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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Glamorganshire => Topic started by: chwiliwr on Monday 07 April 14 20:14 BST (UK)
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Can anyone in Maerdy area help me please?
My great uncle Sergeant Hugh Richard Owen (or Owens) of the Royal Field Artillery was killed on 30 November 1917. At the time the family lived in Pentre Road Maerdy but left soon after. Family legend has it that he is commemorated on the War Memorial in Maerdy. Can anyone confirm this for me please?
Also, in researching names on my local memorial I have discovered that two others had Maedy connections. William Lewis Evans of Royal Welsh Fusiliers also lived in Pentre Road and John Hugh Evans RWF (no relation) had lived and worked in Maerdy before the war. Are either of their names on the memorial?
Many thanks to anyone who can help in this quest.
Diolch yn fawr,
Chwiliwr
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Here are some links that may be of help to find someone who can view the Memorial Inscriptions for you. Sorry not to be more help.
Regards Cas
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2412374
http://www.ourwales.org.uk/index.php?option=com_joomcaw&controller=image&task=index&group_id=12&lang=en-GB
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Thank you Cas. I'll follow up those links.
Best wishes,
Chwiliwr
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hello there,
i was in maerdy today and checked the war memorial there are no names inscribed, one local told me that he thinks there was a role of honour board in the old maerdy hall now demolished .
beasant
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Thank you Beasant.
I suppose now I will never know. I'll just have to keep believing the family legend.
Chwiliwr
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hello again,
just a thought, there is a British legion club in maerdy( the shot). maybe there is something in the premises there, ....shall try to find out..maybe!!
bessant.
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Hi Bessant
Thanks for the offer. I would appreciate it if it is not too much trouble.
Regards,
Chwiliwr
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Surely the Role of Honor would have been saved when the building was demolished? Valid and rare piece of history. Maybe contact the Maerdy library and ask. But it closes in May.
Good luck Cas
http://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/en/leisurelibrariesculture/libraries/libraries-locationsandopeninghours/maerdylibrary/maerdylibrary.aspx
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Maerdy Library closes on May 31st , or phone Treorchy library family history department (01443) 77320 or 773592 as they have all the local history records, sorry I am unable to send you the link as my PC is playing up, but if you google Treorchy Library you will get the email address
Best Wishes Bethan
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Hi, I have lived in Maerdy for 60 years being the local police officer for a large number of them and I have never seen any plaque dedicated to the servicemen and women who gave their lives during the wars. I have tried to get a definitive list so that I could put pressure on the council to create one. The memorial we have is a statue of the virgin Mary about 2 foot tall with no names what so ever. Most of the valleys villages have a substantial memorial with the names of the villagers who gave their lives. I have researched the CWGC records and have started to compile a list, this will no doubt be incomplete but once done local residents will be encouraged to update it with their relatives and local knowledge. Out of interest the cemetery at Maerdy / Ferndale is a Commonwealth Graves Commission Cemetery and has 27 war graves. About 2/3 years ago with the help of the then Plaid councillor Gerwyn Evans we contacted the CWGC and their local representative came and cleaned the Graves, which had not been done in years. I will be contacting the local British Legion shortly, with a view to starting a group to get the memorial improved with the names etc. In relation to William Lewis Evans, RWF he was indeed from Pentre Rd and will be on the compiled list
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Thanks for the information Observer even though it appears to put the tin hat on the family legend referred to in my first post. But I'm sure there is no arguing with your pedigree and local knowledge. I wonder why names were not recorded on the memorial.
Your project to find the names sounds interesting. If you do progress with it I have biographical details and photos of both W L Evans and H R Owen as well as family memorabilia of the latter who was my grandmother's brother. Let me know if you want copies. As for J H Evans, even though he was back in N Wales before 1911, all his military records refer to him as a collier.
