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Wales (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Wales => Glamorganshire => Topic started by: trevalyn on Saturday 22 November 25 21:51 GMT (UK)
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WILLIAM JAMES STEPHENS died on 26 Aug 1919 after serving as Sergeant with 14th Welsh Regt. Aged 40, he was the husband of Minnie (Mary ?) Stephens of 3 Langdon Place, Oystermouth Road Swansea. William died at that address.
It is believed that William was born in Neath, his wife in Swansea and that they had at least three children Stanley James, Edwin Arthur and Lillian Annie.
Enquiries to Swansea Council have failed to turn up a burial record in any of the municipal cemeteries.
William is entitled to War Grave commemoration - if proof of burial can be established?
Does anyone know where William James Stephens is buried?
Any help would be appreciated.
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Newspaper report says burial will be at Calvaria, Ravenhill
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4111009/4111010/28/Langdon%2BOR%2BPlace?from=search
Chapel records in the West Glam archive
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/6fab4b2b-0764-312b-99d5-55171e6f0ee6
They must have burial records as there's a snippet posted showing WWII civilian casualty graves
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/media/1371/Calfaria/pdf/5bCalfaria.pdf?m=1620655917423
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Mabel.
Brilliant answer. I will pursue tomorrow. Thank you so much.
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His army papers on FindMyPast show a fourth child -
Doris May Stephens, born 13 May 1914, Swansea
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A Lillian Annie Stephens was registered Mar Qtr 1908, Swansea and a death was registered Mar Qtr 1908, age 0.
A Lillian Annie Stephens was registered Jun Qtr 1909, Swansea. Williams army papers records Lillie Annie Stephens born 7 Feb 1909.
The 1911 Census declares 6 children born, 3 still alive
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The 14th Welsh was a Pals battalion - formed in 1914 after an appeal by the then mayor of Swansea, TT Corker. It consisted of largely men who were living in Swansea at the outbreak of war.
My history of the battalion was published in 2004.
Bernard
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Unfortunately, a bit of a roadblock.
West Glamorgan Archives have made a thorough search of the records for Calvaria, Ravenhill (as per Press report) and have found no trace of a burial for William James Stephens.
Is/was there more than one Calvaria church/chapel with burying ground in Swansea?
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These are Second World War civilian deaths, but does say Swansea has the records for Calfaria, Ravenhill.
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/7110/The-burial-grounds-where-the-civilian-war-dead-were-buried
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Newspaper report says burial will be at Calvaria, Ravenhill
Says funeral at Calfaria. Perhaps he was buried elsewhere? :-\
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Good point!
Swansea Council has records for these cemeteries
https://www.swansea.gov.uk/burialsandcremations
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Well the report of the death in the Cambria Daily Leader, 27 August 1919, does say that W J Stephens will be interred at Calfaria, Ravenhill
Bit-Badge Chairman
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4423633/4423634/13/calfaria?from=search
And the same paper on 1 September carries a lengthy piece on the funeral
Military Funeral
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4423665/4423668/33/calfaria?from=search
It says the clergy were the Rev. Canon J. Watkins Jones, Vicar of Christ Church, and the Rev. J. Oldham Hughes, St. Peter's, Pentrechwyth