Herbert Foulkes was born on the 17th March 1875 and was baptised on the 4th April the same year, but appeared first on a census in 1881. He was living in Coffin Row, Northop with his family. The head of the family was grocer William Foulkes aged 56 of Northop. His wife was Sarah 44 also from Northop. Their children were all born in Connah’s Quay and were Thomas 23 a ‘grocer’s son’, Richard 18, John 16, William 14, Robert 12, Elizabeth 10 and Herbert 8.
In the 1891 census the family was still in Coffin Row but this is listed this time in Connah’s Quay. William Foulkes was 67 and a widower. He was still a grocer. Living at home were Richard 27, William 23 a baker, Herbert 20 a sailor (seas) and Lizzie 18 was housekeeper. (Seems that Herbert’s and Lizzie’s ages were mixed up. She was the older of the two).
Ten years later in the 1901 census, Herbert Foulkes was Head of the household at 19 High Street Connah’s Quay. He was a ‘Burnerman chemical’ aged 26. The only other resident was Elizabeth Foulkes 27, his sister who was listed as domestic housekeeper.
The 1911 census finds Herbert still living at 19 Church Street. His sister Elizabeth was now married to Thomas Griffiths and he is recorded as head of the household. He was 36 and a grocer’s assistant originally from Liverpool. His wife of 8 years was Elizabeth 37. Their children were Sarah Gwendoline 7, D Elizabeth 3 and D William Thomas 1. Herbert Foulkes was 36, single and a ‘Bar Dragger’ and was recorded as ‘brother in law’.
UK Soldiers who died in The Great War 1914 -19 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk confirms all the regimental details above. It adds that he enlisted in Shotton and that he ‘died’.
His medal card tells us that he first entered a theatre of war in France on 28th September 1915.
There is an index card for Herbert Foulkes in The Flintshire Roll of Honour in the County Record Office in Hawarden.It gives the address 19 Church street Connah’s Quay and confirms his final regimental details. It adds that he was a prisoner and that he died in Trelon (misspelt on the card) Hospital on 3rd October 1918.
Prisoner of War Camps – Found on the Loughorough Roll of Honour, a mention of the Hospital at Trelon. This item is included as a point of interest and the soldier below is not connected in any way to Herbert, but it gives us an insight to conditions at Trelon Hospital: –
Private 29454 Albert Henry Taylor – 4th Bn, East Yorkshire Regiment.Died a Prisoner 18th September 1918, Aged 39.Buried Glageon Communal Cemetery Extension I. K. 6.
Albert was the son of Henry & Sarah Jane Taylor of 55 Leopold Street, Loughborough. One of deceased comrades, writing to Mrs. Taylor, says; ” Your son was taken prisoner at Craonne, on May 27th last year. We were kept working behind the German lines. Although he kept reporting sick the Germans would not let him go to hospital. On September the 13th we were sent to Trelon hospital, but all the wards were full and we had to sleep on some wet wood shavings on a stone floor. He asked for a piece of bread, and said, “I wish you would let me write home,” I must have dozed off. When I woke up he was dead, and the piece of bread and jam was still in his hand. He died very peacefully, and I don’t think he was in pain.
Herbert Foulkes in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that the sole Legatee was Herbert’s niece Gwendoline* who was paid £42 10s. 3d on the 5th December 1919. *See 1911 census above.
Herbert was commemorated on a family grave in Connah’s Quay cemetery.
In loving memory of Thomas Griffiths who died March 3rd 1916 aged 38 years.
“Not lost, but gone before”.
Also Herbert Foulkes, Brother -in-Law of the above
who died in Trelon France 3rd October 1918 aged 43 years
“Until the day dawns”.
Also Elizabeth wife of the above Thomas Griffiths died June 29th 1944 aged 70 years.
“Rest in Peace”.
Connah’s Quay Monumental Inscriptions – XA103
This commemorative plaque shown below, engraved with Herbert’s name (his ‘Death Penny’), was found some 30-40 years ago by a Flintshire man. He took the discarded plaque home where it was put on display and polished regularly. His daughter continued to care for it but always wondered who Herbert Foulkes was. Joan Harries always hoped that one day it could be returned to his family. In this centenary year of the anniversary of the start of the war, her wish came true. After some publicity on this website and the Flintshire Chronicle, Herbert’s relative, Allyson Evans was found and Joan was able to hand over the plaque back into the safekeeping of Herbert’s family. It is Allyson that we have to thank for the old family photographs on this page.
Allyson Evans’s great grandmother was married to Robert Foulkes – Herbert’s brother. She was able to tell us that for many years the family had no idea what had happened to Herbert. They were not told that he was dead or had been taken prisoner. He had simply disappeared in the mayhem of the war. After the war was over, Robert actually went to France (they were a seafaring family) to try and find his brother but found no trace.
Lilly Foulkes in the photograph below was Lilly Marrow before she married. She was the sister of David Marrow who also lost his life in the war and who has his own page on this website
Herbert Foulkes is also named on the memorial in St Mark’s Church Connah’s Quay and on the Hawarden War Memorial.
