Table of Contents
This family group is rather large and so to aid readability it is split across a few parts.
G6: Edward Foulkes (1847-1920)
Birth: Edward Foulkes was born in Bagillt during 1847. He was the third child of Edward and Sarah.
Christening: on 28 February 1847 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt alongside his brother Stephen.
Marriage: to Margaret Ellen Hammond on 10 January 1877 at St Luke’s Church on Bold Street in Liverpool. He was aged 30 and she was 25. It’s not known why the two were married in Liverpool.
Spouse history: Margaret had been born in the village of Wellesbourne, near Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1852 to William Hammond and Ann Thomas. She was christened as Margaret Helen in June. In 1861 the family, including Margaret’s brothers Owen and Hugh, lived on Bridge Road, where her father worked as a saddler and baker. He was originally from nearby Snitterfield, but her mother hailed from Llanfaethlu on Anglesey. By 1871 they had moved to the hamlet of Whitford in Wales, about 3 miles northwest of Holywell, where her father ran a grocer and draper shop. 18-year-old Margaret worked in the shop alongside her father and elder brother Henry.
Children: (1) Annie in 1878, (2) Sarah in 1879, (3) Edith in 1881, (4) Mary in 1884, (5) Margaret in 1888. Sadly, Annie died aged just 2.
Occupations: Edward followed in his parent’s footsteps and ran a grocery store. He had a shop on Well Street in Holywell for the rest of his life. It was mentioned in several local directories, but between 1901-1903 was also cited as a tobacconist.
Residences: in 1878 they lived in a large building on the corner of Well Street and High Street, probably a flat above the shop. By 1911 they had moved to a large cottage just out of town called Bron Holway – to be their home for the rest of their lives.
- Edward: Pentre Bach, Bagillt (1851); Rose Place, High Street, Bagillt (1871); 1 Well Street, Holywell (1878-1918); Bron Holway, Holway Road, Holywell (1911-1920)
- Margaret: Bridge Road, Wellesbourne (1861); 1 Well Street, Holywell (1878-1901); Bron Holway, Holway Road, Holywell (1911-1921)
Deaths: Edward died on 30 November 1920 when aged 73 and was buried in Bagillt on 3 December. He left his effects of £2,186 7s 4d (around £64k today) to his daughters Edith and Mary. Margaret only survived him by just over two months and died on 9 February 1921, being buried in Bagillt three days later. She left her estate of £829 10s 4d (around £25k today) to her daughters Sarah and Edith.
G5: Annie Foulkes (1878-1880)
Birth: Annie Foulkes was born in Holywell during 1878. She was the first child of newlyweds Edward and Margaret.
Christening: on 27 March 1878 in Holywell.
Residences: 1 Well Street, Holywell (1878-1880)
Deaths: died aged two and was buried on 29 November 1880.
G5: Sarah Florence Foulkes (1879-1960)
Birth: Sarah Florence Foulkes was born in Holywell on 10 July 1879. She was the second child of Edward and Margaret.
Christening: on 30 July 1879 in Holywell.
Marriage: to Owen Alban Thomas on 30 April 1901 in Bagillt. She was aged 21 and he was 36.
Spouse history: Owen was some 15 years older than his new wive and had been born in Aberaeron, Cardiganshire, in 1865 as the fourth child of Owen and Eleanor (known as Ellen) – although the family lived in Bagillt where his father was a schoolmaster and his mother a schoolmistress. He was christened at St Mary’s Church in the Boot End of the village in June. They lived in Sea View House on the High Street, which would be the family home for at least the next quarter century. As an adult he styled himself O. Alban Thomas.
Children: (1) Edward in 1902, (2) Cecil in 1903, (3) Richard in 1904, (4) Florence in 1905, (5) Dora in 1910, (6) Margaret in 1912.
Occupations: by 1891, 26-year-old Alban had followed in his now deceased father’s footsteps and become a teacher. His elder brother David was a Church of England vicar and Alban was soon to follow suit, as would his younger brother Richard. By 1901 he was the vicar of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, a small village in rural Powys, where he lived with his sister at Rhiwlas in a large cottage about a mile out of town.
After their marriage Alban and Sarah moved to Chester where he took up the position of chaplain of St Martin’s Welsh Church. They lived on St Martin’s Fields. By 1910, Alban had become the vicar of the tiny village of Forden near Welshpool on the English border, where the family lived in the adjacent vicarage.
Alban remained the vicar of Forden for the rest of his life. Although being a member of the clergy was not a low paid job, the family did struggle financially to put all their children through university and college, an achievement that was somewhat unusual for the time. Florence went to nursing school in London, while Dora won a scholarship to attend the Bedford College for Women.
Residences: after spending her marriage living in the vicarages attached to the village churches in which Alban worked, after his death Sarah moved in with her youngest daughter Dora and family in the small market town of Kington, Herefordshire. At the time of her death two decades later she lived with son Owen in the affluent Bidston suburb of Birkenhead, just down the road from the church where he was the vicar.
- Sarah: 1 Well Street, Holywell (1879-1901); 18 St. Martin’s Fields, Chester (1902); Forden Vicarage, Forden (1911-1938); Rock Close, Victoria Road, Kington (1939)
- Alban: Sea View House, High Street, Bagillt (1865-1891); Rhiwlas, Llanrhaeadr-Ym-Mochnant (1901); 18 St. Martin’s Fields, Chester (1902); Forden Vicarage, Forden (1911-1938)
Deaths: Alban died on 9 June 1938 when aged 72 and was buried in his churchyard. His effects of £1076 6s 10d (around £42k today) were left to his wife. Sarah survived her husband for some 21 years and died on 8 March 1960 when aged 80 and was buried next to her husband. She left her effects of £152 0s 5d (around £3k today) to her eldest son. The inscription on the headstone reads “For see the servants of the Lord / in heaven and earth are one”.
Notes: Alban had the pleasure of marrying two of his daughters, Florence, and Dora, within a week of each other in April 1933, aided by his brothers.
G4: Edward Owen Alban Thomas (1902-1982)
Birth: Edward Owen Alban Thomas was born in Chester on 4 March 1902. He was the first child of Owen and Sarah and was commonly known as Owen.
Christening: on 31 March 1902 in his father’s St Bridget with St Martin Church on Grosvenor Road.
School: in 1921, 19-year-old Owen was a pupil at Llandovery College – a private school in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.
Marriage: to Beatrice Joyce Baty during 1934 in Birkenhead. She was aged 31 and she was 25.
Spouse history: Beatrice had been born in Birkenhead on 6 March 1908, the fourth child of Thomas Ashe Baty and Jessie Martin Robinson. Thomas was a successful wine and spirit merchant, enabling the family to live in a large 11-roomed villa on Kingsmead Road North in the wealthy suburb of Oxton, which at the time was one of the most affluent areas of England. The family were served by a cook, housemaid and domestic nurse.
Children: three boys and two girls between 1937 and 1948. Son Geoffrey died in infancy during 1946.
