Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 (edited) I've got this great family photo of a soldier who married a relative from way back (1912), but I'm having no breakthrough discovering his military history. I have a few T. Sheeran service numbers, but nothing giving me his next of kin to confirm which is correct. His wife was Sarah Williams, born in USA, 1893 but moved back to Bangor to 18 Club Street, Hirael, Bangor with her parents (1901 Census). Her mother Elizabeth was born in 54 Ambrose Street, Hirael, Bangor. They them moved to 87 Cellars, Maerdy (Mardy), Rhondda for work but in I've hit a brick wall tbh. I can't seem to locate an absent voter list so any help would be great. Here's the photo and clips from The following clips from my Ancestry. Sheeran family photo c1915 Soldier Thomas Sheeran Wife Sarah Williams, (sometimes Sally or Polly) Elizabeth, mother of Sarah (Thomas' mother in-law) Unfortunately I don't have this full photo of Elizabeth. No ID on the soldier on her right side but possibly her son, Sarah's brother Capt. Henry Ivor Williams 37844/39729 Welsh Regiment (cap badge?) In 1901, Thomas was boarding with other Sheerans, Terrance (Terran) and Elizabeth in 9 Hill St. Bethesda. In 1911 Thomas was boarding in 5 Griffith St, Mardy and must have met Sarah soon after, marrying in 1912. He apparently survived the war and passed 1946. Sarah remarried I don't have much more to go on military wise so anything for me to work on would be great. @Hywyn @clive_hughes @Dai Bach y Sowldiwr @Mark1959 @Gunner 87 @clk Edited 9 October , 2021 by Thomas Jones made photos smaller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonmallen62 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 (edited) Is it definitely Sheeran not Sheerin as this is my family name and spelt incorrectly on many official documents including census, birth and marriage documents! I can see on ancestry docs the same issue sherran, sheeran etc. Edited 8 October , 2021 by Alisonmallen62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 (edited) Yes the cap badge appears to be Welsh Regiment which fits with the local area. The soldier with the leather ammunition bandolier has a short straight shoulder title which suggests a corps like the Army Service Corps or alternatively one of the branches of the Royal Artillery. Edited 8 October , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 Fold3 have a Thomas Sheersn, 52nd Battery, RFA 63996, born in the USA. Killed in Action May 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2021 12 minutes ago, Alisonmallen62 said: Is it definitely Sheeran not Sheerin as this is my family name and spelt incorrectly on many official documents including census, birth and marriage documents! Thanks, I'll look that up but it seems correct as Sheeran. This is their marriage entry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonmallen62 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 Ok no problem I just noticed the difference in your ancestry docs hope you get more info the photos are great to have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2021 1 minute ago, Gunner 87 said: Fold3 have a Thomas Sheersn, 52nd Battery, RFA 63996, born in the USA. Killed in Action May 1915. Yeah I've seen and that has links to Bangor but he apparaently survived the war and had children after that date. These are the kids... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonmallen62 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 Yep no worries not the most common of names so alerted me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2021 1 minute ago, Alisonmallen62 said: Ok no problem I just noticed the difference in your ancestry docs hope you get more info the photos are great to have! thanks, it's possible it could be transcribed incorrectly in the military docs and not showing up.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 Just now, Gunner 87 said: Fold3 have a Thomas Sheersn, 52nd Battery, RFA 63996, born in the USA. Killed in Action May 1915. The Army Register of Soldier’s Effects have his sister as beneficiary, Lucy Solelagalee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2021 4 minutes ago, Alisonmallen62 said: the photos are great to have! Made up and really lucky to have photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 8 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2021 2 minutes ago, Gunner 87 said: The Army Register of Soldier’s Effects have his sister as beneficiary, Lucy Solelagalee. Right, can definately rule him out now, really appreciate that @Gunner 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 No probs. Will look further on Fold3. Have pm’d you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 Forces War Records hold Thomas Sheeran 29479 serving as a Gunner in the RFA. This could fit the bandolier and lanyard. I don’t have subscription for the site so maybe another member can assist. I have also found an ‘Old Mans Draft Card’ from the US in the name Thomas James Sheeran born 