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Morris, Edward Owen Wynne

Edward Charles Wynne Morris was born in Llangower, Merionethshire in 1882.

The 1891 Census for Wales on Ancestry.co.uk shows that the Morris family were living at 17, Lord Street, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Merionethshire. Head of the  household, Richard Morris was 39 years of age and a Butcher by trade. His wife, Susannah, age 32 was born in Llangower, Merionethshire as were her husband and two sons John W. age 11 and Edward Owen age 9. They also had a daughter, Maggie age 1 born in Ffestiniog.

I found this information on The Penmon family History Website

Blaenau Higher Grade School student,
Edward Owen Wynne Morris,
witnesses relative’s death on Bala Lake

John Jones of Perth, Western Australia writes;
I have a link to Blaenau Ffestiniog regarding a former student of the Higher Grade School, around 1890 – 1896. The student was Edward Owen Wynne Morris, 1883 – 1915. He was my cousin twice removed. Born in Llangower.
He was present, as a small child when my great grandfather John Jones from Penlan farm Bala  drowned in Llyn Tegid during the Big Freeze 1895.

North Wales Chronicle 16th February 1895

Bala Lake was thronged with skaters on Monday. A sad fatality occurred in the evening. John Jones, Penlan, was crossing the lake towards the old landing-stage, near Llanycil Church, in company with a nephew, ten years of age, when he suddenly fell into a cold spring about 100 yards from land. He went under the ice at once. The boy screamed, but was unheard for a long time. Darkness then intervened and all search had to be abandoned. About eight o’clock on Tuesday morning the body was found under the ice near the place where he fell, and was taken to the mortuary. An inquest was held by Mr. W.R. Davies, coroner for Merionethshire, when a verdict of “accidentally drowned” was returned.

Ten years later the 1901 Census reveals that there had been some additions to the Morris family, namely Merion Morris, son, age 1 and Tegid Morris, son, age 5 months. The family were living in Elan Village, Llanwrthwl, Brecon and Head of the household Richard Morris had changed his trade to Watchman. There was only one other child still living at home, Magdalene (Maggie) age 14.  To read about the history of Elan Village and the reason they needed a Watchman, please follow the link. http://history.powys.org.uk/history/rhayader/village2.html

I found Edward Owen Wynne Morris on the 1901 census living in Elan Village Hotel, Llanwrthwrl, Brecon at a different address from his family but with his brother John Wynne Morris. Edward’s trade is given as Driver/Groom and John Wynne’s as Barman.

There is conflicting information regarding the year that Edward emigrated to Australia. The Penman archives state that he left UK in 1911 but the UK, De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-1919 on Ancestry.co.uk says that it was 1909.

I found a record on 1910 Census for Australia showing Edward Owen Morris living at the Hotel Alexandra working as a Porter.

John Wynne Morris is shown on 1911 census as living at 29 Radcliffe St. Liverpool. he was married to  Rose(nee South) Morris and they had two children, John Richard George age 4 born 25th October 1906 and Rose Magdalene age 2 born 9th April 1909. John Wynne’s trade was Hotel Manager for Brewery Co. and he was 32 years of age.

John enlisted into the King’s Liverpool Regiment on 3rd July 1915 but he was found “Not likely to become an efficient soldier” at his medical and was diagnosed with Neuritus and discharged.

More Information from The Penmon family History Website

Edward’s family moved around often, I think it was difficult finding work in those days.

Edward’s father, Richard Morris, was a butcher in Ffestiniog for a while – around 1881. They lived at Lord Street during their time in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Edward had brothers and sisters, so some of his siblings may have gone to the school in Ffestiniog. They were John Wynne, Magdalen Alice, Maggie, Richard Wynne, Tegid Wynne, Meirion Wynne.

Edward joined the Monmouth Yeomanry (Welch Fusiliers) and served as an Imperial Guard at Buckingham Palace. He later migrated to New South Wales, Australia in 1911 and eventually joined the Australian Imperial Force when war broke out. He died in Gallipoli in 1915 when a shell buried him.
A photo appeared of Edward in the Sydney Morning Herald after his death.

UK, De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-1919 on Ancestry.co.uk

The following information was extracted from the website of The Powys Digital History Project

Account of the opening of the Elan Waterworks by King Edward and Queen Alexandra, Edward was in the Montgomeryshire Imperial Yeomenry and formed one of the Guards of Honour.

Attestation Papers for Private 1501 Edward Owen Wynne Morris on Ancestry.co.uk

Edward enlisted into the 3rd Battalion H Company of the Australian Imperial Force on 31st August 1914 at Kensington, New South Wales. He gave his mother’s name as next of kin, address, 1 Greenbank Terrace, Denbigh, and this was amended at a later date to Plough Cottage, Saint Asaph, Flintshire. His trade was given as Chef. He embarked from Sydney on 20th October 1914 aboard  HMAT Euripides directly to Egypt to recommence training.

The following information is from The Long Long Trail website.

1st Australian Division

History

On 3 August 1914 – the day before Britain declared war – the Government of Australia offered an expeditionary force of 20,000 men, to be composed of a Division plus a brigade of Light Horse and titled the Australian Imperial Force. The original AIF sailed on 1 November 1914 and proceeded via Colombo to Egypt. The original intention was that the force would continue on to England but problems of accommodation being experienced by the Canadian units then in England forced a change of mind. The Force halted in Egypt and training recommenced. Thereafter the Division fought in many of the major actions of the war, including:

1915

3 February 1915: two battalions involved in defending against Turkish attack on Suez Canal
March 1915 : 3rd Brigade moves to Lemnos
1 April 1915 : Division receives orders to prepare to make amphibious assault at Gallipoli
25 April 1915 : Division lands at what was to become forever known as ANZAC Beach
The Division withdrew from Gallipoli in late 1915.

Edward was killed in action on 16th May 1915. Due to conflicting information at the time of his death the first date if death was given as 8th May 1915, but later as witnesses came forward and completed statements, it was discovered that he had been in the kitchen at the time of his death and had been buried after bombing took place. Here are some of the statements given.

There are numerous communications between Edward’s mother and the Australian High Commission concerning monies paid for his trunk to be sent home. Also there is mention of Edward’s Fiance, Miss Sarah Green, Moruya, Oswald Street, Campsie, as she was in possession of his belongings.

Edward is buried in the 4th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey.

Historical Information from CWGC

The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea.

The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac.

The 4th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, was drawn from New South Wales. From the end of April to the beginning of June, 1915, it buried 34 of its dead, and six from other units, in a cemetery on the road from Wire Gully to Anzac Cove (Bridges Road). This burial ground became known as the 4th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery. It was enlarged after the Armistice by the concentration of 76 graves from the surrounding battlefields and from the following smaller cemeteries:-

The 3RD BATTALION PARADE GROUND CEMETERY, a little way to the South on the opposite side of the valley, which contained the graves of 31 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, two of whom fell on the 25th of April and the remainder on the 19th-23rd May (in the Defence of Anzac).

The 22ND BATTALION PARADE GROUND CEMETERY, a little way South-East and behind Johnston’s Jolly, which contained the graves of 13 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion and three others, who fell on the 16th-20th May.

The cemetery contains 116 First World War burials, 7 of them unidentified.


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