Occupations: On 15 August 1924 when Owen was aged 22, he boarded the SS Morea at the Port of London to travel to Malaya, intending to work as a schoolteacher. He eventually returned to Britain where he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a Church of England vicar, being ordained as a Deacon by the Bishop of Chester in February 1929, and as a vicar in March 1930 after graduating Keble College, Oxford, and the Wells Theological College.
Owen became the vicar of St Oswald’s Church in the affluent Bidston suburb of Birkenhead in 1938, and the family lived just down the road on School Lane. Edward became the Rural Dean of Birkenhead in 1955, taking this on in addition to his regular duties. In 1962 he moved to become the Rector of More with Lydham, a parish spanning a couple of tiny villages in Shropshire. They lived at the rectory in More, which was little more than the church and a few houses. Owen retired in 1970.
Residences: after spending his life living in the vicarages attached to his churches, Owen retired to Bishop’s Castle where he lived on High Street until his death.
- Owen: 18 St. Martin’s Fields, Chester (1902); Forden Vicarage, Forden (1910-1922); The Croft, 19 School Lane, Bidston (1939); Bidston Vicarage, Bidston (1961); The Rectory, More (1962-1970); 1 High St, Bishop’s Castle (1982)
- Beatrice: 18 Kingsmead Road North, Birkenhead (1911); Bidston Vicarage, Bidston (1961); The Rectory, More (1962-1966)
Notes: the National Register captured that he lived with his sister-in-law Jessie Baty, while his wife was visiting her mother in Ruthin. She appeared to remain in Wales until 1943, with both wartime children being born there.
Deaths: Beatrice died on 24 February 1966, leaving her considerable estate of £19,473 (about £343k today) to her husband and eldest son. Owen died on 9 November 1982 when aged 80. He left an estate of £70,969 (about £277k today).
G3: Geoffrey E. Thomas
Birth: Geoffrey Thomas was born in Birkenhead during 1946. He was the fourth child of Owen and Beatrice.
Deaths: died within a few months.
G4: Cecil David Thomas (1903-1962)
Birth: Cecil David Thomas was born in Chester on 11 May 1903. He was the second child of Owen and Sarah.
School: the 1921 census records 18-year-old Cecil as a pupil at an unfortunately ineligible school in Cilcewydd.
Emigration: Cecil moved to Canada in 1927, arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia onboard the SS Samaria from Liverpool on 12 May. He intended to become a farmer and stated his intended destination as Dakeyne Farm near Mount Denson in Nova Scotia. Founded in 1913, the origin and purpose of this farm was to receive boys from England and train them in modern methods of farm work, with a view to becoming farmers in Canada. This program was known as the British Home Children. Since Cecil was aged 24 though, he was perhaps joining the teaching staff? This institution was located about three miles from the town of Windsor, on the outskirts of the Annapolis Valley, and included about 506 acres of extremely fertile and productive land. The main farm was equipped with good buildings, house, barn, piggery, workshop etc.
Cecil returned home for a visit onboard the SS Nova Scotia, arriving in Liverpool on 12 August 1929. Although he indicated on arrival that he intended to return to Canada, it’s not known whether he actually did so.
Military service: despite being almost 37 years old in April 1940, Cecil enlisted into the army at a recruitment centre in Leicester. He was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 145 lbs, with a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. Perhaps due to his age, Cecil was posted to one of the ‘Home Service Battalions’ attached to Regular Army regiments – the 6th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment. Such units were tasked with guarding vulnerable points and prisoner of war camps.
Cecil was transferred to the 13th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps during August 1941 – another Home Service Battalion. He was sent on a training course for instrument mechanics at the South-West Essex Technical College in Walthamstow, but failed the basic exam and returned to his unit in December. Shortly afterwards he was posted to the Royal Army Service Corps (responsible for supplying the army with supplies, transporting them to the front line, and administering barracks), serving in the Colchester area.
His final posting was to the Pioneer Corps, which was used for light engineering tasks such as laying railway tracks and road construction. He served in Woking, Heysham, Didcot and Bicester. In April 1944 he was moved into the Class W(T) Reserve for an ‘indefinite period’, whereby his services were deemed to be more valuable to the country in civil rather than military employment.
Marriage: to Vera Mary Jones on 9 May 1942 at St Mary’s Church in Westbury. He was aged 38.
Spouse history: Vera was born on 22 June 1916.
Children: a girl born in 1945.
Residences: in 1939 Cecil lived in Leicester where he lodged with William and Jessie Brewin in their home on Queniborough Road in the northwest of the city. Vera lived with Cecil’s sister Florence and husband Clifford Morris.
At the time of his death Cecil lived on Uxbridge Road in Rickmansworth. This was a large semi-detached house just down the road from where his younger sister Margaret and husband had lived in 1939.
- David: Forden Vicarage, Forden (1911-1921); 39 Queniborough Road (1939), 31 Uxbridge Road, Rickmansworth (1962)
- Vera: Madeley House, The Fairway, Oadby (1939), Mount Pleasant, Westbury (1942)
Occupations: the 1939 Register recorded that Cecil was ‘learning milling’, while Vera was a children’s nursemaid.
Deaths: Cecil died on 12 June 1962 when aged 59. He left his estate of £242 11s (around £4k today) to his elder brother Owen.
Notes: Cecil and Vera appeared to separate quite soon into their marriage as it’s believed that she had three children with James Arthur Yaxley Newsom between 1948 to 1953. The couple married in 1962, the year of Cecil’s death. She died on 10 February 1989 when aged 72.
G4: Richard Trevor Thomas (1904-1968)
Birth: Richard Trevor Thomas was born in Chester during 1904. He was the third child of Owen and Sarah and was commonly known by his middle name.
Residences: in 1921 16-year-old Richard lived with his paternal uncle David Thomas and family. He was the Principal of the Home & Colonial Training College on Lordship Lane in North London – a teacher training college for women. Today the building is the Wood Green Crown Court. Richard however, worked as a clerk for W.J. & H. Thompson (Tea & Rubber Merchants) on Mining Lane.
- Forden Vicarage, Forden (1910-1911); Home & Colonial Training College, Lordship Lane, Wood Green (1921); Firle, Livesey Road, Ludlow (1968)
Deaths: Richard died on 20 November 1968 when aged 64. At the time he lived with his widowed sister Dora in Ludlow. His name is inscribed on his parent’s gravestone, but it’s not known if he was buried with them. He left an estate of £8,821 (around £123k).
G4: Florence Irene Thomas (1905-2000)
Birth: Florence Irene Thomas was born in Chester on 16 September 1905. She was the fourth child and first daughter of Owen and Sarah and was perhaps known by his middle name.
Marriage: to Major Clifford Morris on 18 April 1933 at St Michael’s Church at Forden. She was aged 27 and he was 43. The ceremony conducted by her father and two uncles – the Canon Richard Thomas (who was the Principal of Chester Diocesan Training College, later to become Chester University) and the Rev. David Thomas (vicar of Wolverton Holy Trinity). The bride was given away by her brother Edward, also a vicar. She wore a gown of ivory satin made in the Grecian style.
