William was born in Halkyn, Flintshire in 1891.  The 1911 census tells us that he lived with his family in Rhes y Cae. His father, Joseph was a lead miner aged 56 and his mother Margaret was 55. The eldest child at home was Thomas 23. William was 20 years old. Both Thomas and William were labourers at the quarry. The census form tells us that Margaret had given birth to three children and they were all still alive so one of them was unaccounted for on the census- possibly married. The census form was completed in Welsh.

William’s Flintshire Roll of Honour card  confirms his regiment and his number and his death date. It also tells us that his last known address was in Llanfairfechan Caernarfonshire.

William enlisted at Llandudno in February 1915. His army records  include a form which contains information about his marriage to Margaret Griffiths in the Register Office at Conway on the 18th September 1915. His address is given as 1 Bron Menai, llanfairfechan. He was posted to France in the 15th Bn RWF and sailed from Folkstone on 18th March 1916.  He spent many weeks in 1916 in the Etaples area. He was transferred to the 10th Bn  in May 1916 and he was killed on the 20th July that year.

What his records go on to show, is that his wife Margaret died shortly afterwards. There is a completed form to the army from William’s father in law Mr Richard Griffiths in 1919. It says clearly that the widow of William Jones herself died on 21st February but the year in indecipherable.

There is a sad letter from him which is very difficult to read but this is our best guess translation –

“Sir,
Both parents of the decd soldier are dead. I am the only one entitled to any benefit. His wife, my daughter cost me a large sum of money to look after her in her long illness. I bore all the expense of her funeral everything.
R Giffiths.”