Thomas Hugh Jones was born in 1894. His father John Edward Jones was originally from Tremeirchion and his mother Margaret (Maggie) was from Denbigh. There were 3 children; Gwladys, Hugh and John.
In 1901 they were living in Salisbury Villas,Waen. Although the parents were bilingual the children at this time spoke only Welsh. On the census form John Edward Jones described himself as self employed – as a castrator. His work would have taken him to all the farms in the area.
By 1911 the parents and the youngest child, John Elias, were living in Tai Newydd, Waen. 18 year old Hugh was now working nearby as a ‘teamsman’ on Glan Clwyd farm.
Some time between 1911 and 1917 he married a young lady named Annie and they had a baby daughter Gladys.
In the summer of 1916 Hugh enlisted in the 1st Battalion, the Welsh Guards. He sadly lost his life on the Somme the following spring. He died of his wounds and is buried in the Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte. The cemetery served the 34th and 2/2nd London Casualty Clearing Stations which were established at this point in September 1916. Known to the troops as Grove Town these Clearing Stations dealt with casualties from the Somme battlefields. Hugh Jones is one of 1,395 First World War soldiers who are buried there.
Annie, his widow, requested the following inscription for his headstone
EU HABERTH NID EL HEIBIO
AU HENWAU ANWYL NID ANT ANGHO
Their Sacrifice Shall Not Be In Vain
And Their Dear Names Shall Not Be Forgotten
The following is an extract from the book Stori Capel Waengoleugoed: Sul, Gwyl a Gwaith:
“Roedd Thomas Hugh Jones yn byw yn Tai Newydd , yn fab i John Edward a Margaret Jones ac yn wr i Annie ac yn dad i Gladys Hill a oedd yn fabi bach ychydig fisoedd oed pan bu farw ei thad ar 6ed o Fawrth 1917 yn 23 oed. Chafodd ei gladdu ym mynwent Grove Town, Meaulte, Somme Ffrainc. Ymddangosodd yr adroddiad canlynol yn y Free Press ym mis Ebril 1917 .
‘Ychydig wythnosau yn ol daeth newydd trist i’r ardal tawel hon fod Hugh Jones mab Mr a Mrs J E Jones Tai Newydd wedi ei glwyfo yn drwm yn Ffrainc ac ychydig yn ddiweddarach y newydd ei fod wedi marw. Mae wedi gadael gweddw ieuanc ac un plentyn bach gyda theulu lluosog, a llu mawr o gyfeillion ar ei ol. Yr oedd y brawd ieuanc Hugh Jones wedi cael magwraeth grefyddol ac yr oedd gyda ysbryd tyner a llednais ac yn neilltuol hoff o gerddoriaeth cysegredig . Derbyniwyd ef yn aelod eglwysig gyda’r Annibynwyr yn yr ardal a bu yn un o’r rhai ffyddlonaf i’r gyfarfodydd a gwaith yr eglwys a phe cawsai cael ddychwelyd credwn y buasai o wasanaeth mawr . Ond mae ei gorff hardd a lluniaidd wedi ei roddi mewn bedd mewn tir pell pan nad oedd ond 23 oed ond fel y sylwai ei weinidog, gwell oedd marw dros eraill yn bedair ar hugain oed na byw am bedwar ugain mlynedd i foddio hunan.
Nos Sabbath cyn y diweddaf cynnaliwyd gwasanaeth coffadwriaethol yng nghapel yr Annibynwyr . Yr oedd y pulpud wedi ei wisgo mewn du a gwyn yn weddus ir amgylchiad a’r holl wasanaeth yn drefnus ac effeithiol iawn . Bydded nawdd y nef dros y weddw a’r un bach, gyda’r tad a’r fam a phawb or teulu yn eu trallod dwfn . ‘Tyf y blodau wedi’r gawod, Daw y fendith drwy y trallod; Er ei dristwch caiff credadun, Drwy ei ddagrau weld ei Delyn ‘
From the Denbighshire Free Press April 17 1917
“A few weeks ago this quiet community received the sad news that Hugh Jones, son of Mr and Mrs J Jones Tai Newydd had been badly wounded in France and more recently the news came that he had died. He had left behind a young widow and a small child, many family members and a host of friends. Our young brother Hugh Jones had had a religious upbringing, he had a kind, modest disposition and he was exceptionally fond of religious music. He was received as a member of the local Independent chapel and he was one of the most faithful for attending meetings and supporting the work of the church and if he had returned we believe he would have been of great service. Instead, at just 23 years of age his handsome, graceful body has been placed in a grave in a far away land but as his minister said, it is better to die at twenty four for the sake of others than to live a selfish life for eighty years.
On the Sunday before last a memorial service was held in the Independent’s Chapel. The pulpit was dressed appropriately for the occasion in black and white and the service was very moving. May heaven protect the widow and the little child, the father, the mother and the entire family in their enormous sorrow”
“Priododd Gladys Hill Jones gyda Robert Jones, Fferm Plas Madog, Llansannan a ganwyd iddynt 6 o blant – mae Hwfa ac Audrey yn byw yn Abergele, Lily Pearl yn byw yn Rhewl a Doreen (Smith) yn Rhuallt, sef wyresau Hugh Jones a wyr iddo ydi Terry Jones sydd yn ffermio Plas Madog heddiw ac yn drist bu farw ei chwaer Nansi yn 2012.”
Gladys Hill Jones married Robert Jones, Plas Madog Farm, Llansannan and they had 6 children – Hwfa and Audrey live in Abergele, Lily Pearl lives in Rhewl and Doreen (Smith) in Rhuallt. These are Hugh Jones’s nieces and his nephew is Terry Jones who farms Plas Madog today. Sadly sister Nansi died in 2012.