Spouse history: Clifford had been born in Chirbury on the English-Welsh border, near Forden, on 8 July 1889, the youngest son of Edward Henry Morris and Margaret Elizabeth Rogers. He was christened in August. The family lived at West Farm in the centre of the village, where his father was a farmer, land agent and auctioneer – and evidently well-to-do. To staff their large home in 1891 they employed a cook, housemaid, governess and a domestic nurse, with the latter two replaced in 1901 by a groom and a stable boy.
Military service: Clifford became an officer in the Royal Field Artillery, likely before the outbreak of war in 1914, serving with the 1/1st North Midland Brigade and later the 230th Brigade. He began service with the BEF in March 1915, participating in artillery operations near Lille, Neuve Eglise, and the Ypres Salient, often under heavy fire. Notably, on 17 September 1915, he assumed command during intense shelling. Clifford received the Military Cross on 14 January 1916 for gallantry and was promoted to Captain. He continued to serve in various sectors, including the Somme, and became an instructor at the Divisional Artillery School in August 1916. Promoted to Major, he returned to frontline duties, notably supporting the Canadian Corps at Hill 70 in August 1917, earning a bar to his Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on two separate occasions on the same day. He was wounded soon afterwards but continued to serve, participating in the final offensives of 1918, including bombardments of the Hindenburg Line. Clifford’s brigade fired their last shots on 9 November 1918, just before the Armistice.
Children: possibly a son.
Occupations: By 1921 Clifford was a partner in the family business, the Morris, Marshall & Poole Auctioneers and Estate Agents. The company is still in business today. Florence trained as a nurse at Bartholomew’s Hospital in London between 1927 and 1930.
Residences: at the time of their marriage in 1933, Florence had still lived at home with her parents, but soon joined her husband at Elmhurst. This Grade II listed building was a grand house on Howell Road in the village of Welshpool. The couple then moved to Shrewsbury where they lived in a house called Claremont on Shelton Road. By 1939, they had a brand new and very large home called Madeley House on The Fairway in the fashionable Leicester suburb of Oadby – which would be their home for at least the next 40 years. Also living there was a domestic servant and a children’s nurse maid. A son had been born just two weeks before.
- Florence: Forden Vicarage, Forden (1910-1933); Elmhurst, Howell Road, Welshpool (1934); Claremont, Shelton Road, Shrewsbury (1937); Madeley House, The Fairway, Oadby (1939-1981)
- Clifford: West Farm, Chirbury (1891-1901); Elmhurst, Howell Road, Welshpool (1921-1934); Claremont, Shelton Road, Shrewsbury (1938); Madeley House, The Fairway, Oadby (1939-1981)
Hobbies and interests: Clifford became Secretary to the Leicestershire Voluntary Association, and in this role gave a very well received speech to the Leicester Association of Social Workers in October 1937.
Deaths: Clifford died on 6 May 1981 when aged 91, leaving an estate of £59,681. Florence likely died in November 2000.
Notes: when Clifford’s father died in 1934 he was joint beneficiary to an estate of £20,651 16s, which is just over £1 million today.
G4: Dora Fordenia Thomas (1910-1988)
Birth: Dora Fordenia Thomas was born in Forden on 21 October 1910. She was the fifth child of Owen and Sarah.
School: attended the County School for Girls in nearby Welshpool between 1923-28. She was a bright girl who excelled academically, taking the London Matriculation in January when aged 16. This was a standard test for university entry, and Dora passed in the First Division with credits in English, French, Latin, History and Mathematics.
She made her application for admittance to the Bedford College for Women in 1927 to study languages, supported by her headteacher and her uncle Richard, the Principal of Chester Diocesan Training College (later to become Chester University) and Canon of Chester Cathedral, which must have carried some weight. The College, located near to Regent’s Park, was the first higher education establishment for women and by the 1920s was part of the University of London. Although the family was very supportive of Dora’s ambitions, higher education was expensive and they the prospect of supporting yet another child through university was very troubling to her father. Thankfully, Dora won the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship for the daughters of Welsh clergy of £80 per year, topped up by another £30 from a County Scholarship. There was considerable correspondence regarding this between the College, her father, and her supportive headteacher, within which Dora was described as a thoroughly nice girl of “high principles” and “a splendid athlete and plays hockey and tennis brilliantly”.
Marriage: to Mervyn Wynne Powell on 25 April 1933 at St Michael’s Church at Forden. She was aged 22 and he was 33. The ceremony conducted by her father and two uncles – the Canon Richard Thomas (who was the Principal of Chester Diocesan Training College, later to become Chester University) and the Rev. David Thomas (vicar of Wolverton Holy Trinity). The bride was given away by her brother Edward, also a vicar, and wore a gown of angel crepe in ice white, with train falling from the shoulders and a veil of Brussels lace.
Spouse history: Mervyn had been born on 28 June 1899 in the small village of Rhosllanerchrugog, about six miles south of Wrexham. He was the sixth child of Richard Thomas Powell and Eleanor Owen and christened on 20 August. His father was an elementary schoolmaster, and in 1901 the family lived on School Street, which was their home until at least 1911. Mervyn was enrolled into Rhosllanerchrugog British School in August 1905. He then went to Oswestry Grammar School and then Ruabon County Grammar School between September 1914 and September 1915.
Military service: Mervyn served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers (service number 78692) during the war, receiving the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
Children: probably three children, but due to the commonality of their surnames then further confirmation is required.
Occupations: upon graduating in 1931 Dora moved home briefly before getting the post of assistant mistress to teach French, Latin, English and some history at Whitfield Private Boarding and Day School. Mervyn meanwhile had gained a position as a clerk for the London City and Midland Bank upon graduation. After the war he returned to his job with the bank, working for the Chester branch in 1921.
Residences: at the time their marriage, Dora lived at home with her parents, while Mervyn lived in Kington. By 1939 the couple lived in a house called Rock Close on Victoria Road in the small market town of Kington, Herefordshire. By the 1960s they had moved to Ludlow, Shropshire.
- Dora: Forden Vicarage, Forden (1911-1928); Forden Vicarage, Forden (1933); Rock Close, Victoria Road, Kington (1939); Firle, Livesey Road, Ludlow (1963-1988)
- Mervyn: 1 School Street, Rhosllanerchrugog (1901-1911); 4 Victoria Pathway, Chester (1921); Rock Close, Victoria Road, Kington (1939); Firle, Livesey Road, Ludlow (1963)
Deaths: Mervyn died on 27 July 1963 when aged 64, leaving his effects of £4,920 (£86k today) to Dora. Dora lived another 20 years and died at home on 4 October 1988 when aged 78. She was buried at St. George’s Church in Clun and left an estate of £93,000 (£192k today).
Appendix
The following are transcripts of the correspondence between Dora’s father and the Bedford College for Women.
