I cannot find a lot about Eddie or Edward, he appears first, I think on a census in 1891, living at 25, Sankey Street, Widnes, Lancashire.   His father, John Roberts, 32, was head of the household and a Copper Worker and had been born Bagillt, Flintshire.   Mother Eliza, 33 had been born in Hawarden, Flintshire.   Their eldest son John, 13, had been born in Flint, Flintshire as had son William10, they were both scholars and young Edward Roberts, our “Eddie,” 3, completed the family.

Eddie and family are elusive as I cannot find them on the 1901 census, but the 1911 census tells us that tragedy had struck as Eliza is a widow, 51, but was living on Private means.   She states she was born in Hawarden, and Edward Roberts is now head of the household, age 22 and working as a Post Man, working from home.   They were living at Foulkes Cottages, Queensferry with 4 rooms and interestingly Eliza had written that she had been married for 34 years, the number of children born to her was blocked out but the number of children now living was 1, so perhaps her other children had died or she was putting down only who was living with her.  All this was crossed out by the enumerator, but even so it adds another clue to the family.   Bless the enumerator!

It seems that Eddie married in 1912 to Bertha Jones at St. Deniol’s Church in Hawarden ((Mold)    C106/03/E321),  Eddie’s address was Ffoulkes Cottage, Queensferry and Bertha’s was Albert Villa’s Queensferry, he was age 24 and she was “of Full age”,  his father John Roberts had died and her father was Edwin Jones, and a Furnaceman.   We know now that she is the Bertha who signed Eddie’s Flintshire WW1 Index Card (Sandycroft F 9) which does give his name as Eddie, and  9, Queens Ave., Sandycroft for his address.   His Period of Service was 10 months and Newport was also written on the card, so I wonder was he stationed there?  He was in the Labour Battalion according to the card.  Eddie died of Pneumonia 8th October 1918.    Card signed by Bertha Roberts on the 23rd September 1919.

I cannot find any medal card or Army Records for Eddie, so I do not know if he was “Home” for his 10 months of service, or anything else either, except to say that as he died of Pneumonia in 1918, he could have been a victim of the so-called Spanish Flu which hit Flintshire very badly about that time.

Strangely enough he is on the North Wales Memorial Arch at Bangor, which is supposed to have the names of the Fallen soldiers of each parish.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission additional information on the Grave Registration Reports also stated it was a Private burial or headstone, not quite sure which and – Mrs Hughes, Council Houses, Ewloe, Hawarden was written by the side in pencil.   Typed address was 8, Queens Street, Sandycroft.   As before any information would be gratefully received.