Table of Contents
This family group is rather large and so to aid readability it is split across a few parts.
G5: Edward Profit (1859-1916)
Birth: Edward Profit was born in Llanasa during 1859. He was the second child of Joseph and Amelia.
Marriage: to Christiana Martha Oliver Jones on 25 February 1883 in Mostyn. They were both aged 24.
Spouse history: Christiana had been born in 1859 – the first child of coal miner Edward Jones and his wife Sarah Ann Oliver.
Children: (1) Alfred in 1884, (2) Sarah in 1886, (3) Thomas in 1888, (4) Frederick in 1889, (5) Mary in 1891, (6) Joseph in 1894, (7) Christina in 1898, (8) Florence in 1899, (9) Albert in 1901. Unusually for the time, all the children survived into adulthood.
Occupations: Edward followed in the footsteps of his father to labour in the blast furnaces of one of the Mostyn ironworks. He was involved in an accident in 1888 which was reported in the local newspaper:
At the iron works a sad accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, in which five men were injured. The men were at work repairing a furnace, when the suspended platform on which they stood gave way, precipitating the men and a quantity of bricks to the bottom. Edward Profit and John Anderton were most severely hurt.
The accident did not seem to affect Edward in the long-term however as he continued working in the ironworks for a few decades. After running the White Lion pub in the centre of Rhewl-Mostyn for many years, Christina’s parents passed it down to their daughter and son-in-law by 1911. Edward was the licensee but continued in his old job and it was likely that Christina did the day-to-day running of the pub.
Residences: in 1881 Edward lodged with Jonathan and Anne Tyrer in Rhewl-Mostyn. By 1911 the couple lived at the White Lion, which was to be their home for the rest of their lives.
- Edward: Marsh Farm, Gwespyr (1861); Llawndy Farm, Trewaelod (1871); White Lion, Mostyn (1911)
- Christiana: White Lion, Mostyn (1911)
Deaths: Edward died on 28 March 1916 when aged 56, while Christina died on 20 May 1921 when aged 62. They were buried in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford.
Notes: we need to be careful when researching Edward as there was a namesake born two years later who is often mistaken with him in online trees. The other Edward was the son of Thomas and Jane and was a joiner in the collieries.
G4: Alfred Oliver Profit (1884-1947)
Birth: Alfred Oliver Profit was born in Mostyn on 21 July 1884. He was the first child of newlyweds Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 3 September 1884 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1889.
Residences: Alfred’s maternal grandparents ran the White Lion pub in the centre of Rhewl-Mostyn and he appeared to live there with them, being captured there in both the 1891 and 1901 censuses. The pub was eventually passed to his mother and then to Alfred himself. In 1921 he lived there with six of his adult siblings, who curiously were all still single. Little changed over the next two decades, with Alfred captured there in the 1939 Register and still living with four of his single siblings.
- White Lion, Mostyn (1891-1947)
Occupations: by the age of 16 Alfred had followed his father into labouring in the Mostyn ironworks. He became the licensee of the White Lion after the deaths of his parents, with the 1921 census capturing that he was both an innkeeper and ironworks labourer – which likely indicates that while he was the licensee, his sisters likely did a lot of actual day-to-day running of the pub.
Deaths: Alfred died at the ironworks on 24 June 1947 when aged 62 and was buried in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford. He still lived at the White Lion and it doesn’t appear that he ever married. He left his estate to his sister Sarah.
G4: Sarah Amelia Profit (1886-1983)
Birth: Sarah Amelia Profit was born in Mostyn on 21 January 1886. She was the second child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 5 April 1886 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1889.
Occupations: in 1911 when she was aged 25, Sarah lived and worked at the family’s White Lion pub, an arrangement which continued until she inherited it after the death of her older brother Alfred in 1947. She likely did a lot of the day-to-day running of the pub while Alfred laboured in the ironworks.