2 May 1927, from Dora’s father to Dame Margaret Tuke (Principal of the College):
On behalf of my Daughter now 16.5 years of age I beg to apply for one of the “Lewis Pilcher Scholarships”. The above (Dora F. Thomas) entered for the London Matriculation January last on the recommendation of her Head Mistreets (Miss M. Platt, Girls’ County School, Welshpool), but failed in History. She is making a second attempt next month. Miss Playy speaks very highly of her abilities and urges us to allow her to continue her studies with the object of finally obtaining a London degree. I regret I do not know the formalities connected with making this application and would be grateful if you could forward me any forms that may be required.
3 May 1927, from the Registrar of the College to Dora’s father:
I reply to your letter of yesterday’s date I am sending you particulars of the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship. You will see that candidates must not be less than 18 years of age, so that your daughter is not eligible for the scholarship this year. I enclose the necessary form of application, which must be filled in and returned to the Principal not later than May 1st, 1928, if you wish her application to be considered for the session 1928/29.
24 Nov 1927, from Mrs Platt (Headmistress of County School for Girls) to Margaret Tuke:
I have a very promising pupil who will be qualified to try for the Bedford College Scholarship for the daughters of Welsh parochial clergy this next year. I am writing to ask you if you think that her present achievements will give her any chance at all. She passed London matriculation (First Division) this last June (1927) at 16 years of age, and is now preparing for the Higher School Certificate Examination of the Central Welsh Board in 1928. She is excellent at languages and should do well but of course the application for the scholarship has to be in before the examination results are known. Would you be so kind as to tell me whether the award goes to pupils who have already passed the Higher Certificate Examination. She is a splendid athlete and plays hockey and tennis brilliantly. She has already been chosen to play in County matches. She belongs to a very nice family indeed and is herself a thoroughly nice girl of high principals. I should be very grateful if you would be so kind as to let me know what standard of qualifications is looked for in the candidate so that I can advise her how to plan her future. Her name is Dora F. Thomas. She is now 17 (born October 1910). Thanking you very much and hoping you are well and that college is prospering mightily.
25 Nov 1927, from Margaret Tuke to Mrs Platt:
Thank you for your letter telling me about your pupil, Dora F. Thomas. She is exactly the kind of candidate we like to have for the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship. You will see from the regulations that the only qualification required is Matriculation and the fact that your pupil has been placed in the First Division is in her favour. We do not expect the Higher Certificate examination to have been passed. Owing to the fact that the scholarship is so definitely restricted, we do not usually have a large number of candidates in any one year.
16 June 1928, from Dora’s father to Margaret Tuke:
I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of your communication conveying the delightful news of the award of the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship to Dora. I very much appreciate this great honour and favour. Dora is a very good girl and shows great promise, but suffers from the fact that she is not the daughter of rich parents. Being our fifth child, the education and training of the first four have seriously affected the situation - the four year career of one at Oxford more than depleted our resources. Your statement in the impossibility of holding any other scholarship will compel us to consider very carefully before embarking on this much desired career for Dora towards which you very kindly offer assistance. Another girl is but 18 months younger and possesses much ability. It will be a huge problem to [illegible] both of these girls in the manner they deserve. At the same time we are perfectly ready to do the [illegible] possible for them without consideration of the amount of sacrifice. May I therefore with your kind favour take a few days to see if matters can be arranged for Dora to come up in October? Again thanking you very warmly for your kind letter.
20 June 1928, from Miss Tuke to Mrs Platt:
Thank you very much for writing so fully about the circumstances of your pupil, Dora Thomas, who has been awarded the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship. I have been looking into the question of whether it is possible from the Lewis Pilcher Fund to add £20 a year to the scholarship but this is the maximum amount that can be added and we can not be certain of this. I will let you know as soon as possible if your pupil can count on the additional £20 or not. I hope her family will be able to meet the expenses of the University course.
21 June 1928, from the Registrar of the College to Dora’s father:
The Principal asks me to acknowledge your letter of June 16th and to say that she is quite willing for you to take a few days for consideration before coming to a decision with regards to the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship. The Principal asks me to point out that the scholar is not allowed to hold any other scholarship “without the consent of the Council”. This consent is not withheld, however, unless conditions attached to the other scholarships are such as, in the opinion of the Council, are likely to prove a handicap to the scholar in her academic work. There is, therefore, no reason why your daughter should not apply for permission to hold any other scholarship for which she may be eligible, except the four-year grant offered by the Board of Education for teachers in training, which the Council do not allow to be held concurrently with a College Entrance Scholarship.
23 June 1928, from Mrs Platt to Margaret Tuke:
Thank you very much for your kindness in considering the question on Dora’s scholarship. It would be very fine if another £20 could be added to the funds. I believe they have quite decided that they must allow her to accept and will try and fund the wherewithal as best they can. She may of course obtain a County Scholarship of £30 on her Higher Examination but there are very few given and a number of candidates, so her chances are not certainties.
7 September 1928, from Dora to Margaret Tuke:
I thought you would like to know that I have passed the Central Welsh Board Higher Certificate in English, French, and Latin with distinction in French (Language and Literature). I am so looking forward to coming to Bedford College!
28 September 1928, from Dora’s father to Margaret Tuke:
I beg to inform you that Dora has, on the results of the Higher Education Certificate Examination, been awarded a £30 Exhibition tenable for three years, by the County Education Authority, available for a University. I trust the holding of this will not be contrary to any of your rules. We have not heard officially but she is one of five Exhibitioners reported in today’s local paper.
1 October 1928, from the Registrar of the College to Dora’s father:
I am desired by the Principal to write to acknowledge your letter of the 28th inst., which she will bring before the Council at the next meeting to be held on October 17th. The Principal asks me to say that she is glad to know that your daughter has been awarded an exhibition of £30 by the County Education Authority. She does not anticipate that the Council will raise any objection to her holding this concurrently with the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship.
20 October 1928, from Margaret Tuke to Dora’s father:
I put before the Council at the meeting held on Wednesday last your letter asking for permission or your daughter, Dora, to hold a £30 Exhibition awarded by the Montgomeryshire Education Authority concurrently with the Lewis Pilcher Scholarship. I am glad to tell you that the Council agreed to your request.
27 October 1928, from Dora’s father to Margaret Tuke:
May I apologise for this delay as our circumstances have been quite abnormal the last few days, I wish to thank you for your kind intination [sic] of permission being granted Dora to hold the County Exhibition. Also I am given to understand that the original L.P. Scholarship of £60 proves to be actually £80. I feel sure this is entirely down to your kind interest and influence. May I say how deeply grateful we feel for all your kindness and how much we appreciate this substantial increase? I earnestly hope and trust that Dora will prove worthy of the great interest taken in her and of the great efforts made on her behalf. I am pleased to say that she writes very cheerfully and apparently is very happy in her new life amongst new friends in her new home.
1 July 1929, from Margaret Tuke to Dora:
You will already know that your name appears on the list of successful candidates in the Intermediate Arts Examination. At the meeting of the Faculty of Arts, when the course for Intermediate students were considered, you were recommended to read for the B.A. Honours degree in French, with Latin as subsidiary subject, with a view to taking the examination in 1931. I shall be glad to hear from you as soon as possible whether you accept this recommendation.
