Table of Contents
This is the history of a family line that begins in the late 19th century with Samuel Williams and Elizabeth Emma Foulkes. They built a life in the small village of Bagillt in North Wales, but over the years the family grew and migrated.
G5: Elizabeth Emma Foulkes (1873-) and Samuel Williams (1874-)
Birth: Elizabeth Emma Foulkes was born in Holywell during 1873. She was the third child of Richard and Margaret.
Christening: on 22 June 1873 in Holywell.
Marriage: to Samuel Williams in Holywell during 1892. She was aged 19 and he was 18.
Spouse history: Samuel had been born in the village of Northop in North Wales during 1874. Nothing is known about his early life.
Children: (1) Sarah in 1893, (2) Mary in 1895, (3) Samuel in 1898, (4) Alice in 1900, (5) Noel in 1904, (6) Phyllis in 1912.
Occupations: in 1891 Elizabeth, now aged 18, worked in her family’s grocer’s shop. In 1901 Samuel was a manager for a grocery business, possibly that of his father-in-law. The couple ran their own grocery and provision dealership by 1911, possibly inherited from Elizabeth’s father who had died in 1905.
Residences: in 1901 the family lived in a pleasant cottage on River View in Bagillt. Over the next decade they moved the short distance to a large 7-room home called Britannia House on High Street.
- Elizabeth: Whitford Street, Holywell (1873); Green Park, High Street, Bagillt (1881); 9 Smith’s Terrace, High Street, Bagillt (1891); River View, New Brighton Road, Bagillt (1901); Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1925)
- Samuel: River View, New Brighton Road, Bagillt (1901); Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1925)
G4: Sarah Jane Williams (1893-1966)
Birth: Sarah Jane Williams was born in Bagillt on 5 June 1893. She was the first child of newlyweds Samuel and Elizabeth.
School: enrolled into the infants’ school at Bagillt Board Girls School in February 1900 when aged 6 and studied there until enrolling in Holywell County School six years later.
Marriage: to John Thomas Jones at St Mary’s in Bagillt on 5 August 1918. They were both aged 25.
Spouse history: John had been born in nearby Greenfield on 11 September 1892 and was probably the son of John and Mary Elizabeth Jones, being christened in November. His father was a sailor, and the family lived on Ivy Terrace on Bagillt Road.
Children: (1) Iris in 1919, (2) Ronald in 1921.
Occupations: John followed in his father’s footsteps and become a mariner, specifically a marine engineer. His merchant seaman record card gives his serial number as A/416015 and describes him as 5 feet 5 inches tall with dark hair and blue eyes. The 1921 census revealed that he was employed by John Summers & Sons Ltd, which was a major iron and steel producer at Shotton, Flintshire. They owned a fleet of ships which were used to ferry steel from their own wharf at Shotton to Liverpool. By 1939 when he was aged 47, John had given up the sea and now worked as a paper warehouseman, perhaps at the big factory in Greenfield.
Residences: the young family initially lived in one of four large terraced houses that together formed The Poplars in the Boot End of Bagillt. This was just a few yards from Sarah’s parents’ home. When the National Register was taken almost 20 years later, the couple lived at Riverslea Morfa on the road between Greenfield and Bagillt. They lived with their daughter Iris and someone whose record is closed, probably another child.
- Sarah: River View, New Brighton Road, Bagillt (1901); Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1918); 1 The Poplars, Holywell Road, Bagillt (1919-1921); Riverslea Morfa, Bagillt Road, Greenfield (1939)
- John: 2 Ivy Terrace, Greenfield (1892-1918); 1 The Poplars, Holywell Road, Bagillt (1919-1921); Riverslea Morfa, Bagillt Road, Greenfield (1939).
Deaths: Sarah died at the Cottage Hospital in Holywell on 29 November 1966 when aged 73. She left her estate to John, who was cited as a retired hospital maintenance engineer. They might have lived in a house called Sandheys. John survived her for five years and died in Holywell on 4 November 1971 when aged 79.
G3: Iris Jones (1919-)
Birth: Iris Jones was born in Bagillt on 18 June 1919. She was the first child of newlyweds John and Sarah.
Christening: on 13 July 1919 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt.
