grandchild, Evelyn May Price age 5, who like Leonard Edwin had been born in Wellington, Shropshire.    I thought that Evelyn might have been Leonard Edwin’s sister, but on the School Admissions to the Wrockwardine Church of England School 1870 – 1914, her father is shown as Edwin PRICE, who was really their grandfather, unless she was a child of another Edwin Price, the son of the grandfather Edwin, who on the 1911 census was 19 years old.  Sadly, the Records only go to 1914 when Leonard would have been too young.  Or her grandfather’s name was written down to save face?   Any help to clarify would be very welcome.

The family were living at Tiddiecross, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Shropshire. (4 rooms).   Edwin Price, 51, was head of the household, and a General Labourer, who had been born in Lydbury, Salop, his wife Margaret, 47 had been born in Minsterley, Salop and they tell us that they had been married for 27 years and 14 children had been born to them, 2 of whom had sadly died.   The eldest son on the census was Edwin, 19 and single, No Occupation, (At Home, crossed out by Enumerator), and Arthur, 13, both born Dorrington, Salop.  Hary(sic) Austin, 9, Dorise(sic) Dorrthy (sic), 10 and Elise May, 6 all born Wellington, Salop.   Two Grandchildren, Evely (sic), 5 and Leonard Edwin 1 year.

I found most of the children in the School Admissions, again, sadly they stopped before Leonard Edwin would have started school. :-

Results for National School Admission Registers & Logbooks 1870-1914 – Wrockwardine National & Church Of England School

 https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?datasetname=national+school+admission+registers+%26+log-books+1870-1914&lastname=price&town=wrockwardine

I believe his mother to be Selina Price, the daughter of Edwin & Margaret Price above.   She is not on the 1911 census with her family.  Selina Price, age 20 years and single, is seen on the 1911 census, living at 26, Hr. Bridge Street, Bolton, Lancashire, in the household of James Charles Millar, Draper & Tailor (Dealer), his wife Frances Annie Millar, five daughters and a son, with his Mother-in-Law, Sarah Orme.   Selina was a General Servant (Domestic), she had been born in Dorrington, Shropshire.

The Selina Price in the England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 on Ancestry.co.uk, tells us that she married George Bailey at Wrockwardine, Salop on the 23rd of June 1913, her father being Edwin Price. (FHL Film Number: 1702245, Reference ID: item 19 p 142).

We do see Leonard Price living with his grandparents at 6, Tiddiecross, Wellington, Shropshire on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921.  Edwin Price aged 61 years and 9 months old, was head of the household and a Farm Labourer (On his own account).   His wife Margaret, aged 58 years and 8 months old was doing ‘Home Duties.’   Their son, John Price was 27 years and 5 months old, single, and a Farm Labourer for Mr. J. Phillips, Whitefields Farm, Wellington, Salop.   Their daughter, Dorothy Gray was married and aged 21 years, she was also doing ‘Home Duties.’   They had 3 grandchildren living with them, Leonard Price, age 11 years and 3 months, Raymond Aubrey Gray, 1 year 6 months old and Dennis Ivor Gray age 6 months.    There was an ‘Adopted’ child, Henry George Mitfall, age 2 years and 5 months old and also a visitor, initially written as a daughter, then crossed out, probably by the Enumerator and changed to ‘Visitor’, she was single and 16 years and 9 months old, she had been born in Wrockwardine, Shropshire.

The 1921 census possibly answers the question about Evelyn, as she is seen living with her mother Selina Bailey at 84 ½, Poplar Street, Ashington, Northumberland.     George Henry Edward Bailey was head of the household, and all relationships are to the head of the household.  He was 10 years and 11 months old, he had been born in Bark Street, Bolton, Lancashire and was a Fireman (Boiler) at Ashington Coal Co., Woodhorn Pit.   Sellina Bailey was 31 years and 2 months old, and she had been born in Dorrington, Shropshire, she was doing ‘Home Duties.’   Evelyn Bailey was described as their daughter and was 13 years and 7 months old, she had been born in Wrockwardine, Shropshire.

I do not know anything about his early life or teen years, except for the above, but according to the R.A.F. Service Record he enlisted at the age of 18 years.  The next of kin mentioned are his grandmother Mrs. E. PRICE (Most women were known by their husband’s name i.e. Mrs Edwin Price.)   Across from that, written in pencil was his next of kin being Mrs, S. Bailey, Mother, address, unknown.  There is a short description of Leonard Edwin as well: –

Chest 34 inches,

Hair – Brown,

Eyes, Hazel,

Complexion – Fresh.

