Arthur Rylands died at Cardiff in the first quarter of 1901, aged 28, according to the General Records Office. At least two contemporary newspaper reports said that his father died "about the same time," and that they were buried in the same grave "at the same time," but the GRO has no record of any other male Rylands (or Ryland) dying in Cardiff between 1897-1901. So who was Arthur's father? Could he have been his step-father and have had a different surname?
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"There was a deep strain of pathos in connection with a funeral which took place at Cardiff yesterday.
Father and son were buried together.
Invalided from the war, Arthur Rylands, the son, only came home to die, passing away at Cardiff Infirmary a few days ago.
The father died at his residence, Treharris-street, Roath, about the same time, and yesterday they were laid to sleep together."
Evening Express [Cardiff], Friday 22nd February 1901 "A pathetic interest attached to the burial together of a father and son at Cardiff on Thursday. At the beginning of the war Arthur Rylands, the son, went out to the front, and, after experiencing many hardships and facing many dangers, was invalided home. About a fortnight ago he became a patient at the Cardiff Infirmary, where he died a few days ago. The father, who was lying ill at his home in Treharris-street (off Castle-road), Roath, passed away about the same time, and both father and son were buried in the same grave at the same time."
Portsmouth Evening News, Saturday 23rd February 1901----
Looking for Arthur Rylands' birth, I can find an Arthur Rylands, born fourth quarter of 1874 in the West Ham Union registration district, and an Arthur Masefield Rylands, born third quarter of 1874 in Newport in the Counties of Salop and Stafford, but both of those would only have been 26 in February 1901. Looking up 'Arthur Ryland' gives two possibilities - Arthur Ryland, born first quarter of 1872 in Solihull, and Arthur Edward Ryland, born first quarter of 1872 in Kings Norton.
The newspaper reports are a bit vague, and they neither give date(s) of death for the father and son or where they were interred. Looking at a modern-day map, there doesn't appear to be a Castle Road near Treharris Street, so I wonder how much truth there is in the reports.
I've ordered a PDF copy of Arthur's death certificate which might arrive next week.
