Griffith Thomas Lewis first appears on a census form in 1901. He was living with his (bilingual) family at 56 Chemical Road Swansea, Glamorgan. William Lewis (head) was a 33 year old ‘Roller in Tin works’ who had been born in Morriston Glam. His wife Mary Ann Lewis was 33 and a native of Camarthenshire. Their children, Griffith Thomas 4 and Annie C had both been born in Morriston.
There is a possible marriage of William Lewis & Mary Ann Evans in 1896 in Swansea ( Volume 11a, Page 1409).
By the 1911 census they had made the move north to Hawarden for work at John Summers, Hawarden Bridge Steelworks, living at Deeside Crescent, Queensferry, in the district of Hawarden, Flintshire. William was head of the household age 42, a Sheet Roller. Wife Mary Ann was 42, they had been married 14 years, 3 children had been born to them , all were still living. Son Griffith Thomas was now 13 and a scholar, Annie Caroline was 11, also a scholar and daughter Catherine Mildred was 6, all children had been born in Swansea, Glamorganshire.
UK Soldiers who died in the Great War 1914-19 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk confirms the regimental information above and adds that he enlisted in Shotton and that he ‘died of wounds’.
There is an index card for Lewis Thoams Griffiths in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at The County Record Office in Hawarden (Flintshire WW1 Index Card F16 Queensferry) It confirms the regimental details above and adds the address 50, Station Road, Queensferry.It says he served for 3 years and that he Died of Wounds on the 11th April 1917. The card was signed by M.A. Lewis on the 25th September 1919.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 about Griffith Thomas Lewis does not tell us where his first Theatre of War was nor when he entered it.
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 about Griffith Thomas Lewis confirms his regimental information and tells us he was born in Morriston, Glamorganshire, his residence was Queensferry and he enlisted in Shotton, also he was formerly 63022 R.A.M.C.
Griffiths Thomas Lewis in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that he died of wounds in either France or Belgium and the Sole Legatee was his father William who was paid £8. 11s 0d on the 6th November 1918 and his War Gratuity of £12 on the 5th January 1920, the Regimental Paymaster deducted 3/8 recharge on the 5th December 1918.
Griffith Thomas Lewis is commemorated on a family gravestone in St. Deniol’s Churchyard, Hawarden.
Griffith Thomas was named on 4 other memorials – the Hawarden Memorial and the Queensferry Roll of Honour and the Queensferry School Plaque in the Queensferry War Memorial Institute and on the Memorial Plaque in St.Mark’s Church, Connah’s Quay. Somebody made an effort to ensure he was remembered, he must have been well loved.
