John Arthur Lloyd-Jones first appeared on a census in 1901. He was living with his family in Bryn Estyn Road Wrexham. Head of the household was John Ll Jones aged 40 who had been born in Ruabon. His occupation is very difficult to read but it looks a bit like ‘Postman Visitor’ but am sure that can’t be right. His wife was Elizabeth Ll Jones aged 40, born in Liverpool. Their children were Herbert 16 a P.O. employee, Margaret A 11 and John A 7 were both at school. Gertrude E was 2.
The next census of 1911 finds the family in the High Street, Bangor Is y Coed. Head of household John Lloyd Jones was 50 years old and listed as a press Printer Compositor. His wife of 27 years, Elizabeth was 50 and a grocery shopkeeper. The census form tells us she had given birth to 6 children and one of them had died. Their children were Bessie 24 who assisted in the shop, Margaret Amy was 21 and a schoolteacher, John Arthur was 17 and still at school as was 12 year old Gertrude Emily.
UK Soldiers who Died in The Great War 1914 -19 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk confirms the regimental details above and adds that he enlisted in Liverpool.
John Arthur Lloyd Jones’s Army Service Record has survived and is accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk . It tells us that he attested on 9th November 1915 and was allocated to the Army Reserve. He was a teacher and when he was eventually mobilized on 26th January 1916 he was living at 44 Buchanan Road Egremont, Cheshire. He was 21 years old, 5feet 6 inches tall and his next of kin was his father. He was declared fit for Class II. He was appointed to Lance Corporal on 24th February 1916.
He embarked for France on 25th June 1916 and joined his battalion on 6th July 1916 and was killed in action on the Somme on the 19th September 1916.
There is correspondence between the Army and John Arthur’s father regarding his possessions, medals, memorial plaque and scroll.
His records include a list of family members. This was compiled in 1920. It says that he had no wife nor children. It named his parents John and Elizabeth Lloyd Jones who by then were living at Gable Cottage, Hope. His brother Herbert was 36 and lived in Cape Town, South Africa. His sisters Bessie 34, Margaret 31 and Gertrude 22 were all still living at home with their parents in Gable Cottage, Hope. These details were confirmed and signed off by Thomas Jones – vicar of Hope Village on 20th December 1920.
There is an index card for John Arthur Lloyd Jones in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Record Office in Hawarden. It confirms the regimental details above but adds that when he first enlisted in 1915, he was in the 6th King’s Liverpool Regiment. He transferred to the Cheshires in January 1916. It says that he was killed at Guillemont in action on the Somme. The card tells us that his address in Bangor had been ‘The Stores’. The address of the parents was recorded as Glan Aber, Hope Village.