Vincent Morgan Posted 11 March , 2019 Share Posted 11 March , 2019 Greetings Gentlemen. I'm part of the Welsh diaspora having been moved with the rest of my family To British Columbia in 1947. I'm trying to find out more about my great uncle, Rees Morgan. I know that he was a Lance Corporal in the Regiment in 1901 and served some time in India. He left the army around 1900 and earned a first class mining certificate. He rejoined the Regiment in 1914 with the rank of Quartermaster and appears to have been stationed in London because after the war he ran a small store/post office in Kent. I would appreciate any guidance or suggestions as to how I should go about finding more about his service with the Regiment. Vincent Morgan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 11 March , 2019 Share Posted 11 March , 2019 Hi Vincent and welcome to the forum. There are a lot of Rees Morgans in the civil and military records so it would help if you can tell us what you know about date or year of birth, place of birth, parents, wife, etc You mention "the Regiment" several times but don't say which one. I love a challenge but even for me thats a bit low on detail to actually make a start looking for definate information :-) The alternative is to provide you with generic information and point you at the parent site, the Long, Long Trail, but believe me there are some brilliant people on this forum and even just a couple of those bits of detail could be enough to unleash a torrent in response! Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 11 March , 2019 Share Posted 11 March , 2019 Vincent, Welcome to the forum. You mentioned that your Great-Uncle was a Lance Corporal in 1901, but left the army in 1900! I presume the last date was a typo. If you can give the correct year it would be a great help. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Morgan Posted 14 March , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 March , 2019 Thanks for your prompt attention to my enquiry. As far as I can determine, Rees was born in April 1874 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales. His father was Charles Hitchens Morgan and his mother June Morgan nee Harries. I'm was told by family members, now deceased, that he was in the Army and spent time in India. The 1901 Wales Census lists his occupation as a Lance Corporal in the Welsh Regiment.He left the army at some point, earned Second and First Mining Certificates in 1904 and 1905 respectively, and in 1911 was employed as a Banker below ground in a Colliery. He was also an Inspector of Mines at some point. He want back into the army, presumably in 1914, because he got my father into the Army Service Corp in 1915. I understand from the family members previously mentioned that Rees was a Quartermaster and may have been stationed in London. I don't know whether he ever went over to France, but I'm told that after the war he retired to Erith in Kent as a Post Master. Cheers, Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 There are Absent Voters available for Merthyr and for the Rhondda valley. Do you have a wartime address for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 The local library in Merthyr may be able to help. Given your location if you need someone to pop in, it's not a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 I have copies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 3 minutes ago, Hywyn said: I have copies. Can you search on address? Just curious about my old house and one up road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 They are hard copies. I'll have a bash. If Merthyr irself then indicate whether Dowlais/Cyfartha/Penydarren wards etc if you can. For clarity it's Parliamentary Borough of Merthyr Tydfil 1918 and seems to cover down the Merthyr Vale to Treharris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 (edited) Cyfarthfa or Penydarren ward as right on the border and still is. Park ward might be too new even though the council purchased Cyfarthfa Castle from the Crawsheys pre war. A school I attended, a castle! Gwealodygarth no 36 and 46. I'm 90% sure it was Cyfarthfa at the time not Penydarren. EDIT Cheers. Edited 14 March , 2019 by Scalyback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 Can't see Gwaelodygarth in Cyfartha or Penydarren Wards. In Park Ward there is Gwaelodygarth Terrace? No 36 = Vilet James 132489 209th Labour Corps (surname = James) No 46 = nil for this number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PRC Posted 14 March , 2019 Share Posted 14 March , 2019 I had to go back to the 1881 Census to start tracking this family down. The family were recorded living at 43 Lake Street, Ystradyfodwg. Parents were Charles Hitchings Morgan, aged 34 and born Merthyr Tydfil, and Jane Morgan, aged 35, born Merthyr Tydfil. They have three children including Rees, aged 7 and born Ystradyfodwg. The other two are a daughter Sarah Ann, (aged 12, born Ystradyfodwg ) and a son Thomas Owen, (aged 14, born Llanwonno). On the 1891 Census the 17 year old Rees Morgan, born Ferndale and a Coal Miner, was recorded living in the household of his married sister Sarah A. Phillips, (aged 22, born Ferndale). Google tells me Ferndale was in the ancient parish of Ystradyfodwg. The 1901 Census has already been mentioned. Lance Corporal Rees Morgan, (aged 27, born Ferndale), was once again recorded in the household of his married sister although by now she was living at 32 Duffryn Street, Ystradyfodwg. I couldn’t find him on the 1911 Census, but checking the familysearch website they record a Rees Morgan, aged 41 in 1914 and born Ferndale, Glamorganshire, who was serving in the 10th Service Battalion, Welsh Regiment. His service number was 2400. Source: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-47Y5 There is no obvious Medal Index Card for that man. I don’t have a subscription to Ancestry or FindMyPast, so can’t check what is in the actual papers. Long, Long Trail has this on that Battalion. 