Residences: White Lion, Mostyn (1911-1921)
Deaths: Sarah died in Sandford Nursing Home in Prestatyn on 30 August 1983 when aged 97. She was buried alongside sister Christiana in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford. She had never married.
G4: Thomas Edward Profit (1887-1966)
Birth: Thomas Edward Profit was born in Mostyn on 23 August 1887. He was the third child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 6 November 1887 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1892.
Military service: Tom enlisted into the Royal Welch Fusiliers soon after the outbreak of war (service number 15092) and served on the Western Front from September 1915. He was promoted to Lance Corporal but was shot in the right leg in September 1917 which left him with a degree of disability. He was given the Croix de guerre by the Belgians in 1918, which was primarily awarded for bravery or other military virtue on the battlefield. The award was noted in the local paper:
Mostyn, and especially the Mostyn Estate workmen, will be very pleased to hear that Private Tom Profit, now appointed Lance Corporal, has been awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre, First Class for distinguished services. His Captain, writing to Mr W C Pickering, explaining why he had not received the DCM on a previous occasion said: “I have commanded his Company for some months and was in a position to state that his conduct on more than one occasion has been worthy of the highest possible praise and on this particular occasion before referred to he displayed great courage, coolness and endurance under terrific shell fire.” – We trust Lance Corporal Tom Profit will be spared to come home when we are sure a most hearty welcome will be given him. He is the second son of the late Mr Edward Profit, While Lion Inn, Rhewl Mostyn. Both of his brothers have served with the Colours.
Marriage: to Sarah Elizabeth Muriel Foulkes on 28 December 1921 in Mostyn. He was aged 34 and she was 25.
Spouse history: commonly known as Muriel, she was almost a full decade younger than Tom and had been born in Mostyn on 26 March 1896 to Robert Edward Foulkes and Hannah Evans. In 1901 the family of four lived in Pont y Row cottages in Glanydn, Mostyn and her father worked as a crane driver. Muriel attended Mostyn National School and lived at home until her marriage.
Children: unknown.
Occupations: before the war Tom was agricultural labourer on the Mostyn Estate, working alongside two of his brothers. After being discharged he began to work for the Tarmac Co. constructing new roads.
Residences: Tom lived alongside his siblings in the White Lion until he was married. When the 1939 Register was taken he and Muriel lived at Bryn Pennallt.
- Thomas: White Lion, Mostyn (1901-1921)
- Sarah: Pont y Row, Mostyn (1901-1921)
Deaths: Thomas died in 1966 when aged 79. Muriel survived him for 14 years and died in 1980 when aged 83.
G4: Frederick William Profit (1899-1974)
Birth: Frederick William Profit was born in Mostyn on 6 June 1889. He was the fourth child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 4 July 1889 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1892.
Military service: Frederick followed his brother into the Royal Welch Fusiliers in February 1916 (service number 54808), possibly joining the 13th Battalion. He served on the Western Front where he was seriously wounded, leading to his discharge in October 1917. He was awarded the Silver War Badge, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
Occupations: before the war Frederick worked alongside brothers Tom and Joseph on the Mostyn Estate. He was a cowman working with the cattle. His wounds prevented him from working again, being recorded in the 1921 census as an ‘out of work disabled soldier’ and in the 1939 National Register as a ‘disabled serviceman’.
Residences: Frederick lived in the family’s White Lion pub into adulthood, being last recorded there in 1939 when he was aged 50. He perhaps needed care due to his war wounds.
- White Lion, Mostyn (1911-1939)
Deaths: Frederick died on 12 April 1974 when aged 84 and was buried alongside his brothers Alfred and Albert in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford.
G4: Mary Catherine Profit (1891-1978)
Birth: Mary Catherine Profit was born in Mostyn on 5 October 1891. She was the fifth child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 27 December 1891 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1895.
Marriage: to Reginald John Gray during 1924 in Kensington. He was aged 27 and she was 32.
Spouse history: Reginald had been born on 27 September 1896.
Children: none.
