I do not know for certain that E.J. EVANS is one and the same as Jesse, as I cannot find any documentation for a second name beginning with E., but Jesse was living in Mancot which is so close to Sandycroft and he isn’t named on the Hawarden War Memorial, so he should, in any case be remembered somewhere.   Jesse was born circa 1897 and his birth is registered at Hawarden (HAW/43/25) in that year.   I am transcribing the Flintshire WW1 Index Card which was signed by Jesse’s father Joseph and which convinces me that perhaps E.J. EVANS on the War Memorial in St. Francis’s Church, Sandycroft is Jesse EVANS, and there was a clerical error when the names were put forward.

Flintshire WW1 Index Card (Hawarden F13)   EVANS, Jesse. The Square, Mancot, Hawarden. Regtl. No. C/597  K.R.R. Private.  Died of Wounds 16th July 1916.   Card signed on the 13th October 1919 by Joseph EVANS.

Jesse is also remembered on the Buckley War Memorial, please click on the link to read his story, so his mother may have also put his name forward in Buckley and his father in Sandycroft Church.   Any information re E.J. EVANS and Jesse to confirm or deny my assumptions, please get in touch with the website.  Strangely enough he is not on the North Wales Memorial Arch at Bangor, which is supposed to have the names of the soldiers of each parish.

On the 1901 census he was living with his family in Gresford at Pant, Marford.   His father, Head of the household was Joseph Evans, 33 and a General Agricultural Labourer who had been born in Burton, Denbighshire.   His mother Agnes, 30 had been born in Buckley, Flintshire. Their children daughters Charlotte,11, Agnes,10, Mary, 8, Beatrice, 6 and Jane, 2 had all been born in Burton as well.   Their only son Jesse, 4 had been born in Buckley.

The 1911 census was a little strange as it had on the front of the census form, Mr. Joseph Evans as the householder, but on the form, his name is missing although a space had been left for it on the form.   The address was Church Road, Buckley and his wife Agnes, 42 had signed the form and also stated that she had been married for 23 years, 9 children had been born and sadly 1 had died, but this information was crossed out by the Enumerator, as she was on her own in the house with no spouse. Son Jesse, 14 was now a Brick Yard Brickburner, daughters, Jane, 12 was at school and born Gresford, whilst Dorothy, 9 had been born in Buckley.

This almost sets the scene for other documents which seems to show a fractured home life for Jesse, as his Army papers give different addresses for his mother and father in later years.

His attestation papers show that he stated his age as 19 years 10 months and signed them on the 22nd September 1914, but on one of the papers, this date was changed to 1915, although every other date was 1914 as his date on enlisting……….he would have been just 17 years old!

One paper shows this:- Mr. J. EVANS, C/o Mr. T. CARTER, The Square, Mancot, Hawarden, Nr. Chester – who is Mr. T. CARTER?

Another paper regarding the personal possessions and medals, give the name and address of Mr. J. EVANS, 34, Mille Lane, Buckley, Cheshire. 3rd April 1917.

Where another paper, same as the one above regarding property and medals, gives the name and address of Mrs. Agnes EVANS, 4, Church Road, Buckley, Chester. Dated 4th January 1917.

On the statement of all relatives who are now living:- Jesse’s mother is shown as “Dead”, and with the ink very, very faded, I was only able to make out a couple of words, i.e. the names and addresses of his siblings, which seem to correspond to the censuses. This form was signed on the 28th August 1919. The address of the Father seems to be The Square, Mancot, as above.

I have found a Death Certificate in Hawarden for an Agnes Evans in 1916, but would need to buy the certificate to confirm or deny that this is Jesse’s mother (HAW/10A/43). Jesse was their only son.

Jesse Evans in the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 confirms his regimental details above and tells us that he was born and enlisted in Buckley, Flintshire.

Jesse Evans in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 tells us that his first Theatre of War was France and his qualifying date was the 16th November 1915.   Exactly to the day, 8 months later, Jesse had been killed. He died of wounds, but no date was shown.   He died of wounds, but no date was shown.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission additional information: Son of Joseph and Agnes Evans, of The Square, Mancot, Hawarden, Flintshire.