4 July 1929, from Dora to Margaret Tuke:
Thank you very much for your very kind letter. I was delighted to hear the good news. I am so pleased that I have been recommended to read for the B.A. Honours degree in French, with Latin as subsidiary subject and especially that I may take the examination in 1931.
12 June 1930, from Gem Jebb (the new Principal) to Dora:
I am glad to tell you that the Council at their meeting held yesterday awarded to you a residence bursary for the session 1930-31. This, as you know, is of the value of 10 guineas for the session and is deducted from the fees due or residence.
16 June 1930, from Dora to Gem Jebb:
Thank you so much for your letter. I am delighted to hear that I have been awarded a residence bursary for the session 1930-31. It will be a great help, and I am deeply grateful to the Council.
16 November 1931, from Dora to a Miss Hayden:
So far I have not been successful in finding a post but there is a likelihood of my getting one for January. I will of course let you know should I be lucky.
9 December 1931, from Dora to a Miss Hayden:
This is just to let you know that I have succeeded in getting the post of assistant mistress to teach French, Latin, English and some history at Whitfield Private Boarding and Day School. [illegible] application for recognition has first been made, and judging from my impressions at interview I shall like the school and the staff. I have had a little experience of teaching at Welshpool County School - and just love it! It is nice to have something definitive to look forward to. I hope you are keeping fit and well.
G4: Margaret Eleanor Myfanwy Thomas (1912-1993)
Birth: Margaret Eleanor Myfanwy Thomas was born in Forden on 23 March 1912. She was the sixth child of Owen and Sarah and perhaps commonly known as Vanny.
Marriage 1: to Donald Guy Woolmington Robins on 28 September 1938 at St Andrew’s Church in Totteridge, London. She was aged 26 and he was 28. The ceremony was conducted by her brother Owen and uncle Canon Richard Thomas (the Principal of Chester Diocesan Training College, later to become Chester University). The bride was given away by her brother Trevor and wore a gown of white printed satin, with a veil of Brussels lace. They spent their honeymoon in West Dorset.
Spouse history: Donald had been born near Nottingham on 19 March 1910 to Charles James Robins and Sarah Anne Woolmington. When the 1911 census was taken, the family lived in a terraced house on Sherwin Grove in the suburb of Lenton. His father, who was originally from Salisbury, was an insurance inspector.
Children: possibly three but further confirmation is required.
Death: Donald died on 23 October 1949 when aged just 39. He left his estate of £1,054 4s 3d to his wife.
Marriage 2: to James Gaskell Waringon during 1958 in Watford. She was aged 45 and he was 51
Spouse history: James was a widower who had been born in the small mining town of Abram, near Wigan, on 23 June 1906 to Walter Waring and Alice Ann Gaskell. His father was a coal miner, and in 1911 the family lived in a terraced house on Warrington Road, which was just about the only road in town. They moved to Hindley over the next decade. When aged 14, James worked as an office boy for Barlow, Jackson and Gee solicitors on King Street in Wigan. He married Jennie Davies in 1937 and they moved to the old market town of Stokesley, just to the south of Middlesbrough, where in 1939 James was also an ARP Warden.
Children: none.
Residences: in 1939 Donald and Margaret lived in a large semi-detached house on Uxbridge Road in Rickmansworth, which would be their home until his death. After marrying James the couple lived in the vicarages attached to his churches.
- Margaret: Forden Vicarage, Forden (1921); 34 Uxbridge Road, Rickmansworth (1939-1949); Vicarage, Vicarage Lane, Skirlaugh (1963); 13 The Beach, Filey (1993)
- Donald: 10 Sherwin Grove, Nottingham (1911); 34 Uxbridge Road, Rickmansworth (1939-1949)
- James: 20 Warrington Road, Abram (1911); 95 Neville Street, Hindley (1921); 193 Gidlow Lane, Wigan (1928-1930); North Road, Stokesley (1939); Vicarage, Vicarage Lane, Skirlaugh (1963)
Occupations: Donald followed his father into insurance and in 1939 worked as a department manager for an insurance company. James meanwhile became a vicar and in the 1960s was the vicar of Skirlaugh, whose St Augustine’s Church is architecturally well-regarded.
Death: sadly, James and Margaret’s marriage was not to last long, for he died on 4 October 1963 at the Royal Infirmary in Hull when aged just 57. He left his estate of £2,884 12s (£40k today) to Margaret. It’s not thought that she remarried, and she died in Filey on 25 September 1993 when aged 81, leaving an estate of £125,000. At the time she lived at Ackworth House Nursing Home with magnificent views out to sea.
G5: Edith Maude Foulkes (1881-1967)
Birth: Edith Maude Foulkes was born in Holywell on 17 February 1881. She was the third child of Edward and Margaret.
Christening: on 13 March 1881 in Holywell.
Marriage: to David Rees on 16 December 1914 at St James’s Church in Holywell. She was aged 33 and he was 30.
Spouse history: David had been born in the ancient market town of Tregaron in 1884, one of the nine children of William Rees and Rachel Hughes. He was likely the cousin of Octavius Rees, who married Edith’s cousin Mary Foulkes in 1925. His father was a stonemason, which often took him away from home, being absent for the 1891 and 1901 census. The family lived in Glango Cottages throughout David’s childhood. By the age of 16 he worked as a ‘pupil teacher’ at school. Ten years later he still lived at home and was studying theology.
Children: (1) Lorna in 1916, (2) Beryl in 1918, (3) Edith in 1919.
Occupations: at the time of his marriage David was a vicar who lived in Ashton-in-Makerfield near Manchester. He then became the rector of St Thomas’s church in the tiny hamlet of Bylchau by the end of the war, before likely becoming the vicar at St Deiniol’s Church in the hamlet of Llanuwchllyn in rural Gwynedd. By 1939 David had been transferred 40 miles south to become vicar at St Erfyl’s church in the small village of Llanerfyl, where he was also the Chief ARP Warden. During this time Edith, who was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, taught many pupils, some of whom became prominent musicians. By 1943 David had become the vicar of St Elian’s in the village of Llanelian yn Rhos near Colwyn Bay. This would be his last post.
Residences: the couple appeared to move to Wigan, before living in the large rectories in Bylchau, Llanuwchllyn, Llanerfyl, and Llanelian yn Rhos. After Davids death, Edith lived at Briar Cottage on North Road, which was a very large house on the northern outskirts of Stevenage.
- Edith: 1 Well Street, Holywell (1881-1901); Bron Holway, Holway Road, Holywell (1911-1914); Bylchau Rectory, Bylchau (1918-1919); Wergloddwen, Llanuwchllyn (1921); Llanerfyl Rectory, Llanerfyl (1939); Rectory, Llanelian Road, Llanelian Yn Rhos (1943-1951); 18 North Road, Stevenage (1966)
- David: Glango Cottages, Tregaron (1891-1911); Bylchau Rectory, Bylchau (1918-1919); Wergloddwen, Llanuwchllyn (1921); Llanerfyl Rectory, Llanerfyl (1939); Rectory, Llanelian Road, Llanelian Yn Rhos (1943-1951)
Deaths: David died in Llanelian yn Rhos on 1 November 1951 when aged 67 and was buried four days later. He left his estate of £894 10s 11d (£28k today) to Edith, who survived him by 15 years before dying in August 1966 when aged 85. She was buried with her husband and left her estate to her surviving daughters, Lorna and Edith.