Occupations: in 1911 when she was aged 20, Mary worked as a cook in the household of merchant William Hasler at Upper Downing in Whitford. She moved to London by 1921 to work in the household of Elias Wynne Cemlyn-Jones, a Welsh barrister of some repute. His home in upmarket Kensington was a grand five-storey town house on Hyde Park Gate. The house opposite was the London residence of Sir Winston Churchill from 1945, and where he died in 1965.
Residences: by 1929, the couple lived in a large end terraced house on Abinger Road in the West London suburb of Chiswick, which was either shared with several other people or sub-divided. They lived here until at least 1956.
- Mary: 20 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington (1921); 2 Abinger Road, Chiswick (1929-1956)
- Reginald: 2 Abinger Road, Chiswick (1929-1956)
Deaths: John died at home on 18 December 1956 when aged 60. Mary survived him for 22 years and died in Wales during 1978 when aged 86.
G4: Joseph Clayton Profit (1894-1965)
Birth: Joseph Clayton Profit was born in Mostyn on 29 January 1894. He was the sixth child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 18 March 1894 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1897.
Marriage: to Catherine Keefe during 1919 in Merthyr Tydfil. He was aged 24 and she was 22.
Spouse history: Catherine had been born in Merthyr Tydfil on 24 March 1896 and was most likely the daughter of Stephen and Hannah, although we need to be careful as a namesake was born in the town a year later.
Children: (1) Veronica in 1919, (2) Christiana in 1922, (3) Frederick in 1924, (4) Austin in 1925, (5) Margaret in 1927, (6) Edward in 1931, (7) Joseph in 1934, (8) Alan in 1936.
Occupations: in 1911 census when he was aged 17, Joseph worked alongside two of his brothers on the Mostyn Estate, being employed as a waggoner. He moved to Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales, which was entering a period of decline after having once been one of the biggest iron producers in the world and the largest town in Wales. The 1921 census shows that Joseph was an out-of-work steel labourer, having last worked for Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (today known as GKN). This proved only temporary however, and he still laboured as a furnaceman in 1939.
Residences: the young family lodged with James and Florence Lewis on The Grawen in Merthyr Tydfil, also known as Brecon Road. They later got a small terraced house of their own. In the 1950s they moved out to a new semi-detached house on an estate to the south of the town, which must have been a massive improvement.
- Joseph: White Lion, Mostyn (1911); 78 The Grawen, Merthyr Tydfil (1921); 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939-1948); 12 Brickfield Crescent, Merthyr Tydfil (1950-1965)
- Catherine: 78 The Grawen, Merthyr Tydfil (1921); 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939)
Deaths: Joseph died at home in 1965 when aged 70. Catherine survived him for 13 years and died in 1978 when aged 81.
G3: Veronica Profit (1919-)
Birth: Veronica Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil on 6 November 1919. He was the sixth child of Joseph and Catherine.
Marriage: to Kenneth Ellis during 1954 in Cardiff. She was aged 34.
Spouse history: nothing is known of Kenneth’s early life.
Children: unknown.
Occupations: by 1939, 19-year-old Veronica had moved to Newport where she worked as a probationer nurse in the Newport Public Assistance Institution, a follow-on to the workhouse providing care for the elderly, infirm and destitute. She continued her training there until 1941 before then becoming a midwife, working at St Woolos Hospital in 1945 (which may have been the same place renamed). She was appointed as a Queen’s Nurse by Queen Mary in 1946, a title awarded to registered nurses who demonstrated consistently high standards of practice in community nursing. It’s likely that Veronica lived in Gloucester at this time.
Residences:
- Veronica: 78 The Grawen, Merthyr Tydfil (1921); Woodbridge House, 131 Siow Hill, Newport (1939)
Notes: due to the commonality of the name Ellis little more is known, but it’s possible that he died in 1991 and Veronica in 2006.
G3: Christiana Martha Profit (1922-1978)
Birth: Christiana Martha Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil on 22 July 1922. She was the second child of Joseph and Catherine and named after her recently deceased paternal grandmother.
