Albert Trevor Jones was born in the September Quarter of 1897 and registered in Whitford (Flintshire (Mold) WHIT/25/97) eldest son to Thomas & Elizabeth Jones. He first appears on the 1901 census living with them at Gwendraeth, Llanasa, Flintshire. Thomas, 40, was the head of the household and a Headmaster (Public Elemetary School) who had been born in Llanelly,, Carmarthenshire. His wife Elizabeth, 34 had been born in Whitford, both were bilingual. Young Albert Trevor was age 3 and could only speak Welsh.
On the 1911 census the family were still living at Gwendraeth. Thomas, 50, was still Headmaster at the School and he tells us that he and Elizabeth, 44, had been married for 14 years and they had suffered a lot of grief as they had 6 children but 3 had died. The three remaining children were Albert Trevor, 13, Olwen Enid, 9 and Walter Roberts Jones, 6, all had been born in Ffynongroew, Flintshire.
The names of the children that died, Albert Trevor’s siblings, were Dilys Anwyl Jones(1899–1899), Doris Rees Jones(1900–1900)and Iorwerth David Jones(1904–1904), they were all infant deaths.(Courtesy of the Dan HUGHES Family Tree on Ancestry)
Again the family were rocked with the death of Elizabeth, Albert Trevor’s mother, when she died on the 1st May 1913 (Courtesy of the Dan HUGHES Family Tree on Ancestry). According to the local paper, Elizabeth had been taken ill at the school the Friday week and then her illness took a serious turn and Dr. Evans was called in, then it seemed an operation was necessary. Dr. Kelly from Liverpool was called in but he said it was inadvisable as she was too fragile. Elizabeth stayed bright and kept her spirits up to the end, passing away the next morning.
There was a huge outpouring of grief and sympathy for the whole family as Thomas & Elizabeth were the centre of village life and Elizabeth herself had been a teacher. On the day of the funeral the whole village came out including the children from the school and it was a dismal day as the rain never stopped pouring on the whole community when they came together that day. Representatives from schools far and wide came to pay their respects.
The following year war was declared and although I cannot find any service records for Albert Trevor, he did enlist at some point and records on Ancestry.co.uk give us some information.
There is a Flintshire WW1 Index Card (Ffynnongroyw F 7) for JONES, Albert Trevor, Gwendraeth, Ffynnongroyw
Albert Trevor Jones in the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 tells us that his birthplace was Llanasa, he resided in Chester and enlisted at Mostyn.
Albert Trevor Jones in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 tells us that the sole Legatee was his sister, Olwen Enid, who was paid £5 14s 4d on the 3rd May 1917 and his War Gratuity of £10 10s on the 5th December 1919.
Albert T Jones in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 does not tell us whre his first Theatre of War was nor when he entered it. He was awarded the British War & Victory Medals.
There is a Flintshire WW1 Index Cards (Ffynnongroyw F 7) in Hawarden Record Office for Albert Trevor which confirms his regimental details above, his father Thomas JONES signed the card on 2nd October 1919. He stated on the card that his period of Service was 2 years 4 months – “Joined 5th Bn R.W.F. Oct. 1912 thus served 4 years 2 months.“
His father Thomas must have moved back to Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire as he married Hannah Jones at St. John’s Church there on the 15th August 1915 and it was there that Thomas died on the 13th February 1932 at Belmont, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. Hannah Jones had been born in Whitford, Flintshire. (Courtesy of the “Wilkins Family Tree” on Ancestry). He however had returned to Ffynnongrew to sign his son’s FlintshireWW. Index Card in 1919.
The names from these cards were entered in a Flintshire “Roll of Honour” which is held in The National Library, Aberystwyth.
H.N. Gladstone, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Flint had wanted to record the names of all the servicemen from Flintshire, so he had cards made and everyone in the services or the families of the fallen would fill one out, sadly, not all the servicemen’s names were recorded, but it is the only record of the servicemen in any county in the British Isles.
In the COUNTY HERALD 28th July 1922 ( Page 7, Col 4/5/6) – LORD LIEUTENANT’S OFFICIAL GARDEN PARTY AT HAWARDEN CASTLE – “Formal acceptance of the Roll of Honour and Services of the Men of Flintshire who fought in the Great War 1914-1919, for the safe custody by His Majesty’s Lieutenant on behalf of the County.” http://www.flintshirewarmemorials.com/memorials/hawarden-memorial/
Albert is also named on Picton memorial, and also remembered on the Bangor Memorial Arch – http://www.bangorcivicsociety.org.uk/pages/arch/DSCF4394.htm