Notes: on the night that the 1921 census was taken, the family was being visited by Edith’s sister Florence and David’s brother Peter. In 1939 they lived with Dorothy – the 14-year-old daughter of Edith’s first cousin Mai Kahn – who had likely been evacuated from the capital due to the fear of German bombing.
G4: Lorna Rees (1916-)
Birth: Lorna Rees was born in Wigan during 1916. She was the first child of David and Edith.
Marriage: to Thomas Finch Partridge on 29 August 1945 at her father’s church in Llanelian yn Rhos. She was aged 29. The service was performed by her father.
Spouse history: Thomas, known colloquially as Finch, was probably the same Tom Finch Partridge who was born in London in December 1901 and became a clerk for the Ministry of Food, but there is no direct evidence linking him to Wales.
Children: unknown.
Residences: Bylchau Rectory, Bylchau (1918-1919); Wergloddwen, Llanuwchllyn (1921)
Notes: due to the commonality of their names nothing further is known, other than in her later years, Lorna lived at Briar Cottage on North Road in Stevenage.
G4: Beryl Rees (1918-1961)
Birth: Beryl Rees was born in Bylchau on 11 April 1918. She was the second child of David and Edith.
Christening: on 15 May 1918 at St Thomas’s Church in Bylchau. The ceremony was undertaken by her father.
Marriage: to Wilfred Morris on 28 April 1943 at her father’s St Elian’s Church in Llanelian yn Rhos. She was aged 25 and he was 46. The service was performed by her uncle Gwilliam, who was vicar of Gwyddelwern.
Spouse history: William had been born on 1 June 1896 to Matthew Morris.
Children: unknown.
Occupations: in 1939, 18-year-old Beryl was a nursing auxiliary reserve. William meanwhile was vicar of the tiny hamlet of Llanllugan, where he lived alone in the vicarage attached to St Mary’s Church. By the 1960s he was the rector of Bodfari.
Residences:
- Beryl: Bylchau Rectory, Bylchau (1918-1919); Wergloddwen, Llanuwchllyn (1921); Llanerfyl Rectory, Llanerfyl (1939)
- Wilfred: Llanllugan Vicarage, Llanllugan (1939)
Deaths: Beryl died in 1961 when aged just 43.
Notes: it’s likely that he went on to marry Elsie May Hill in August 1968, enjoying a long life before passing in March 1990 when aged 93.
G4: Edith Margaret Rachel Rees (1919-1979)
Birth: Edith Margaret Rachel Rees was born in Bylchau on 28 July 1919. She was the third child of David and Edith and perhaps commonly known as Ray.
Christening: on 6 September 1919 at St Thomas’s Church in Bylchau. The ceremony was undertaken by her father.
School: in 1939, Edith was a student at the St Mary’s College, Bangor, also known as the Church in Wales Teacher Training College for Women.
Marriage: to Morley Savage Williams on 12 March 1963 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. They were both aged 43.
Spouse history: Morley was a widower who had been born on 11 December 1919 in Liverpool to Robert John Langford Williams and Isabella Arden Savage. When the 1921 census was taken the family lived on Granville Road in Wavertree. His father was a manger for Archibald Bathgate & Sons Ltd. who were involved in the transport and shipping of coal. Morley had three children by his first wife, Olwen, who had died in 1962.
Children: none.
Residences:
- Edith: Bylchau Rectory, Bylchau (1919); Wergloddwen, Llanuwchllyn (1921); Crud-y-Gwynt, Prion (1979)
- Morley: 29 Granville Road, Liverpool (1921); Crud-y-Gwynt, Prion (1979-1980)
Deaths: Edith died in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl on 22 June 1979 when aged 59, leaving an estate of £12,218 (around £48k today). She was buried five days later in her father’s old church at Llanelian yn Rhos near Colwyn Bay. Morley died in Denbigh Infirmary on 29 May of the following year when aged 60. He left an estate of £76,483 (about £299k today) and was buried alongside Edith.
G5: Mary Selina Foulkes (1893-)
Birth: Mary Selina Foulkes was born in Holywell on 13 December 1883. She was the fourth child of Edward and Margaret.
Christening: on 9 January 1884 in Holywell.
School: enrolled into Holywell Spring Gardens (Infants) School in May 1890 when aged 6, graduating to the Holywell County School seven years later.
Residences: 1 Well Street, Holywell (1884-1901); Bron Holway, Holway Road, Holywell (1911)
Notes: despite being aged 27 when the census was taken in 1911, she still lived at home with her parents. When the next census was taken in 1921, Mary was visiting her sister Edith in Llanuwchllyn. We need to be careful as there are two Mary Selina Foulkes born in Flintshire at around the same time, with some sources having mistakenly attributed the spouse of the other Mary to ours.
G5: Margaret Ellen Foulkes (1887-)
Birth: Margaret Ellen Foulkes was born in Holywell on 20 May 1887. She was the fifth child of Edward and Margaret.
Christening: on 8 June 1887 in Holywell.
School: enrolled into Holywell Spring Gardens (Infants) School in May 1890 when aged just 3.
Marriage: to Lieutenant Simon Griffith Evans on 4 September 1918 at St James’s Church in Holywell. She was aged 31 and he was 40.
Spouse history: Simon had been born in the Pwllheli area of northwest Wales during 1878, the first child of William Owen Evans and Catherine Griffith. In 1881 the family lived in a terraced house on Palace Street in the small coastal town of Nefyn. His father, who combined the occupations of accountant with local Methodist preacher, died before 1901. The family by then had moved 7 miles to the opposite side of the narrow peninsular to live at Horworth House in Pwllheli. His widowed mother was the post mistress while Simon himself was a student at the University College of North Wales and received his B.A. degree in November 1903.
Children: (1) Raymond in 1920.
Occupations: Simon followed in his father’s footsteps and became a Welsh Presbyterian minister. He was pastor of Laird Street Calvinistic Methodist Church in Birkenhead for seven years. In 1911 he had two rooms of a large house on Park Road North, which overlooked Birkenhead Park. At the age of 33 he decided on a career change and enrolled for a medical degree at the University of Liverpool, registering in October 1913 and eventually graduating from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in July 1918 after service in the war.
By the 1920s he was in partnership with fellow Welsh physician Dr Arthur Owen, and they had their practice on Park Road North. From 1923 the family lived next door to the surgery. In 1928 Simon took up practice in his childhood home of Nevin.
Military service: Simon served with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the war, rising to the rank of Captain.
Residences: the couple lived in a large end terrace on Harringay Avenue on the edge of Sefton Park in Liverpool. The 1921 census records that Simon lodged with the widow Ruth Roberts and her three adult children on Laird Street. Margaret and Raymond were visiting Simon’s brother and family back in Pwllheli. In 1922 the family moved to Simon’s old stomping ground in Birkenhead. After moving to Wales they had a house called Bodowen in Nevin.
