Kenneth was the son of clergyman John Francis Rees and his wife Ethel Parry Rees. He was born on 25th August 1896 at Caerwys. The census of 1901 records the family living in The Rectory at Caerwys, Flintshire. John Francis Rees, 36 was a Church of England clergyman who had been born in Llandeilo, Camarthenshire. His wife, Ethel Parry Rees was 28 and had been born in Ruthin. Some of the names of the children are difficult to read but as far as we can make out, they are Kenneth David aged 4, Enid Davenport Rees aged 3, V**** Francis aged 1 and Noel Rees aged 3 months. Olive Margaurite Leadbetter is a 17 year old governess and Sarah Ann Trotter is a 23 year old servant.
By 1911 the family had grown and they were living in the Rectory at Halkyn. He was 45 and a clergyman of the ‘established’ church. His wife Ethel Parry Rees was 38 and at home were 4 girls. Enid Davenport was 13, Kathleen Sarah was 8, Alison Ethel was 3 and Mary was 4 months. There was a servant called Jenny Price aged 24. The form tells us that Ethel Parry had given birth to 8 children and only 7 of them were alive. So what happened to the boys?
In 1911 we can only account for Kenneth David Rees who was aged 14 and a boarding student at Rossall School near Fleetwood on the Fylde coast. We see from the form that Ethel Parry Rees had given birth to 8 children and 7 had survived. We can’t account for two boys in 1911 although we have heard from a great, great neice Rhian that Noel, became a prisoner of war in Singapore (presumably WW2) so presumably he survived.
There is a card for Kenneth in the Flintshire Roll of Honour at the County Archive Office in Hawarden, Flintshire. It gives regimental details as above and records his address as the Rectory in Halkyn. It tells us that he served from October 1916 to August 1917. It says he was wounded at Menin Road Ypres on the 13th August and died of septicaemia in Calais General Hospital on the 29th. The card was signed by his father J F Rees.
We see from his Commonwealth War Grave Certificate that he was a scholar of Downing College Cambridge before enlisting.