Occupations: despite only being aged 16 when the National register was taken in 1939, Christiana worked as a dressmaker.
Residences: Christiana appears to have been a lifelong spinster and lived with her mother until her death in 1977.
- 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939-1948); 12 Brickfield Crescent, Merthyr Tydfil (1950-1977)
Deaths: Christina died in 1978 when aged 55.
G3: Frederick Oliver Profit (1924-1998)
Birth: Frederick Oliver Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil on 6 February 1924. He was the third child of Joseph and Catherine.
Marriage: to Violet Pritchard during 1949 in Merthyr Tydfil. They were both aged 24.
Spouse history: Violet had been born in Merthyr on 28 September 1924 to Harold John Pritchard and Blodwen Evans, the first of their five children. In 1939 the family lived on Caste Street in the town centre. As was common, her father was unemployed, having last worked as a fireman on a locomotive.
Children: possibly one child.
Residences: electoral records show that between 1952 and 1970 the couple were registered to vote first with Violet’s uncle Sydney and family on Lower High Street, and then with her parents on Penybryn Estate, with a substantial overlapping period where they were registered in each place. The records also show that they were ‘service voters’, perhaps indicating that Fred was in the military.
- Frederick: 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939), 227 Lower High Street (1952-1964), 72 Penybryn Estate (1955, 1959-1961, 1963-1970)
- Violet: 45 Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939), 227 Lower High Street (1952-1964), 72 Penybryn Estate (1955, 1959-1961, 1963-1970)
Deaths: Fred died in Hitchin during 1998 when aged 73. Violet survived him for 15 years and died there on 17 February 2013 when aged 89.
G3: Austin Profit (1925-1993)
Birth: Austin Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil on 8 April 1925. He was the fourth child of Joseph and Catherine.
Marriage: to Margaret Elizabeth Martin during 1952 in Merthyr Tydfil. They were both aged 26.
Spouse history: Margaret had been born on 9 October 1925 to James Martin and May Brown. Her father was a coal heaver, and in 1939 the family lived on Well Street.
Children: a boy in 1952 and a girl in 1954.
Residences: the newlyweds initially lived in a shared house on Edward Street before settling on an estate in the Gellideg suburb.
- Austin: 13 Sand Street (1939-1948); 12 Brickfield Crescent (1950-1952); 26 Edward Street (1954); 17 Hoel Rhos Las (1955-1977) – all in Merthyr Tydfil.
- Margaret: 33 Well Street (1939); 26 Edward Street (1954); 17 Hoel Rhos Las (1955-1977) – all in Merthyr Tydfil.
Deaths: Austin died in 1993 when aged 68. Margaret survived him for five years and died in 1998 when aged 72.
G3: Edward Stephen Profit (1931-2009)
Birth: Edward Stephen Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil during 1931. He was the sixth child of Joseph and Catherine.
Marriage: to Diane Jones during 1965 in Merthyr Tydfil. He was aged 34.
Spouse history: nothing is known of Diane’s earlier life.
Children: a boy in 1968.
Residences: the couple purchased a bungalow on the Six Bells Estate in the Heolgerrig suburb where they would live for the rest of their lives.
- Edward: 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939); 12 Brickfield Crescent, Merthyr Tydfil (1950-1963); 30 Six Bells Estate, Merthyr Tydfil (1968-2009)
- Diane: 30 Six Bells Estate, Merthyr Tydfil (1968-2012)
Deaths: Edward died on 5 July 2009 when aged 78 and was cremated at Llwydcoed Crematorium.
G3: Joseph Francis Profit (1934-2022)
Birth: Joseph Francis Profit was born in Merthyr Tydfil during 1934. He was the seventh child of Joseph and Catherine.
Marriage: to Rona Yvonne Essery on 7 August 1956 in a small ceremony in Tottenham. Rona recalled, “I didn’t tell my family until two weeks after the wedding. It was a quiet wedding and we just had a few of the nurses from the hospital there”. He was aged 22 and she was 21. Joe had met Rona after breaking his ankle and going to Merthyr General Hospital, where she worked as a receptionist. He went back several times for treatment and eventually invited her out.
