William Millington was the son of William and Martha Millington of Old Rhosrobin, Wrexham and the grandson of William and Martha Astbury of The Mountain, Buckley. William was born in Buckley and lived there much of his life but he moved to Rhosrobin before 1911. He is remembered on the Gwersyllt Memorial. (His family story is a bit complex because his parents were William and Martha and his Grandparents were also William and Martha).
Pte William Millington was born in 1877 and baptised at St. Matthew’s Buckley on 24th August. His parents were William Millington, a collier, and Martha Astbury who were married in a Hawarden civil ceremony in 1877. In 1881, William age 3 was living with his mother and grandparents William and Martha Astbury on The Mountain. He was still with his grandparents in 1891 when he was a brick runner aged 13. At that time his parents William and Martha Millington were living at Bridge End Hope with children Martha, Alice, Jane and Rose. By 1901 William was still with his grandmother on The Mountain (grandfather William had died in August 1893) and he was then working as a coal miner, filler. His parents were then living on Daisy Hill and had another son, Albert. Martha Astbury of Tram Road died in June 1907 and by 1911 William was living with his parents, sister Emily and brother Albert at Kenrick Terrace, Old Rhosrobin, William was listed as a collier.
William enlisted in Wrexham and entered France on the 27th September 1915 when he was 38 years old. He died of wounds near Ypres on 17th February 1916. His medal index card bears the note “died of wounds (shock).
The UK Register of Soldiers’ (Accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk) in which the army calculated what moneys were owed to deceased soldiers includes an entry for Pte William Millington. His father William received a total of £8 .. 9sh .. 6d in two separate payments.