Occupations: in 1939 20-year-old Iris worked as a paper sorter, probably in the same Greenfield factory as her father.
Residences: 1 The Poplars, Holywell Road, Bagillt (1919-1921); Riverslea Morfa, Bagillt Road, Greenfield (1939)
Notes: we know from the 1939 Register that she later marries someone with the surname Williams (possibly Ronald in 1944) but given the commonality of their names more information is required.
G3: Ronald Jones (1921-)
Birth: Ronald Jones was born in Bagillt during 1921. She was the second child of John and Sarah.
Residences: 1 The Poplars, Holywell Road, Bagillt (1921)
Notes: It’s possible that he died in 1923.
G4: Mary Elizabeth Williams (1895-1990)
Birth: Mary Elizabeth Davis was born in Bagillt on 19 September 1895. She was the second child of Samuel and Elizabeth and was commonly known as Elsie.
Marriage: to Frederick Hickson at St Mary’s in Bagillt on 18 August 1919. She was aged 23 and he was 25. It’s curious that Elsie married a mariner of the same trade as her elder sister, and I wonder if the two sailors were friends.
Spouse history: Mary had been born in Flint on 2 March 1894 to sailor John Hickson and his wife Annie and was christened in St Mary’s Church a few weeks later. The family lived in a small terraced house on Mount Street on what was then the edge of town, but by 1901 had moved one street along to Earl Street. Fred’s father is not captured on the census and was probably away at sea.
Children: (1) Roy in 1921, (2) Marjorie in 1927, (3) Freda in 1929. Marjorie died as a baby.
Occupations: by 1911 Fred had entered the workplace as a guiller, which I’m not sure is a word but the occupation code in the census classifies it as something to do with silk weaving. He later became a marine engineer. His merchant seaman record card gives his serial number as A/412067 and describes him as 5 feet 9 inches tall with light hair and hazel eyes. By 1939, 45-year-old Fred now worked as an artificial silk worker, perhaps in the large Aber Works factory just behind their home.
Residences: in 1921 the young family lived in Fred’s childhood home on Earl Street, although there is no sign of his parents. By 1939 the couple had been married for 20 years but had not ventured far and lived in another house a few doors further down.
- Mary: River View, New Brighton Road, Bagillt (1901); Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1919); 60 Earl Street, Flint (1939)
- Frederick: 50 Mount Street, Flint (1894); 16 Earl Street, Flint (1901); 66 Earl Street, Flint (1911); 60 Earl Street, Flint (1939)
Deaths: Fred died in Delyn in September 1986 when aged 92, and Mary survived him for four years and died on 17 July 1990 when aged 94. At the time she likely lived at The Rise, 7 The Bryn in Flint and left a considerable estate of over £110k.
G3: Roy Hickson (1921-2011)
Birth: Roy Hickson was born in Flint on 27 February 1921. She was the first child of Fred and Mary.
Marriage: to Margaret Elizabeth Hughes at Holywell during 1947. He was aged 25 and she was 19.
Spouse history: Margaret had been born in Flint on 14 July 1927.
Children: a son in 1952.
Occupations: In 1939 Roy worked as a chemist’s assistant in an artificial silk works, likely in the large Aber Works factory just behind their home.
Residences: during the 1950s the family lived in the Sutton Coalfield area. They later moved south to the New Forest.
- 66 Earl Street, Flint (1921); 60 Earl Street, Flint (1939)
Deaths: Margaret died on 3 September 2006 when aged 79. Roy died in Lymington on 28 June 2011 when aged 90.
G3: Marjorie Hickson (1927-1928)
Birth: Marjorie Hickson was born in Holywell during 1927. She was the second child of Fred and Mary.
Deaths: died as a baby.
G3: Freda Hickson (1929-)
Birth: Freda Hickson was born in Holywell during 1929. She was the third child of Fred and Mary.
Residences: 60 Earl Street, Flint (1939)
Nothing is known except that she is confirmed dead by a relative.
G4: Samuel Richard Williams (1898-1977)
Birth: Samuel Richard Williams was born in Bagillt on 10 January 1898. He was the third child of Samuel and Elizabeth.