Spouse history: nothing is known of Rona’s earlier life.
Children: four children between 1958 and 1970.
Occupations: Joe followed Rona to London while she trained to become nurse and he became a chiropodist. Ever since she was 14 years old however, Rona’s dream had been to open her own shop, and when the couple were in their fifties and their children grown up, she took the plunge and opened Rona’s Shoe Shop. When Joseph retired, he opened a DIY shop, Joe’s Bargains, next door. When interviewed for a newspaper article in 2016, Rona said:
We don't have any staff working for us, it's just the two of us and we have an interconnecting door between the two shops. I’ve been doing this for 32 years now and I just didn’t realise the years were rolling by. We should start to retire but we have to sell all the stock first. Joseph doesn’t want to retire, even though he's 82 and I'm 81.
Residences: after being married the couple briefly lived in Cardiff before settling in the village of Troed-y-rhiw, a few miles south of Merthyr, where they had a house on Carlton Terrace.
- Joseph: 13 Sand Street, Merthyr Tydfil (1939); 12 Brickfield Crescent, Merthyr Tydfil (1950-1955); Halfway House, Aberdare Road, Merthyr Tydfil (1958-1959); 25 Catherine Street, Cardiff (1960-1962); 3 Carlton Terrace, Troed-y-rhiw (1963-1977); 1963-1977, Merthyr Tydfil (2002-2022).
- Rona: Halfway House, Aberdare Road, Merthyr Tydfil (1958-1959); 25 Catherine Street, Cardiff (1960-1962); 3 Carlton Terrace, Troed-y-rhiw (1963-1977); 1963-1977, Merthyr Tydfil (2002-2022).
Hobbies: Rona was a keen organ player and Joseph enjoyed cars, vans, and horses.
Deaths: Joseph died on Christmas Day 2022 when aged 88. She survived him for less than a year and died on 28 November 2023.
G4: Christiana Profit (1898-1968)
Birth: Christiana Profit was born in Mostyn on 6 February 1898. She was the seventh child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 22 March 1898 in Mostyn.
Residences: Christiana continued to live in the family’s White Lion pub with several of her siblings following the death of her parents, with her eldest brother Alfred taking over the licence. Four of them lived there together for the rest of their lives, with none of them marrying.
- White Lion, Mostyn (1911-1968)
Death: on 10 March 1968 when aged 70 and buried in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford.
G4: Florence Profit (1899-)
Birth: Florence Profit was born in Mostyn on 23 July 1899. She was the eighth child of Edward and Christiana.
Christening: on 15 October 1899 in Mostyn.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1903.
Marriage: to William Hughes on 16 January 1927 at Christ Church in Mostyn. She was aged 27 and he was 33.
Spouse history: William had been born on 3 April 1893 to collier Benjamin Hughes and his wife Margaret Ann. By 1901 the family lived in the small village of Ffynnongroyw, just a few miles up the coast from Mostyn, where they occupied Tanlan Cottage. Over the course of the next decade his father became the licensee of the Railway Inn, although he continued working in the colliery and it was likely his mother who actually ran the pub.
Children: possibly had three children, but due to the commonality of their name further information is required.
Occupations: William was a miner who by the age of 17 was working underground in one of the local pits. He had a long career and in 1939 was a specialist haulage collier. Florence was a self-employed dressmaker.
Residences: both Florence and William continued to live in their respective family pubs until their marriage in 1927. By 1939 they had one of the houses that comprised Rock Cottages, almost adjacent to the Railway Inn.
- Florence: White Lion, Mostyn (1911-1921); 7 Rock Cottages, Main Road, Ffynnongroyw (1939)
- William: Tanlan Cottage, Ffynnongroyw (1901); Railway Inn, Main Road, Ffynnongroyw (1911-1927); 7 Rock Cottages, Main Road, Ffynnongroyw (1939)
Deaths: William died in 1970 when aged 77.