- Simon: Palace Street, Nefyn (1881-1891); Horworth House, Pwllheli (1901); 374 Park Road North, Birkenhead (1911); 2 Harringay Avenue, Liverpool (1918-1922); 1 Laird Street, Birkenhead (1921); 212 Park Road North, Birkenhead (1923-1927); Bodowen, Nefyn (1928-1929)
- Margaret: 1 Well Street, Holywell (1887-1901); Bron Holway, Holway Road, Holywell (1911); 212 Park Road North, Birkenhead (1923-1927); Bodowen, Nefyn (1928-1929)
Interests and hobbies: Simon was a prominent member of the Pwllheli Board of Guardians and the Lleyn Rural Council.
Deaths: Simon died in Nevin on 22 November 1929 when aged just 51, leaving his estate of £1,273 10 s 5d (around £58k today) to his wife.
Notes: due to the commonality of her name, there is no further record of Margaret.
G4: Raymond Foulkes Griffith Evans (1920-1993)
Birth: Raymond Foulkes Griffith Evans was born in Holywell on 2 March 1920. He was the first child of Simon and Margaret.
When the National Register was taken in 1939, 19-year-old Raymond lived on Morland Road in Croydon, where he was a medical student.
Military service: just as his father had done in the previous war, Raymond joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in the Second World War. He was given service number 306324 and promoted to Lieutenant in January 1944.
Residences: 7 Morland Road, Croydon (1939)
Death: died in Llandaff near Cardiff on 19 February 1993.
G6: Robert Foulkes (1849-1933)
Birth: Robert Foulkes was born in Bagillt during 1849. He was the fourth child of Edward and Sarah.
Christening: on 24 June 1849 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt.
Marriage: to Anne Taylor on 5 February 1889 at St Mary’s. He was aged 40 and he was 30. The wedding was reported in the Cheshire Observer as a “fashionable marriage” that “created unusual interest” with “a great amount of bunting being displayed, and canons being fired throughout the say”. The couple had their honeymoon in London.
Spouse history: Anne was 10 years younger than Robert and had been born in Bagillt during 1859 to Isaac Taylor and his wife Sarah Elizabeth. She was christened at St Mary’s November. Her father earned a comfortable living as a land agent and surveyor and the family lived in the large Coleshill Cottage on the road east out of town. By 1871 they were a family of eight, able to afford a governess to manage the children and a domestic maid, and by 1881 they had grown to become a family of ten! By the time of his daughter’s marriage, Issac was a Justice of the Peace.
Children: (1) Robert in 1890, (2) Evelyn in 1893, (3) Mary in 1896.
Occupations: Robert worked in the family grocer’s shop.
Residences: Robert lived with his parents until the age of 40. After their marriage the couple resided in Bryn Gadlys, which appears to be a farmhouse. They then moved to a large house called Arkholme on the eastern edge of town, which was their final home together.
- Robert: Pentre Bach, Bagillt (1851); Rose Place, High Street, Bagillt (1871); Castle Villa, Bagillt (1881); Bryn Gadlys, Gadlys Lane, Bagillt (1890-1901); Arkholme, High Street, Bagillt (1910-1933)
- Annie: Coleshill Cottage, High Street, Bagillt (1859-1889); Bryn Gadlys, Gadlys Lane, Bagillt (1890-1901); Arkholme, High Street, Bagillt (1910)
Deaths: Annie died in June 1910 when aged just 50 and was buried in Bagillt on 21 June. Robert died 24 years later on New Year’s Eve 1933, when aged 84. He left his estate of £2,441 5s 2d (around £124k today) to his two daughters.
G5: Robert Gerald Foulkes (1890-1962)
Birth: Robert Gerald Foulkes was born in Bagillt on 30 July 1890. He was the first child of Robert and Sarah.
Christening: on 9 August 1890 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt.
Schools: Robert was enrolled into Holywell County School when aged 13, having previously been privately educated.
Emigration: Robert began working as a clerk for the wholesale provision merchants Messrs Morris and Jones of Liverpool, but evidently bored of the prospect of such a life and emigrated to Canada when aged 20 to become a farmer. He sailed from Liverpool onboard the SS Montrose and arrived in Quebec on 4 May 1910. Immigration records show that he intended to live in Lipton, Saskatchewan as a rancher.
Military service: Robert enlisted into the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force almost immediately after the outbreak of war in 1914 when aged 24. Assigned to the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion, Robert sailed for England in October. After training on Salisbury Plain, his battalion was inspected by King George V and sent to France in early 1915 where they saw prolonged and arduous service. Within three months Robert had experienced the first German gas attack of the war and been shot in the chest while fighting at Ypres.
After almost a full year of recuperation he re-joined the 5th Battalion in April 1916 and soon found himself fighting in the Somme offensive. This kept him occupied though to the autumn of 1916 before fighting in the Arras Offensive and Vimy Ridge the following spring. Having entered the army as a Private, Robert was given a temporary battlefield commission to Lieutenant in January 1917 and promoted to Captain at the end of the year. He then won two Military Crosses for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He spent most of 1918 serving in England but rejoined the front for the final weeks of the war. He was discharged in April 1919, being one of the lucky few to serve the entire war and survive. After the outbreak of war in the Pacific in 1941, Robert joined the New Zealand army and served at Army Headquarters in Wellington, eventually gaining the rank of Major.
Marriage: to Ruth Lilian Power on 9 June 1920 at the home of her parents on 7th Avenue East. He was aged 29 and he was 21. The couple had a honeymoon at Lake Louise.
Spouse history: Ruth had been born on 9 June 1899 in Victoria, British Columbia. She was the second daughter of William Power, an English immigrant, and his wife Rebecca. Her father was a warehouseman who in 1901 earned $780 per year.
Children: (1) David in 1936. They possibly had two more children, but further confirmation is required.
Residences: in 1921 the couple rented a single-storey wooden house with five rooms on North Street in Vernon, British Columbia, for $40 per week. They moved to New Zealand in the 1920s, where they settled in the Karoui suburb of Wellington. During the war they moved a few miles north to the Wadestown suburb, where they made a detached house on Rankin Street their home for at least the next 20 years. This was an odd house, being completely boxed in by surrounding properties. After his death Ruth appeared to live with her son David.
- Robert: Bryn Gadlys, Gadlys Lane, Bagillt (1891-1901); 123 North St, Vernon, BC (1921); 45 Nottingham Street, Wellington (1928); 260 Korari Road, Wellington (1930-1936); 10 Friend Street, Wellington (1931-1935); 142 Karori Road, Wellington (1938-1940); 4 Rankin Street, Wellington (1941-1957); 8 Torridon Road, Wellington (1960)
- Ruth: 123 North St, Vernon, BC (1921); 45 Nottingham Street, Wellington (1928); 10 Friend Street, Wellington (1931-1935); 142 Karori Road, Wellington (1938-1940); 4 Rankin Street, Wellington (1941-1962); 8 Torridon Road, Wellington (1960-1963); 12 Spencer Street, Wellington (1969-1972); 44 The Crescent, Wellington (1978); 63 Maida Vale Road, Wellington (1978-1981)
Occupations: after the war Robert gained a relatively high paid job as a clerk, for which he earned $2,100 per year. In a bit of a career change, after emigrating to New Zealand Robert worked as a draper and possibly had a shop on the main Karoi Road, shared with a grocer! Post-war he worked as a civil servant.