Good luck with your searching,
Chwiliwr
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Hi, thanks for getting back to me, I've taken the research as far as I can at the moment and am going to put it together as a booklet so I can take it to the British Legion at Maerdy and try and get a group going to get a new memorial. Our library is due to close so I will leave a copy at the club with the request that if any of the residents know details of or believe their relatives were killed serving their country to leave details and we will amend the list. It would be great if it could be done before remembrance day. I would be really interested in a copy of what you have and with your permission I will include them in the booklet (and I'll send you a copy) as they form a part of Maerdy's history and should be remembered by future generations here, my email address is lio2527@hotmail.com, if you require my home address please contact me via email and I'll send you the details. Best wishes and many thanks for all your interest. John Thomas
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I couldn't find Hugh Richard Owen/s on the CWGC website nor John Hugh Evans. William Lewis was with the RWF at Gallipoli and is on the Helles Memorial, but you may know this already. It seems strange that the Maerdy Memorial had no names on but the Ferndale one does. As a point of interest, a name from WWI was put on the Ferndale one just 2 years ago because the family had all moved away before the memorial was built and a nephew found it had not been done, and he got it organised.
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Both are on CWGC. Sgt Hugh Richard Owen 28703 Royal Field Artillery date of death 30 Nov 1917 in Battle of Cambrai and Pte John Hugh Evans 290581 7th Bn RWF 26 Mar 1917 in Gaza.
Yes I had info. on William Lewis Evans thanks.
It does seem odd that the Maerdy fallen weren't named isn't it?
Chwiliwr
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Hi, as you will have read the Maerdy War Memorial has no names there on, after help from several people, I have identified at least 70 people who should be remembered on our memorial, as a result I have contacted the RBL and local authority department dealing with memorials and applied to put this right. It will still take some doing but I am hoping to get this applied for, approved and completed by 11/11/2014. I have opened a face book page MAERDY MEMORIAL to keep people updated on my progress with the updating the Maerdy War Memorial, so that the people of Maerdy WILL REMEMBER THEM, BEST WISHES AND MANY THANKS WHO HAVE SUPPLIED NAMES AND DETAILS OF RELATIVES WHO SHOULD BE REMEMBERED ON THE MEMORIAL. John Thomas
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there is a site on facebook called maerdy memorial they want people to put names of loved ones died in first ans second world wars it is a open group. carol oops sorry john did,nt read your message above
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Hi everyone, a quick up date on the MAERDY MEMORIAL and the names that will be placed on it, it has been agreed it should be updated and we are waiting for the tenders to come back in. In the mean time I have produced a book with all the names details and many more facts related to the MAERDY FALLEN, Its with the printers and should be available in a week or two, if you go to the Maerdy Memorial on face book you can see the outer cover. MAERDY WILL REMEMBER AT LAST, best wishes John Thomas
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Excellent news, John. Well done.
Chwiliwr
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By accident I found this Forum whilst looking for details of Maerdy War Memorial. I was born in Maerdy and still visit many times a year. While tracing my family history I found out that my great uncle Morgan Jones was killed in Flanders on 7th October 1918. His number was 51617 and he was with the Royal Garrison Artillery. Along with his parents and 6 siblings he lived at 25 Pentre Road before joining up. I wonder if he's on observer1945's list. PS - this is the first time I've used a forum on RootsChat so apologies if I haven't followed conventions.
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He is on the list, there is also a photograph of him on Facebook, did you put it on?
Best Wishes Bethan
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Bethan thanks for your reply. I didn't post the photograph. I'll take a look. Mike
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Bethan Just looked at the Maerdy Memorial site on Facebook but couldn't find the photo. I'm sure I'm not looking in the correct place. Can you help please? Mike
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Sorry Rugby I gave you the wrong site, it is on this one, you have to scroll down the page a little
it is the Glamorgan family history site
Best wishes Bethan
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This is a link to a campaign in Maerdy to secure a permanent memorial naming the 72 who lost their lives in WW1 and WW2
http://igg.me/p/1011686/x
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John Thomas has further info and also link to book http://www.postersandstuff.co.uk/page15.htm for Maerdy War Memorial hope it helps
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UPDATE ON MAERDY WAR MEMORIAL, WE ARE JUST ABOUT REACHING OUR TARGET TO FUND THE MEMORIAL, JUST APPROX £3000 SHORT BUT HAVE INSTRUCTED THE MONUMENTAL MASON AND SET A DATE FOR THE COMPLETION AND DEDICATION OF THE MEMORIAL ON MAY 10TH 2015.THE MEMORIAL WILL HAVE ALL THE NAMES OF THOSE FROM THE VILLAGE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN WW1 WW2 AND SUBSEQUENT WARS IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY. AT LAST THEIR NAMES WILL BE REMEMBERED WITHIN THE VILLAGE, John Thomas. (OBSERVER1945)