G4: Albert Profit (1901-1965)
Birth: Albert Profit was born in Mostyn on 11 August 1901. He was the ninth child of Edward and Christiana.
School: attended Lady Augusta’s school from 1907.
Occupations: in 1921 Albert was an out-of-work labourer who had last worked in the foundries of Jones & Davies.
Residences: Albert lived in the family’s White Lion pub for most of his life, sharing it with four of his siblings – none of whom married.
- White Lion, Mostyn (1911-1965)
Deaths: Albert died in in the North Wales Hospital at Denbigh on 16 January 1965 when aged 63. He was buried alongside his elder brother Alfred in the churchyard of St Beuno and St Mary in Whitford.
G5: Mary Profit (1864-1909) and Joseph Hughes (1862-)
Birth: Mary Susannah Profit was born in North Wales during 1886. He was the third child of Joseph and Amelia.
School: attended Pantasaph School near Whitford from 1873.
Marriage: to Joseph Hughes during 1886. She was aged 22 and he was 24.
Spouse history: Joseph had been born in Mold during 1862. Nothing is known of his early life.
Children: (1) Amelia in 1887, (2) William in 1888, (3) William in 1892, (4) Joseph in 1896. The first William and Joseph both died as babies.
Occupations: Mary possibly entered service if she is the same 16-year-old girl captured on the 1881 census working as a servant for the Davies family who lived on the High Street in Mold. By 1891 Joseph was a labourer for the nearby Kelsterton Brewery and indeed would be involved in the brewing industry for the rest of his life, later working as a cellarman. At the turn of the century, he became the licensee of the Crown & Anchor Inn in Greenfield, which he would run for at least the next two decades.
In September 1916 Joseph was summoned for selling alcohol and allowing it to be consumed within prohibited hours. At the trial the judge heard how two plain clothes detectives had entered the pub at 3pm on 4 August and found a man there drinking a pint of beer. They were refused when they tried to buy beer for themselves, instead being offered dandelion burdock. The man, Edward Jones, had lost a son killed in the France the day before and had gone to seek the advice of Joseph who was a fellow member of the Shepherds’ Club. Despite the efforts of the council to have a large fine imposed, the judge took pity on them and dismissed the case. It was reported that Joseph had not previously been in any form of trouble in the previous 16 years that he had run the pub. The licence was transferred to a Samuel Edwards by 1922.
Residences: the family lived in the hamlet of Golfyn – just to the north of Connah’s Quay – where they occupied one of the handful of dwellings on the narrow Cooper’s Lane just before it became a footpath. In 1901, the small family lived on Saltney Square, which appeared to be in the vicinity of Church Street and Lower Brook Street but soon afterwards moved to Greenfield to live in the Crown & Anchor.
- Mary: Llawndy Farm, Trewaelod (1871); 30 High Street, Mold (1881); Cooper’s Lane, Connah’s Quay (1888-1892); 1 Saltney Square, Connah’s Quay (1901)
- Joseph: Cooper’s Lane, Connah’s Quay (1888-1892); 1 Saltney Square, Connah’s Quay (1901); The Crown & Anchor, Greenfield (1901-1921)
Deaths: Mary died in 1909 when aged just 45.
G4: Amelia Hughes (1887-)
Birth: Amelia Hughes was born in Golfyn during 1887. She was the first child of Joseph and Mary.
Christening: on 30 March 1887 at St Mark’s Church on Church Hill in Connah’s Quay.
Residences: Cooper’s Lane, Connah’s Quay (1888-1892); 1 Saltney Square, Connah’s Quay (1901)
G4: William Hughes (1888)
Birth: William Hughes was born in Golfyn during 1888. He was the second child of Joseph and Mary.
Christening: on 5 May 1888 at St Mark’s Church on Church Hill in Connah’s Quay.
Residences: Cooper’s Lane, Connah’s Quay (1888)
Death: likely died soon afterwards, since his parents also named their third child William.
