I have received invaluable family information about John Morgan Rees  from Ian Savage. This, added to my research has helped me to tell his complex story.

John Morgan Rees Senior, (father  of the John Morgan Rees named on the Hawarden Memorial) was born in Merthyr Tidfyl in Mid Glamorgan on the 28th January 1859. In 1892 he married Clara Orange who had been born in Yorkshire. She gave birth to twins John Morgan and William Garlick on the 31st January 1892 in Hunslet (Volume 9b, Page 250). Both births were registered  but tragically William Garlick Rees died at birth. Two daughters Gwendoline and Olivia Mary  were born in 1895 and 1898 respectively. Clara  died around 1900. Widower John Morgan Rees Senior, then married  Clara’s sister Emily Ann Orange around 1901. They had two children, Hilda and Edna.

There is a possible listing of  John Rees on the 1901 census  in Merthyr Tidfil where his father (John Morgan Rees) had been born .   School teacher, William Rees 39 who had also been born in Merthyr Tidfyl was living at the National School House  in Bridgend Glamorganshire , with his wife Margaret and their baby son Cyril. John Rees was recorded as a nephew. He was 8 years old and had been born in Leeds.

The 1911 census records the Rees family living at The Willows Queensferry, Flintshire.   John Morgan Rees (Snr), 51, was working at the Steelworks in the Smelting Dept.  His second wife of 10 years,  Emily Ann,  wa 44.   3 children had been born and 1 had died.   John Morgan Rees (Jnr), 19, single was an Insurance Clerk, Gwendolyn, 15 was in Domestic Work, Olivia Mary, 13 and  Hilda, 6 were at school and  finally  Edna was 4.    There was a relative in the household, Lily Orange, single and 49 who was in Domestice Service, and had been born in Beeston, Leeds. (She  was Clara and Emily Ann’s sister).

Ian Savage tells us that The parents of Emily, Clara and Lily  were the incredibly named pair Henry Orange and Olive Garlick. – Thank you Ian.

UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk  confirms John Morgan’s regimental information and tells that he was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, he resided in Queensferry, Flintshire and enlisted in Liverpool. His medal card, also on ‘Ancestry’  details his medals and tells us that his first Theatre of War was France and he entered it on the 7th November 1915.

There is an index card for John Morgan Rees in The Flintshire Roll of Honour at The County Record Office in Hawarden  (Card F20 Queensferry) was signed by a  J.R. Walters.

 John Morgan Rees is also on St. Ethelwolds Church, Shotton, Memorial Screen & Hawarden County School Roll of Honour.