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Denton, Joseph Lawton

Joseph Lawton Denton was born in Holywell, Flintshire during 1879.

The 1881 census tells us that the family resided at The Anchor Inn, High Street, Holywell where the head of the family Henry Denton aged 43 was the Innkeeper.   His wife Jane Denton aged 37, daughter Mary Denton aged 13 and three sons, John Henry Denton aged 8, James Iorwerth Denton aged 5 and Joseph Lawton Denton aged 2.  All the family were still there at the time of the 1891 census, with an additional daughter Ethel Denton aged 7.

The 1901 census shows that Jane was now a widow aged 58 and had taken over the licence of the Anchor Inn, following the death of her husband Henry.  Joseph still lived there and was a self employed Butcher/Grocer.  Ethel Denton now 17 was also at the Public House.

During May 1911 Joseph Lawton Denton lived at 69 High Street, Bethesda, Caernarvonshire where he was employed as a Butcher.

On 29 December 1912 aged 34 years he married Edna Lyons aged 30 years at Holywell Parish Church and they lived at 14 Brynford Street, Holywell.

There is a Flintshire Roll of Honour card for Joseph Lawton Denton at the County Archives Office, Hawarden.   Details of his medals were obtained from the British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index which can be viewed on www.ancestry.co.uk.

On 7 October 1918 a payment of £2.13s 6d was made by the War Office to his wife Edna, this being monies owed to Joseph.  On 29 November 1919, a further payment which is recorded as a War Gratuity of £3.0s.0d was also made to her.

He is also remembered on the North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales.

  • Joseph Lawton Denton

  • We are grateful to family member Nick Denton for supplying us with the images on this page. He tells us that Joseph was missing for over a year. The gentle letter below from The Red Cross made an attempt to break the news to the family that he was almost certainly dead.

  • His possessions

  • The 'bag' and its contents

  • His ID tag

  • 12th October 2013

    Joseph's grave at Hooge Crater Cemetery photographed by E & V Williams. At the time of the visit 3 sides of the cemetery were bordered by a crop of tall corn. Opposite the fourth side was the Hooge Crater Museum teeming with artefacts, photographs and film footage from the war.

  • This photograph was taken by Geoffrey Mitchell on 11 April 2015, who placed a British Legion Cross of Remembrance on the grave on behalf of Flintshirewarmemorials. Since the first photograph was taken by Eifion and Viv Williams on 12 October 2013, a small cross of flowers has been placed on the grave, as can be seen in this latest photograph. Flintshirewarmemorials would be very pleased to hear from the person who has placed this cross on Joseph's grave.
    We've now heard from Nick Denton again who told us that Joseph's grave was visited by members of his family in 2014. His two grandsons Dennis and Kevin Wilson along with two great grandchildren Carl and Martin and two great great grandchildren Markus and Carl.  All  of them together paid homage to Joseph and laid the small cross of flowers. Wouldn't he have been proud?

  • Hooge Crater Cemetery close to Passchendaele and Ypres.

  • Plaque on St James’s Parish Church Wall Holywell


Learn more about the other soldiers on the Holywell Memorial

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