A
- Accountant
Captain John M (Morris) Owen, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Worked as a trainee accountant for C E Williams & Co, Salop House, Oswestry – chartered accountants, auctioneers, surveyors and estate agents, owned by Charles Edmondson Williams. The firm ceased trading (recently). Afterwards worked as a chartered accountant with Messrs. Annan Dexter & Co., London.
- Agricultural /Farm labourers and workers
In 1914, as today, agriculture is a large and important sector in the Oswestry economy. Many of the men were wagoners, carters and ‘horsemen’ reflecting an age before tractors as ‘work horses’. There were also stockmen, cowmen as well as a backbone of agricultural labourers – ditch diggers and shovelers.
Pioneer 130317 William Boylin, 2nd Special Battalion Royal Engineers. 1911 a farm labourer at Burlton Shropshire and later worked at Cambrian Railways and at the time of war a van delivery man for Whitchurch Coop Society – vanman
Private 24963 John E Chetwode, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. carter employed by Mr Wainwright, Sweeney and by 1911 at Blodwell Hall Farm as General Worker on
Private 24196 Joshua Chetwode, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. wagoner on farm
Private 35360 Richard T Coleman, 25 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Farm Carter at Plas Maengwynedd Llanrhaeadr-
Acting Corporal 152, David Davies, 1/7 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Agricultural worker at Bryncoch Farm, Llanfyllin
Private 306827 William Davies 2/8 Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Argicultural labourer possibly a wagoner
Acting Bombardier 1797 George Edwards, 92 Battery Royal Field Artillery. – wagoner and Stockman
Private 49866 Lawson E Edwards, 13 Bn Cheshire Regiment. – Agricultural labourer
Private 10135 William Grady, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Agricultural labourer& regular army
Private 33084 James Jones, 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Cattleman at Berghill, Whittington (1901) and, by 1911 a wagoner at Brogyntyn Estate.
Private 204003 John P Jones, 9 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Agricultural labourer and Cowman
Private 12260 William Jones, 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. worked as an errand boy and then as an agricultural labourer at Brogyntyn Home Farm and later becoming a gardener at Chirk Vicarage.
Private 15559 Thomas Mills, 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Agricultural labourer
Lance Sergeant 9437 John W Peate, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. – 1901 Agricultural labourer and then joined regular army
Private 16317 William Peate, 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light. Ty Gwyn farm, Llanymynech.
Private 16335 Percy J Owen, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. .
Private 11035 John H Roberts, 5 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. wagoner on a farm at Bronygarth
Corporal, 10910 Jack Roberts, 19 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. wagoner at Tan y Munydd, Bronygarth and later joined regular army.
Private 10037 William Roberts, 1 / 4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Cowman at Mile House, Oswestry and later joined regular army.
Private 19743 Alfred Smith, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. and brother Private 19742 Albert Smith, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. – Alfred was a farm hand at Manor House, West Felton, working for John Lloyd, farmer & butcher. His brother Albert was an apprentice butcher on the same farm – their father was a cattleman.
Private 83284 Joseph Southern, Machine Gun Corps (5 Bn 4 Reserve Company). agricultural labourer employed by a Mr Vaughan of Gobowen. also a groom before joining the army.
Private 12702 Robert Thomas, 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, employed by a Mr. Madeley of Row Farm, Ellesmere
Private 18110 W Maddox, 5 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. – Agricultural labourer and a collier at Chirk Green.
Corporal 15375 JE (George Edward) Price Maesbury War Memorial
Sergeant 49108 Andrew Lewis, Maesbury War Memorial
Driver T4/084599 Joseph Kempster Maesbury War Memorial wagoner and agricultural labourer
Private 16909 John Butler, West Felton War Memorial – agricultural labourer
Private 10191 Albert Foulkes– West Felton War Memorial – farm under wagoner before joining regular army.
Brigadier General Mainwaring George Jacson West Felton War Memorial
- Armed Forces
At the start of the nineteenth century the The British Army’s main function was to police and garrison the British Empire. Men ‘Took the King’s Shilling’, perhaps as an alternative to the drudgery of civilian life, 3 square meals, excitement and travel, an opportunity to serve in the Empire and in distant lands, At the outbreak of war the men were either serving soldiers or had served their time and were reservists, or had joined the Territorial Force.