Mark, Wounds or Scars – Vacc: 4 left arm, 3 oval scar left knee, 1 oval scar outer aspect right knee.

This source also tells us that he was a Butcher’s Assistant before he joined up, also worked for the Wrekin Motor Coy., Foundry Lane, Wellington, Shropshire.   He was also Church of England.

RAF Trade to which Mustered on Entry – Aircrafthand V.

Birth date           26 Mar 1910

Birth town          Wellington

Birth county       Shropshire

I believe that Leonard Edwin may have been stationed at Sealand R.A.F. Camp, near Queensferry, as that is a possible way of meeting Margaret Ellen Jones, who lived in 1939 at Glen Ville Aston Hill, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales.    I know that that was the address after their marriage, but so many local girls married R.A.F. lads at that time, even before the war.   In any case the Jones family lived in Saltney Ferry in 1911, so was a local family.

The next we know of Leonard Edwin is that me married in the Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in Chester, Margaret Ellen Jones, and the first use of the name Bailey: –

JONES   Margaret Ellen  BAILEY/Price, Leonard Edwin     Chester, Welsh Presbyterian Church (St John Street)       Cheshire West   AP4/3/19.

Margaret Ellen Price is seen again on the 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939, where she is living with 2 others at Glen Ville Aston Hill, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales.   Margaret Elle Price gives her date of birth as the 20th of September 1908 and as most women who did not have a job on the is register, she was doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.”    June M Price, born the18th of June 1937, may be their child and there is a redacted record, but I do not know who that is.

Margaret Ellen Jones is seen on the 1911 census living at 32, Ewart Street Saltney Ferry, Nr, Chester with her family.   Her father Evan Jones, 46, Head of the household was a Railway Engine Striker and had been born in Bodwrog, Anglesey, his wife Margaret, 40, had been born in Tywyn,Carnarvonshire.   They tell us that they had been married for 13 years and 3 children had been born to them, all still living.  The three children were daughters, Rachel, 9, Sarah Eliza, 7, and Margaret Ellen, 3, all born in Saltney Ferry.    There was a Visitor, a Margaret Jones, 64, a widow, who I believe to be Evan’s Mother, born in Malltraeth, Anglesey, she only spoke Welsh, the others were bilingual.

I do not know what happened to Leonard, his death is in the “Deaths Registered in the September quarter of 1943 (County Cheshire Volume 8A, Page 383).   So, we know he died in Cheshire, but how or why he died, we do not know.    Neither do we know why he was buried in Tarlorley, Cheshire and not at Hawarden, so any information would be gratefully received.

I have found a Newspaper Cutting in the Chester Chronicle 11th September 1043, (Page 3 , Col. 3) which gives another  possible marriage of Selina,  Leonard’s mother, as she is referred to as Mrs. J. BEST, and Selina’s sister Elsie and her husband William Beard, from Wrockwardine, confirms this is the right family.

I believe that Margaret Ellen remarried in the June Quarter of 1963 to Thomas Wilson (Hawarden Vol.  8A         Page 697.   I also believe that their daughter June Morfudd Price married Kiven Noel Mitchell at St. Deiniol’s Church, Hawarden on the 28th of November 1959.  Kiven, 24, a bachelor and Blacksmith, was living at the Grange, Sandycroft and whose father was Herbert Roy Mitchell.    June, 22, a spinster and Dental Receptionist, lived at 3, Highfield Road, Aston Hill, Hawarden and her father was Leonard Edwin Price, Flight Sergeant, Deceased.:-

Witnesses: – J. Catherall & M. Oldfield.   N. Baden Powell – Rector Of Hawarden Officiated.

We do know that someone who loved and missed him put his name forward, but after the original plaques were already done, perhaps even erected.    As I said before, there are numerous names added to the curbing of the low wall that surrounds the War Memorial and although I have been through the Hawarden Council Minutes to see when these men’s names were put forward to the Council to be added or put up,  I can only find one “conversation” regarding Roger Bartley, whose wife asked a councillor to have his name added, please click o the link to read Roger’s story.  He must not be forgotten.

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=103897

WW2talk – Dave – Many thanks again to WW2talk Forum Members.

508981 F/Sgt Leonard Edwin Price, an armourer attached to 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron and 30 MU, was fatally injured dismantling an explosive device at the Burton Ranges on the Wirral when it accidentally exploded on 2nd September. Admitted to Upton Emergency Hospital, Chester, he died at 16:10 hours on 3rd September.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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