Notes: Robert and Ruth took regular trips home through to the 1940s to visit family.
Deaths: Robert died on 8 April 1962 when aged 72 and was buried in Karori Cemetery. Ruth died on 18 August 1985 when aged 86 and was buried at Makara Cemetery.
G4: David Roger Foulkes (1936-2014)
Birth: David Roger Foulkes was born in Wellington, New Zealand on 28 September 1936. He was the son of Edward and Sarah.
Residences: 142 Karori Road, Wellington (1938-1940); 4 Rankin Street, Wellington (1941-1962); 8 Torridon Road, Wellington (1963); 12 Spencer Street, Wellington (1969-1981)
Death: on 30 May 2014 when aged 77.
Notes: David likely married Brenda Grace Holt in 1963, although confirmation is needed. From 1969 to at least 1981 they lived on Spencer Street, a large detached wooden house on a quiet residential road.
G5: Evelyn May Foulkes (1893-1975)
Birth: Evelyn May Foulkes was born in Bagillt on 2 July 1893. She was the second child of Robert and Sarah.
Christening: on 23 July 1893 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt.
Marriage: to Edward Walter Morris on 21 April 1920 at St Mary’s. She was aged 26 and he was 30.
Spouse history: Edward had been born in Holywell on 3 May 1889, the fourth and final child of Edward Morris and an unknown woman whose maiden name was Jones. He never knew his mother, who had died by 1891, at which time the family worked Abbey Farm on the edge of nearby Greenfield. They soon moved to Mostyn, where in May 1893 Edward was enrolled into Mostyn National School before moving to Holywell County School in 1901. When the census was taken in 1911, Edward helped his 74-year-old father run their farm, and still lived there when captured in the 1921 census. It looks like by then his father had died and Edward and Evelyn worked the farm together, alongside housemaid Jane Lloyd.
Children: perhaps one child.
Hobbies and interests: in 1919 Edward became a Freemason, joining the Basingwerk Lodge.
Residences: in 1939 the couple had a farm called Tyddyn-uchaf just outside of the village of Whitford. By the 1970s they had a bungalow in Prestatyn overlooking the sea.
- Evelyn: Bryn Gadlys, Gadlys Lane, Bagillt (1893-1901); Arkholme, High Street, Bagillt (1910-1920); Marsh Farm, Mostyn (1921); Tyddyn-uchaf, Whitford Road, Whitford (1939); 51 Victoria Road West, Prestatyn (1971-1975)
- Edward: Abbey Farm, Greenfield (1891); Marsh Farm, Mostyn (1901-1921); Tyddyn-uchaf, Whitford Road, Whitford (1939); 51 Victoria Road West, Prestatyn (1971)
Deaths: Edward died at home on 5 April 1971 when aged 81, leaving an estate of £32,520 (around £457k today). on Victoria Road West. Evelyn survived him for four years and died at home on 11 July 1975 when aged 75, leaving an estate of £36,857 (around £280k today). She was cremated on 15 July.
G5: Mary Constance Foulkes (1896-1977)
Birth: Mary Constance Foulkes was born in Bagillt on 9 December 1897. She was the third child of Robert and Sarah.
Christening: on 17 January 1897 at St Mary’s Church in Bagillt.
School: enrolled into Bagillt National Mixed School in August 1905.
Marriage: to Octavius Rees on 4 July 1925 at St Mary’s. She was aged 28 and he was 43.
Spouse history: Octavius was some 15 years older than Mary and had been born in the ancient market town of Tregaron on 7 September 1881, the youngest son of John Philip Rees and Mary Davies. He was the cousin of David Rees, who had married Mary’s cousin Edith Foulkes. He was christened in November, at which time the family lived at Glango Cottages. His father was an ‘Inspector of Nuisances’, tasked with prowling poor neighbourhoods and stamping out insanitary habits, such as filthy dwellings and soupy gutters, steaming accumulations of dung, or animals kept in squalor. In September 1884, the day after his third birthday, Octavius was enrolled into Tregaron National School, where he studied for the next decade. Two of Octavius’s elder brothers became priests, and he followed in their footsteps, gaining a theology degree from St David’s College, Lampeter in 1900. He continued his training there and eventually passed the examination for Deacon’s orders in September 1907.
Children: perhaps one child.
Occupations: Octavius was ordained in 1907 and for his first posing became curate of Holywell (a position subordinate to that of the parish priest). He became the vicar of Bagillt in 1912. In 1939, the widowed Mary worked as an assistant at the Cottage Hospital in Flint. Post-war she enrolled to train as a nurse.
Residences: in 1911 Octavius lived on Well Street in Holywell, alongside priest Gerald Cope. This was a large house on the corner with High Street, possibly a shop with a flat above, owned by his future wife’s uncle Edward. Following their marriage, the newlyweds lived together in the large vicarage in Bagillt. By the 1940s the widow Mary lived in her childhood home. She last lived in a flight in the high-rise Richard Heights on Feather Street in Flint.
- Mary: Bryn Gadlys, Gadlys Lane, Bagillt (1901); Arkholme, High Street, Bagillt (1910-1925); Bagillt Vicarage, Bagillt (1925-1931); Arkholme, High Street, Bagillt (1948); 12 Richard Heights, Feather Street, Flint (1977)
- Octavius: Glango Cottages, Tregaron (1881-1901); 1 Well Street, Holywell (1911); Bagillt Vicarage, Bagillt (1912-1931)
Deaths: Octavius died on 1 December 1931 when aged 50 (interestingly, three of his sisters also died aged 50 and under). He was buried five days later and left his estate of £1,437 13s 9d (around £66k today) to his wife. Mary died at home on 11 April 1977 when aged 80, leaving an estate of £44,879 (around £175k today).
2 responses
G4: Cecil David Thomas (1903-1962)
I seem to have stumbled upon your research from Ancestry.com and noticed that you had Cecil David Thomas. Vera Mary Jones married him in 1942 (England & Wales,Civil Registration Marriage Index 1916-2005. Volume 6a Page 2274.
Her daughter Sally Elizabeth Thomas was born on 4th August 1945-Cecil’s daughter
Vera got married again in 1962 to James Arthur Yaxley Newson in 1962 and it would appear that this was after Cecil died.
She had three other children with James from 1948 to 1953.
Dear Sarah,
Thank you so much for sharing this! It’s been incredibly helpful in filling in some of the gaps I had. I’ve taken the opportunity to update the profile accordingly and spent some time delving into his army service history which is now available on Ancestry. Thanks again for your input, it’s greatly appreciated.