20/04/1896 in Missouri. Could he have moved back to the US hence the difficulty in research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 1 minute ago, Gunner 87 said: Forces War Records hold Thomas Sheeran 29479 serving as a Gunner in the RFA. This could fit the bandolier and lanyard. I don’t have subscription for the site so maybe another member can assist. I have also found an ‘Old Mans Draft Card’ from the US in the name Thomas James Sheeran born 20/04/1896 in Missouri. Could he have moved back to the US hence the difficulty in research. Attached… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 8 October , 2021 Share Posted 8 October , 2021 You know this already, but Pontypridd isn't in or near Port Talbot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 9 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: You know this already, but Pontypridd isn't in or near Port Talbot. Yeah these are the leads I had on his birthplace but I have his birth index now showing Pontypridd. Some people's trees have him mistakenly born in Trebanog, Port Talbot. It's because the 1901 census, 9 Hill Street (Reg'd Lodging House) put him in as 'S.Wales, Port, Glam'. Trebanog is 4 mile outside Pontypridd, nowhere near Port Talbot. All his siblings are Bangor born but his mother Annie died when he was 4yrs old during childbirth. Probably the reason they went back to South Wales? Thomas' father Thomas Snr went to mine in Barnsley in the 1911 and the children went to Maerdy, Rhondda. There were a lot of Bangor families working Maerdy including my Great Great Taid, Thomas 13682 and the Sheeran family boarded with these families. Thomas' brother Terrance was boarding with Thomas' in-laws, (Sarahs parents, William H Williams and Elisabeth (photo above). Possibly how Thomas and Sarah met? (Strong resemblance with his mother by the way) Edited 9 October , 2021 by Thomas Jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 9 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2021 10 hours ago, Gunner 87 said: Attached… Thanks and a very interesting card. The dob and wife probably ruling it out, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 9 October , 2021 Share Posted 9 October , 2021 Sadly, the Glamorgan Absent Voters Lists 1918 have only patchy survival rates, and the relevant areas may well not be covered. Bangor & Caernarfonshire generally did survive - might be worthwhile your sending a pm to member Hywyn about that side of things. All the best, Clive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 9 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2021 Thanks Clive, yeah I'll do that, Best Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 9 October , 2021 Share Posted 9 October , 2021 Red Herring alert! Just browsing and found this in FWR First Name: T Surname: Sheeran DOB: 1892-04-15 Further Information: Account: 11006. Item Code: ADH000982269 Service Number: 13027660 Primary Unit: Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps Archive Reference: surviving-wwi-service-records Collection: Service records index of those who served both in WWI and after 1921 The surname, first name initial and birth date are the same(?) as your man... George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jones Posted 9 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 9 October , 2021 23 minutes ago, George Rayner said: Red Herring alert! Just browsing and found this in FWR First Name: T Surname: Sheeran DOB: 1892-04-15 Thanks George, his date of birth was obtained from the '39 census. So 13027660 could be his service number or coincidence? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawhiri Posted 9 October , 2021 Share Posted 9 October , 2021 (edited) Also comes up on Ancestry in the UK, Military Discharge Indexes, 1920-1971, as T Sheeran, born 15 April 1892, service number 13027660, under Army Other Ranks, Discharges for 1939-1971. If he continued serving after 1920 then his service record will still be with the MOD and you can put in a request for it, although be prepared for a very long wait. The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps became the (Royal) Pioneer Corps in November 1940, a brief history can be found on Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Pioneer_Corps Reading between the lines, he was possibly an infantry reservist during the inter-war period. Edited 9 October , 2021 by Tawhiri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aim Posted 9 October , 2021 Share Posted 9 October , 2021 20 hours ago, Gunner 87 said: The Army Register of Soldier’s Effects have his sister as beneficiary, Lucy Solelagalee. I would guess this means that Lucy was the Sole Legatee. aim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner 87 Posted 9 October , 2021 Share Posted 9 October , 2021 2 hours ago, aim said: I would guess this means that Lucy was the Sole Legatee. aim Well spotted aim. I have never heard of that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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