Military service: Samuel joined the Royal Navy in January 1916, two days after his 18th birthday. After initially serving onboard depot ships for auxiliary small craft such as tugs and tenders, he then joined the crew of the brand-new light cruiser HMS Caradoc in June 1917, which was assigned to the 6th Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. It participated in the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in November 1917, successfully intercepting German forces clearing British minefields in the North Sea. In November 1918 they escorted the German High Seas Fleet as they sailed to Scapa Flow to be interned. The Squadron soon sailed to support the Baltic States in their attempt to secure independence from Russia. During December 1919 Caradoc bombarded Bolshevik positions east of Tallinn in Estonia, bringing the Russian offensive to a halt by destroying a bridge. They then helped to capture a Russian destroyer and ferried 500 Finnish volunteers from Helsinki. The Squadron was recalled in January 1920, with Samuel demobilised in February 1919.
Marriage: to Maria Jones at St Mary’s in Flint on Boxing Day 1925. He was aged 26 and she was 20.
Spouse history: Maria had been born on 4 March 1904 to mariner John Jones, but due to the extreme commonality of her name nothing further is known. At the time of her marriage she lived at ‘Heathfield’ on Chester Road.
Occupations: Samuel was a plumber’s apprentice in a munitions factory before the war, but after leaving the Royal Navy continued with the merchant marine. The 1921 census revealed that he had last been employed by Farmers Witty & Co. shipowners but was currently out of work. By 1939 when he was aged 41, Samuel worked as a rayon worker, either as the dispatch department manager or deputy manager. It was noted that he was also the Deputy Head Warden, presumably of the ARP.
Residences: in 1939 the couple lived in a semi-detached house on Ash Grove on a new estate on the road between Bagillt and Flint.
- Samuel: River View, New Brighton Road, Bagillt (1901); Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1925); 2 Ash Grove, Bagillt (1939); 36 Winterton Close, Doncaster (1977).
- Maria: 2 Ash Grove, Bagillt (1939); 36 Winterton Close, Doncaster (1977).
Deaths: Samuel died in Doncaster on 16 August 1977 when aged 79. At the time the couple lived on Winterton Close, part of a housing estate in the Bessacarr suburb. Maria survived him for some 24 years and died in Doncaster in February 2001 when aged 96.
G4: Alice Lavinia Williams (1900-1974) and George Edward Roberts (1897-1974)
See the Roberts group for Alice and her descendants.
G4: Noel Williams (1904-1957)
Birth: Noel Williams was born in Bagillt on Christmas Eve 1904. He was the fifth child of Samuel and Elizabeth.
Schools: in May 1908 when aged 5, Noel was enrolled into Bagillt Board Infants School, where he studied for the next three years.
Marriage: to Edith Louise Hughes in Holywell during 1927. He was aged 22 and she was 23.
Spouse history: Edith had been born on New Year’s Eve 1903 and was possibly from Birmingham, but due to the commonality of her name nothing further is known.
Children: (1) Derek in 1927. There are four closed records on the census indicating that they may have had more children.
Occupations: in 1921, 16-year-old Noel worked as an assistant in the family grocer’s store. He later joined the army of workers working in the artificial silk industry when in 1939 he was a bleacher.
Residences: in 1939 the family lived in a semi-detached house on Coronation Estate in Holywell. This was the same road that his elder sister Alice lived on.
- Noel: Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1911-1921); 42 Coronation Estate, Holywell (1939-1957)
- Edith: 42 Coronation Estate, Holywell (1939-1957)
Deaths: Noel died on 20 September 1957 at Hope Hospital in Pendleton, Lancashire. He left an estate of £135 18s. 9d. to his widow.
G3: Derek Anthony Williams (1927-2020)
Birth: Derek Anthony Williams was born in Holywell on 7 July 1927. He was the first child of Noel and Edith.
Residences: 42 Coronation Estate, Holywell (1939)
Notes: due to the commonality of his name nothing else is known for certain, but it’s likely that he died in Birmingham on 12 July 2020.
G4: Phyllis Williams (1912-)
Birth: Phyllis Williams was born in Bagillt during 1912. He was the sixth child of Samuel and Elizabeth.
Residences: Britannia House, High Street, Bagillt (1912-1921)
Notes: due to the commonality of her name nothing further is known.