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Rhondda) Formed in the Rhondda Valley in September 1914 by D. Watts Morgan, MP. Moved to Codford St Mary, where came under orders of 76th Brigade in 25th Division. 30 September 1914 : transferred to 129th Brigade in 43rd Division at Rhyl. On 29 April 1915, this formation was renamed as 114th Brigade in 38th (Welsh) Division. Moved to Winchester in August 1915. Landed at Le Havre in December 1915. Source: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/welsh-regiment/ If he married or had children during the period he was serving then the relevant certificates will show his rank and regiment as a minimum and sometime battalion and even service number. Hope that helps, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 15 March , 2019 Share Posted 15 March , 2019 10 hours ago, Hywyn said: Can't see Gwaelodygarth in Cyfartha or Penydarren Wards. In Park Ward there is Gwaelodygarth Terrace? No 36 = Vilet James 132489 209th Labour Corps (surname = James) No 46 = nil for this number. Thank you Hywyn. It might be lane. For some reason some maps still have the road as Gwelodygarth Lane even though the road sign and any mail was Gwelodygarth only. There are a few villas near by, but not sure when built. At one time it was the edge of town. I will look up on old maps and confirm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Morgan Posted 17 March , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 March , 2019 On 14/03/2019 at 13:49, PRC said: I had to go back to the 1881 Census to start tracking this family down. The family were recorded living at 43 Lake Street, Ystradyfodwg. Parents were Charles Hitchings Morgan, aged 34 and born Merthyr Tydfil, and Jane Morgan, aged 35, born Merthyr Tydfil. They have three children including Rees, aged 7 and born Ystradyfodwg. The other two are a daughter Sarah Ann, (aged 12, born Ystradyfodwg ) and a son Thomas Owen, (aged 14, born Llanwonno). On the 1891 Census the 17 year old Rees Morgan, born Ferndale and a Coal Miner, was recorded living in the household of his married sister Sarah A. Phillips, (aged 22, born Ferndale). Google tells me Ferndale was in the ancient parish of Ystradyfodwg. The 1901 Census has already been mentioned. Lance Corporal Rees Morgan, (aged 27, born Ferndale), was once again recorded in the household of his married sister although by now she was living at 32 Duffryn Street, Ystradyfodwg. I couldn’t find him on the 1911 Census, but checking the familysearch website they record a Rees Morgan, aged 41 in 1914 and born Ferndale, Glamorganshire, who was serving in the 10th Service Battalion, Welsh Regiment. His service number was 2400. Source: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVBL-47Y5 There is no obvious Medal Index Card for that man. I don’t have a subscription to Ancestry or FindMyPast, so can’t check what is in the actual papers. Long, Long Trail has this on that Battalion. 10th (Service) Battalion (1st Rhondda) Formed in the Rhondda Valley in September 1914 by D. Watts Morgan, MP. Moved to Codford St Mary, where came under orders of 76th Brigade in 25th Division. 30 September 1914 : transferred to 129th Brigade in 43rd Division at Rhyl. On 29 April 1915, this formation was renamed as 114th Brigade in 38th (Welsh) Division. Moved to Winchester in August 1915. Landed at Le Havre in December 1915. Source: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/welsh-regiment/ If he married or had children during the period he was serving then the relevant certificates will show his rank and regiment as a minimum and sometime battalion and even service number. Hope that helps, Peter Thanks, Peter. That's bloody marvelous. Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Morgan Posted 17 March , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 March , 2019 On 14/03/2019 at 11:23, Hywyn said: There are Absent Voters available for Merthyr and for the Rhondda valley. Do you have a wartime address for him? I'm afraid not. Thanks for your effort. Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Morgan Posted 17 March , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 March , 2019 On 14/03/2019 at 11:39, Scalyback said: The local library in Merthyr may be able to help. Given your location if you need someone to pop in, it's not a problem. Thanks, my son may be coming over soon, so I'll have him look into it. VinceI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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