Edwards father Thomas was the son of William and Mary Anne Williams. The family lived at 41 The Squares, Mostyn. The Squares were 45 terraced houses, built in 3 U shaped blocks, set well back from the coast road just to the west of the present Glan y Don Post Office. They were demolished in 1969, and the area now houses a freight company.
No. 4, Glan y Don, The Square, Mostyn, c.1915 (near neighbours of the Williams family). Image from the Flintshire Record Office collection.
Thomas, aged 34, married 23 year old Jane Parry, also of Mostyn Squares on May 30th 1887 after banns in the parish church at Mostyn. Jane’s father was Edwin Parry, a fitter.
Thomas and Jane’s first baby died age two months. They were still living in Mostyn Squares when Edward was baptised on 27th February 1890, but by 1891 they were living in Pont y Row (Pontyro). This was a small group of cottages between Llanerch-y Mor and the Glan Y Don Post Office. Thomas and Jane remained living in Pont y Row and it was recorded as Edward’s home address on his memorial card in the Flintshire Record Office. Records show that possibly 6 men from Pont Y Row fought in the war but Edward was the only one who did not survive.
Thomas Williams was described as a fireman in 1881. This possibly meant he was a stoker in the iron works though “fireman” was usually used exclusively on ships to describe a stoker. (see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=121315 ). Thomas seems to have spent his working life at the blast furnace in the iron works. Edward followed his father into the iron works, and was a labourer in the blast furnaces in 1911.
Mostyn Colliery and Ironworks 1846 (image from the Flintshire Record Office collection)
Mostyn Ironworks, 1908 (image from the Flintshire Record Office collection)
In the 1911 census Thomas declared that there had been 9 children from the marriage and that 6 were living. However the records (census returns and baptism records) suggest that there were 10 children. The following list has been compiled from census returns (1891, 1901, and 1911), and from marriage, baptism and burial records (all from Mostyn) on Findmypast.com:
- Mary E (1886- ) appears only on the 1901 census, described as daughter. Born the year before Thomas and Jane married, there is no record of her baptism in Mostyn. The only other Mary E Williams born in Mostyn at that time was born to Evan and Ann Williams, who also lived in Mostyn Squares.
- Robert James (1888-1888) died aged 2 months
- Edward Irving (1890-1918) died in WW1
- Ann Ellen (1894-)
- Hugh William (1897-1969)
- Robert Parry (1900-1901) twin, baptised 22 Sept 1900, died aged 10 months
- Thomas John (1900-) twin, baptised 22 Sept 1900
- Robert Morris (1902-1977)
- Albert (1906-) Twin, baptised 19 Nov 1906, buried 04 August 1907
- Phyllis (1906-) Twin, baptised 19 Nov 1906
Therefore this suggests that Edward, Ann, Hugh, Thomas, Robert M, and Phyllis survived childhood, and that Robert J, Robert P and Albert all died in infancy. That leaves Mary who was probably not a daughter – was this a mistake on the part of the 1891 census enumerator?
Christ Church, Mostyn – the parish church where many of the Williams family were baptised, married, and buried.
Edward Irving Williams appears to have been a single man at the time of his death. The only reference to his family is on the only remaining military record relating to Edward in the Record of Soldiers Effects. The sum of £5 4s 10d (which included £5 War Gratuity) was paid to his father Thomas on 21st May 1919, almost one year after his death.