JAMES LLOYD 

Rank: Private
Service Number:7553.
Regiment: 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment
Formerly: 7641, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Killed In Action Thursday 22nd October 1914
Age 30
County Memorial Chester
Commemorated\Buried Le Touret Memorial
Grave\Panel Ref: Panel 13.
CountryFrance

James's Story.

James was the son of Thomas & Elizabeth Lloyd, (nee Moulton) who, I believe married at St. Mary's Church, Chester in 1873. (CE14/7/431).   He was one of 16 children born to the couple, although as the 1911 census tells us, they were to lose 6 of these children, so Thomas & Elizabeth were to suffer again, as we will see in the story. 

The 1881 census shows the couple living at 29, Curzon Street, Chester, Cheshire, Thomas, 31, was a Railway Labourer his wife, Elizabeth, 27, Daughters, Sarah, 7, Annie, 6 and Bertha, 3 and sons Thomas, 5 and Samuel, 1 had all been born in the City of Chester.  

James was born circa 1884, the 4th son of Thomas & Elizabeth.   He is seen first on the 1891 census living at 44, Curzon Street, Lache -cum- Saltney,Chester, this address is kept throughout their story.   Thomas Lloyd, 41 was a Railway Platelayer, born Churton, Cheshire, his wife, Elizabeth Lloyd, 37, had been born in Eccleston, Cheshire.   Their first born son, Thomas, 14, was a Sheet Repairer "Railway" and had been born in Chester.   Daughter Bertha E. 13, and a scholar had been born in Flintshire.  All the rest of the family had been born in Saltney and they were:- Samuel, 11, William, 9, Emma, 7, James, 6, John, 5, Alfred, 3, Ellen, 1 and baby Lizzie, 2 months, who was one of the children lost to the couple, she died in 1892, age 1 (Cheshire West CAS/50/56).   

1901 sees the family greatly reduced, still living at the same address.    Thomas, 51, was a Railway Platelayer, Elizabeth, 47, son William, 19, was a Railway Labourer.   Sons James, 16 and John, 15 were both Railway Sheet Repairers.   Daughter, Ellen and son George, 3 made up the family.

 Again at the same address on the 1901 census, and the census, this time, gives more information on the family, they had lived all these years in a 4 roomed house, they had been married for 38 years and as above, 16 children had been born, although 6 had died.   Thomas, now 61, was a General Packer, Railway Coy., Goods Dept., his wife Elizabeth was 57 years old.  Their eldest daughter Sarah Jones, 37, had suffered bereavement as she was now a widow.   Son Samuel, Single, 31 was a General Labourer in a Yard.   Son James, Single, 26, was a General Labourer, daughter Ellen, was single and 21, while son George, 12 was at school. 

Between 1901 and 1911 James had joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, enlisting at the age of 19 years in 1902, he was given the Regimental number of 7641.   His Army Service records, show that he was to serve in the Indian Sub Continent, as he was in Bombay at some point and eventually he was to serve his time and came out of the Army, so when war came, he was one of the first to be called upon as he was in the Reserve for 9 years.   A few months into his service with the R.W.F.'s he was transferred to the Cheshire Regiment, his regimental number changing to 7553 and it was with these he went to India. 

On his Attestation in 1902 he stated his trade was as a Tarpaulin Worker and he hadn't resided out of his father's house for 3 years.   He signed this at Chester Castle on the 13th February 1903.  The next paper was a description of James:- 

Height - 5 feet, 4 and 3/4 inches (5 feet 7 inches on later Docs.)

Weight - 112lbs

Chest measurements - 31 inches, maximum expansion 331/2 inches.

Complexion - Fresh

Eyes - Brown

Hair - Brown

Religion - Weslyan

Distinctive marks - Tattooed - J.L. THEN A SMALL CIRCLE WITH A DOT IN THE MIDDEL) j.l., back left forearm, rings and middle & fourth finger, left hand  some dots on web of thumbs on both hands. 

He was quite a character, as whilst he was in India, he had a few brushes with authority, re refusal to go out on fatigues when ordered, Drunk in Barracks about 1.40pm and being absent off Furlo for 12 hours 45 minutes, for which he served 8 days C.B. and forfeited 2 days pay. 

However that stint in the Army was over in February 1911, and he was called up when the war began and he was in France very soon after it started.  Sadly he was missing and presumed dead on or after the 22nd October 1914, as that was the day he was reported missing from the Regiment.   Elizabeth, his mother wrote 2 letters to the Army and her anxiety is palpable when you read her letters, very similar, but in a different way to the letter Annie Leatherbarrow, from Queensferry, wrote but who was so angry as she had lost 2 sons (they are on the Hawarden War Memorial, please click on the link to read thei/her story) 

Next Paper - Letter from 44, Curzon Street, Saltney, Chester. Dated 22nd November 1914 (Army replied 23rd November 1914)

Dear Sir,

            I hope you will excuse the liberty I have taken in writing to you, I should feel very grateful to you if you could give me information of my son Pte. James LLOYD, No. 7553 - E Coy, Cheshire Reg:  Reserve Expeditionary Force was the last address he sent us on the 19th of Sep & we have not heard anything from him since. & I have sent letter, cards and cigarettes, & no word as (sic) come to say whether they have been received & I am feeling very uneasy, at not hearing from.   I have four sons taken away from me since the war began in August, I hear from the others but this one I have not heard of since the 19th September & any information you could give me I should be very grateful for.   Yours very respectfully, Elizabeth LLOYD 

I have enclose an envelope that his pension paper comes in thinking it might be something to go from (Writing very faded) 

Next paper - Another letter - from 44 Curzon Street, Saltney, Chester dated December 31st 1914 (Army replied 1st January 1915) 

Sir, I hope you will excuse my troubling you again with reference to my son J. LLOYD (7553) Private in the Cheshires.   I had a notification from you on the 28th of November that he was reported missing, & I have not heard or seen anything since reading last Monday's paper and he was mentioned in the missing column there & I have not heard from him since the 19th of Sep: and the day he went away the 6th of August from Chester Castle he promised to leave me a hifle? a day but I have heard nothing of that either, & I feel very anxious about him and if it would not be giving you to (sic) much trouble I should feel grateful for any information.   Yours resps. E. LLOYD 

Poor Elizabeth had to find out from the newspaper that her son was missing.

 There were lost of papers, some duplicates and some showing the receipts for the "14 Star" and the Plaque and Scroll, signed by Thomas.    These papers are on Ancestry, but if you get in touch with the website, I will send my notes to you, although it won't be the same as seeing the original papers. 

James Lloyd in the UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 confirms his regimental details and that he was born in Saltney, Cheshire and enlisted in Chester and he was formerly 7641, R.W. Fus. 

James Lloyd in the UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929 states that the Sole Legatee was his father Thomas Lloyd, £6 16s 5d and War Gratuity of £5. 0s 0d

Dated 28th May 1919. 

James Lloyd in the British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 tells us that he was awarde the Victory & British War Medals and the 14 Star but does not tell us his first Theatre of War, but tells us that he entered it on the 16th August 1914 and Decd (written in the same ink as the rest of the card, but written by the side, in pencil was the date 16th December 1920) 

He was obviously loved very much by his family and they were probably the ones who put his name forward to be remembered on the Saltney War Memorial

Researched and compiled by Mavis Williams