He was born in 1898 in Rhosesmor. The 1901 census places him there at 3 Rhes Tai where he lived with his parents Joseph, 30 a leadminer born in Cilcain and Pamela 29 born in Manchester. Joseph William was the youngest at 3 yrs. He had two siblings, John Henry 5 and Mary Elizabeth 4.

In the 1911 census the family was living at Wern, Rhosesmor. Pamela Jones, 37 was a widow and head of the household. The form tells us she had given birth to 5 children and 3 of them had survived. Joseph was 13 and Hugh T was 9. They were both at school.

His Army Service Records have survived and are accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk  He signed up for the army by attesting on the 11th of  December of 1915 in Holywell.  His stated trade was a ‘spinner’ at ‘Glanystaff’. (Although on a later medical form he was said to be a ‘lead dresser’). He was 18 rs and 6 months old and named his mother Pamela as his next of kin.  He  served ‘at home’ until he joined the Expeditionary Force in France from the 17th March 1917 until the 30th August 1917.   He  was discharged  on the 8th October 1917 as being medically unfit with ‘tubercle of lung’. His address on discharge was Wern Row, Rosesmor.  His discharge papers stated that his medical condition was the ‘Result of active service due to hardship and exposure’.His condition was described as ‘permanent. Total incapacity’. ‘Total Disablement’ The records also stated that he had accepted sanatorium treatment.  He was awarded a weekly pension of 27/6d. which he was paid from 9th July 1917 until his death.

He died at Penyffordd Tuberclosis Hospital  on 23rd February 1918

There is a medal card for Joseph also on ‘Ancestry’ and it lists his two medals.

Joseph’s name does not appear on the War Memorial outside the church but he is listed on the memorial stone which was built into the church wall beneath a window in 1924.

His military grave in the churchyard bears the emblem of the South Lancs Regiment, his name, regimental number and date of death.