William Henry Davies

[CaroleW]

Re: Charles H Neal

Have a look on freebmd for a birth reg around 1873/74 http://freebmd.rootsweb.com - I can see one in 1878 in Malmesbury Wilts

Check for him on the 1881 census which is free to search at

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=census/search_census.asp

Using freebmd - check for a marriage for him -  there's one in 1910 in Wales to Mary Annie Gilbert

The free 1911 index shows a Charles Herbert Neal b Wilts aged 31 living in Merthyr Tydfil which is where the 1910 marriage was registered

[Arranroots]

Hi both

I've done you a little timeline, which might help.

What definitely will help is the arrival of the certificates you have ordered - I'm a bit worried about accepting family stories etc without some proof, as we've already seen that names can change or be misremembered!

16 may 1888 Edith JONES born, Chorlton Manchester

Sep q 1897 William Haydn DAVIES born Pontypridd 11a 505

Sep q 1907 Edith JONES marries Charles William TAYLOR (or Charles Wilkins TAYLOR ref Chorlton 8c 1612 who was born Coventry Warks in 1883)

1909 Marjorie/ Margery born

1911 census Charles, Edith and Margery probably in same household

1914-1918 was WHD at war?

Jun q 1918 William Hayden DAVIES marries Edith TAYLOR Chorlton 8c 1200

1918 family move to 19 Wind St

27 Mar 1920 Muriel born

1922 Edith DAVIES at 19 Wind St too

1924 family move to 22 Wind St

4 June 1924 W H DAVIES dies, aged 26, buried Trealaw

1928 Marjorie/Margery marries, Charles her father is deceased

12 May 1929 Edith marries Charles Herbert NEAL, widower aged 55 native of Wiltshire and scaffolder.  Father Geo Hy NEAL

[Arranroots]

I've been having a look at WWI records.

There's a Wm Henry D who signed up from an address in Denaby, Yorkshire and whose occupation was miner - he served in Italy despite that!  Not sure if you can get malaria in Italy! His mother was Clara DAVIES.  Date of birth c1898.

There's another without a home address who was a pony driver in the mines.  He served in Alexandria and Gallipoli.  No date of birth.

Just checking I have this right - it occurs to me that it would be a good idea to post on the WWI board on Rootschat to ask the experts though!

[Arranroots]

There's another who has pension records - he's from Gyncorrwg, Glamorgan (though he signed on in Dorchester and was sent home, later enlisting with the 13th Bn Welsh regiment) and is a collier.  Slightly older c 1896.

His next of kin is his father W J DAVIES of 12 Scotch St, Abergwinfi, Glamorgan.

It appears his initial enlistment was when he was underage - birthday in September according to a note from his dad!  This bit fits but I don't think this is him because he later went to live in Rhyl, which doesn't seem to fit.

Belay that - his address on discharge is 18 Hamilton St, Pentrebach, Merthyr, Glamorgan ( he was born in Merthyr).

This chap appears only to have served in Cardiff!  He was discharged unfit in 1915 due to a double inguinal hernia, which is presumably why he was caught "sitting down while on sentry duty"!

Shame!

 

[CaroleW]

A copy of William Haydn Davies birth cert is needed before any attempt can be made to trace him on the 1901/1911 censuses or possibly in WW1 records

William H Davies is far too common a name and there are far too many WWI records missing to go delving into that area at the moment

As you said in your first reply

I think you need to take it gently one step at a time.

[Arranroots]

Carole!!

Is this your really really grumpy thread?!?

 

I;m amusing myself and wondering whether any of this rings a bell - I don't need scolding thanks and neither does anyone else on this thread!

[CaroleW]

I am extremely surprised by such a reply from a moderator.

No - it's not my "grumpy thread" as you will see by all the work I have done already above to unravel the info given and find the right info

I was not "scolding" just pointing out what you yourself had already cautioned at the outset.  Perhaps you can let me know who else I have "scolded" on this thread

There are a great many issues attached to this history and virtually nothing was known about him - not even his correct name or his birthplace

I think we need to establish his background first - particularly his parents names - before taking it one step further with WWI records.  It is not actually known for certain whether he served in WWI

Is it possible to find out if William served in WW1

[Arranroots]

You are absolutely right (as was I intitially) : we DO need these details, but that doesn't mean I can't amuse myself - this is a hobby after all!

There are 19 WHDs born in Glamorgan in 1898 +/- 2 years, so the chances of my landing something useful might be remote - but the findings just might strike a chord, you really never know!