Major William La Touche Congreve West Felton War Memorial
Private 6699 RH Cooper, 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Private 10297 William Coulson, 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Private 10141 William Davies, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Private 5151 Robert C Evans, 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Private 7562 James A Fraser, 9 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, Formerly 2Bn KSLI. served 1902-1906 in 2 Bn KSLI then on reserve list
Private 9956 John Fitzhenry, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Private 10135 William Grady, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. previous agricultural worker joined up 1912
Private 6496 Harry Halford, 1 Bn Scots Guards.
Rifleman 7015 John W Hughes, 3 Bn Rifle Brigade.
Lance Corporal 18228 Robert M Hughes, 1 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers.
Private L/14856 Robert O Hughes, 3 Bn Middlesex Regiment.
Regimental Sergeant Major 13609 Charles Johnson, Cheshire Regiment.
Corporal 33442 George L Jones, 84 Bde Royal Field Artillery. joined up 1904 previously a bricklayers abourer
Private 10493 William P Jones, 2 Bn Coldstream Guards (2 Coy). previously Cambrian Railways joined up November 1913
Private 8710 George Lawrence, 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry,
Lance Sergeant 9437 John W Peate, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. also agricultural labourer
Private 6958 Oswald Peters, 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. DoW 8 April 1915, Menin Gate, Ypres (unknown). He served 15 years in foreign service chiefly in India.
Private 15907 Clement Priestly, 2 Bn East Yorkshire Regiment,
Lance Corporal 10057 Daniel Rigby, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry,
Private 6679 L Roberts, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. also an upholsterer
Private 12096 Arthur Rogers. 1 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. previous baker’s errand boy
Private 83284 Joseph Southern, Machine Gun Corps (5 Bn 4 Reserve Company) previously agricultural labourer
Lance Corporal 10474 Bernard Spiers, 2 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Private 5947 Alfred Steenton, 2 Bn South Staffordshire Regiment. A baker/confectioner before joining the regular army then worked as a porter for a chemist in Walsall where he was mobilised on the outbreak of war.
Lance Corporal 6497 William Weaver, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. formerly grocers asst. employed by Messrs Hunter, The Cross, Osw
Private 9719 Bert White, 1 Bn Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. previously groom and stableboy
Lance Corporal 7828 John Williams, 1 Bn Gloucestershire Regiment previously errand boy
Corporal, 10910 Jack Roberts, 19 Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 1 Bn RWF previously a wagoner.
Private 10037 William Roberts, 1 / 4 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. previously a cowman.
Lance Corporal 10761 Richard H Williams, 5 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.
Private 11488 Harry Wright, 1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
Sergeant 49108 Andrew Lewis, 1 & 2 Bn KSLI Maesbury War Memorial
Private 10191 Albert Foulkes – West Felton War Memorial. 1 Bn KSLI
- Auctioneers
Private 63787 Harry Batty, 3/4 Reserve Bn Welsh Regiment (48 Training Bn) Auctioneers clerk at Crewe and then as Agricultural Auctioneer at Oswestry
Messrs. Whitfield and Rogers, Auctioneers, Oswestry.
Offices at Willow House, Oswestry. Auctioneers at Oswestry Livestoke Market as well as land and property. William Whitfield, a partner and owner was father and uncle to
Second Lieutenant James R Whittaker, 6 Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
Private 44076 John W Whitfield, 2/8 Bn Worcestershire Regiment,
Halls Wateridge & Owen – still has offices in Oswestry – link to Halls Group website
Private 33281 Clifford Sheldon, 13 Bn (C Coy) Royal Welsh Fusiliers. DoW 25 April 1916, Merville Communal Cemetery – Auctioneers assistant- previously law clerk
(Supplement) Archictecture
Thomas Penson (1790-1859), a local man who designed Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry, St Agatha’s Church, Llanymynech, the National School on Welsh Walls and the market building, now Edinburgh Woollen Mill, on The Cross. By 1823 he was living in Oswestry setting up his office “Penson’s Chambers” at 35 Willow Street (he lived at 19 Willow Street). Penson was Mayor of Oswestry in 1840.
Chief Mate Mercantile Marine Barnard C Spaull, SS Royal Edward. father William designer of Christ Church, Oswestry
Brother of Private 15347 Geoffrey Davies, 10 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Guy Davis, was an architect, articled to Mssrs. Shayler & Ridge with offices in Oswestry. They were proponents of the Arts & Crafts movement. Buildings they worked on include National Provincial Bank, now Abbey National on Bailey Street, Seion Chapel at Llanrheardre, Llanidloes Town Hall, Shrewsbury (Sixth Form) College, Robert Owen Museum, Newtown and (attributed) Edenholme villa on Morda Road, Oswestry.
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