William's Story.
William Morris was born circa 1898 in Saltney Ferry, which then was in Flintshire, and in the 1901 census, shows that he was living at 81, Ewart Street, Mold Junction, Saltney, Hawarden. Flintshire in the household of his parents William Morris Morris, 31 who is stated to have been born in Chester, but I think the Enumerator made a mistake with place of birth, as William states on the 1911 census that he was born in Llanfarfechan, so perhaps Mary Morris was born in Chester. Mary, also 31 was, according to this census, born in Llanfarfechan, Carnarvonshire, I think the enumerator had just entered them wrongly. William was head of the household and a Railway Brakeman. Their children were sons John W., 8, George A., 6, William, 3 and baby son Charles E, 1, they were all born in Saltney Ferry, Flintshire.
By the 1911 census, the family had moved to 8, Victoria Road, Saltney (4 rooms) and sadly the family had lost their mother Mary. There are 2 possible deaths of a Mary Morris in the Hawarden Registration District, one in 1902 (HAW/29/31) and one in 1905 (HAW/02A/42), if one of these is Mary, then the children would have been very young. Daughter Eva Mary was born in 1902,( HAW/48/71) so I am wondering if perhaps Mary died in childbirth because of the death of a Mary Morris in 1902, we would need to get the Certificates to prove or disprove this. However, in 1905 there were 3 births, so will have to search in the Parish Registers. Perhaps father William Morris Morris, had called on his sister Annie, 38, to help out as was the way in those days as the children would have been so young. Annie was single and therefore she saved the family from a possible entry into the workhouse, as William would have had to work. Both William (Sen.) and Annie spoke both English & Welsh, while the children only spoke English. Annie had been born in Llanfarfechan, Carn., proving, I think that William (sen) had been born in Llanfarfechan.
As can be seen by the 1911 census William's 2 eldest sons had grown up and were helping the family budget as they were working. William Morris Morris, 41 was an Engineman, still at the Railway Company, as was sons John William, 18, he was an Engine Cleaner, and George Arthur, 16 was a Telephone Attendant. Sons William, 13, and Charles, 11 were at school, and daughter Eve Mary was 9. A nephew, Edward Morris, 9, was living with the family and all the children had been born in Saltney Ferry, Chester
William had written on the census that 6 children had been born, but sadly one had died, was this the time when Mary could have died in childbirth with the child in 1905 and not in 1902? This information was crossed out by the enumerator as William was a widower.
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 about William Morris from Ancestry.co.uk , his birthplace is said to be Mold, but at the time of his birth Saltney was often referred to as Mold Junction, perhaps that was what was meant. William was formerly 69647, R.W. Fus. He enlisted at Chester.
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 about William Morris confirms his regimental details, but does not tell us where his first Theatre of War was nor when he entered it.
I cannot find any Service Records for William, so if anyone has any more information on him, I would be very grateful.
A Flintshire WW1 Index Card (Saltney Ferry F22) tell us that he was killed in Action at Le Cateau on the 13th October 1918, less than a month away from the Armistice, his period of service was 1 year 2 months. The card was signed by either his mother or father, as the first letter is hard to decipher, but it was on the 6th November 1919. On the reverse of the card was written:- "Killed in Action north of the road from Le Cateau."**
The Battle of Le Cateau was in the August of 1914, so Williams was not involved in that as he died in 1918, so he must have been in or near Le Cateau when he was killed.
**Casualties in the 1914 battle were :- total British casualties at Le Cateau amounted to 7,812 of all ranks, killed, wounded and missing. 38 field guns were lost.
Researched and compiled by Mavis Williams