Frederick was  first  recorded on a census in 1891.  He was living with his family in 4 rooms at 1, Rossers Cottages, Township New Inn, North Monmouth. His Father Frederick Tomkins 30, was a ‘galvanising pickler’ who had been born  in Tiberford, Worcestershire. His Mother was Jane Tomkins 29, who had been born in Staffordshire.  Their children were Anne 5 James 3 and Frederick 1. Both boys had been born Llanvihangel, Monmouthshire.

By 1901  the family had moved to Ivy Cottage, Aston, Hawarden. The father, Frederick snr was listed as an ‘iron galvaniser’. The mother Jane had been busy with her increasing family. The children listed were Helen 9 and  Edward  6 who had both been born in Pontypool.  Arthur Tomkins 5 had been born in  Staleybridge, Lancashire. Horace  2 had been born in Aston Flintshire.  Frederick was 10 years old. There was on this census an older Brother George H. Tomkins age 17  a Sheet Iron Corrugator.

By the 1911 census the family was living at 22 Ash Grove Shotton.  Head of the household was Frederick, Snr. 49 and still a Galvanizer, his wife, Jane, 48 who had been born in Plack, Staffs and states that they had been married 27 years and there had been 9 children born to the family and all were still living, 7 of them still lived at home.   Eldest son was James, 23, single and a Labourer, son Frederick, 20 and a Galvanizer, daughter Ellen, 18 in Domestic work, son Edward, 16 an Iron Worker, son Arthur, 14 a Labourer, son Horace, 12 was at school and had been born in Aston, Flintshire.  Another sister had arrived, Alice was 9 also born in Aston.  The family had a servant by this time, Kate May France, 20.  

Frederick and Kate must have fallen in love, even though on the census her relationship to the head of the household was “Servant” and her occupation is described as “Domestic.”   Kate is listed 4th on the census between James & Frederick and before all the other children, so she may have been a servant elsewhere and already Frederick’s girlfriend as they married the same year, on the 3rd June 1911 in St. Deniol’s Church in Hawarden. (Flintshire (Mold)  C106/03/E297).   Their address was given as 22, Ash Grove, Shotton, Kate May’s father was Edward France, Ironworker.

Frederick enlisted at Shotton, which is confirmed on ‘UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919’, which can be seen on www.ancestry.co.uk. This confirms all the regimental details above and is the source that tells us he ‘Died of Wounds’.

Frederick Tomkins in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that the sole Legatee was his widow Kate who was paid £23. 8s 5d on 14th April 1919, this included his War Gratuity of £12. 10s 0d.

Tomkins signed Frederick’s Flintshire WW1 Index Card in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Record office in Hawarden. which stated that his address was Dee View, Ash Grove, Shotton.

There are 2 Flintshire WW1 Index Cards for his brothers Horace and Edwin (probably Edward) with the same address as Frederick, they survived the war.

Frederick is also remembered on the Hawarden War Memorial