G4: William Hughes (1892-1975) and Sarah Elizabeth Wooding (1898-)
Birth: William Hughes was born in Golfyn on 10 January 1892. He was the third child of Joseph and Mary and the second to be named William after the death of his predecessor.
Christening: on 17 February 1892 at St Mark’s Church on Church Hill in Connah’s Quay.
Marriage: to Sarah Elizabeth Wooding during 1920 in the village of Rushden, near Northampton. He was aged 27 and she was 21.
Spouse history: Sarah had been born in Towcester on 27 June 1898 and was at least the fourth child of William and Caroline. She was christened alongside elder sister Emily the following April. Their father was a chimney sweep, and when the census was taken in 1901, they lived on Pudding Bag Lane. They still lived there a decade later, when despite being only 12-years-old Sarah worked as a domestic servant.
Children: (1) Hazel in 1921, (2) Melba in 1925.
Occupations: in 1911 when was aged 19, William worked in the Crown & Anchor as a barman.
Residences: the newlyweds initially lived with William’s father in Greenfield, before moving into their long-term home at Meadow Villas in nearby Holywell.
- William: Cooper’s Lane, Connah’s Quay (1892); 1 Saltney Square, Connah’s Quay (1901); The Crown & Anchor, Greenfield (1901-1921); 2 Meadow Villas, Greenfield (1939-1975)
- Sarah: Pudding Bag Lane, Towcester (1901-1911)
Deaths: William died at home during April 1975 when aged 83. He was buried in Greenfield Cemetery after a service at Holy Trinity Church.
G3: Hazel Hughes (1921-2003) and Robert Stanley Jones (1914-1991)
For the history of Hazel and Robert see the Jones family group.
G4: Joseph Hughes (1896)
Birth: Joseph Hughes was born in Golfyn on 17 February 1896. He was the fourth child of Joseph and Mary.
Christening: at St Mark’s Church on Church Hill in Connah’s Quay on the day that he was born.
Death: likely died very soon after being born.
G5: James Madden Profit (1868-1921)
Birth: James Madden Profit was born in Llanasa on 3 March 1868. He was the fourth child of Joseph and Amelia.
School: attended Pantasaph School near Whitford with his sister Sarah from 1873, moving to Mostyn National School in 1879.
Occupations: James followed in his father’s footsteps and in 1881 when aged 22 worked in the Mostyn ironworks.
Military service: despite being aged 45 on the outbreak of war, James served with the 11th Labour Battalion of the Royal Engineers (service number 125257). The labour battalions were intended to undertake heavy manual work, such as building new roads, to release infantry manpower for the frontline. Recruitment was aimed at fit older men who had experience of manual labouring, with many attracted by the rate of pay, which was almost three times that of the infantry.
The battalion sailed from Southampton on the City of Chester and Empress Queen on 28 October 1915, landing at Le Havre next day. They arrived at Baileul on 31 October and were initially attached to the 2nd Canadian Division. The Battalion soon moved to La Clytte (De Klijte) where it remained until January 1917. It then relocated to Doullens, being put to work on a new railway in the Authie valley. In June 1917 it moved to Fremicourt. James was discharged on 12 July 1917 as being no longer medically fit for service – he was approaching the age of 50 – and was given the Silver War Badge to show that he had previously served. At the end of the war, he was given the 1915 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.
Residences: in 1921 James lived with his sister Catherine and family in one of the houses that ran alongside the railway tracks east of Mostyn Quay in an area known as Halendy. He later moved with them to Marsh Row on the opposite side of the railway tracks.
- Llawndy Farm, Trewaelod (1871); Halendy, Mostyn (1881); 8 Marsh Row, Mostyn (1891); 23 Marsh Row, Mostyn (1917)
Death: James died in 1921 when aged 53. It’s not thought that he ever married.
Notes: James is missing from both the 1901 and 1911 censuses, perhaps indicating that he was overseas.
