My Family and Other Members

During the Coronavirus Pandemic Lockdown, March – July 2020, I carried out research work into the family of Edgar Evans, for his great-great-grandson, Tyler Ford.

The family tree to date has amassed 3432 individuals.  Using Ancestry website to assist in the research. Research also involved searching the various Census Returns (1841-1911) also the 1939 Register to form connections between the several families.

This blog will be looking at those people within this family tree, who made a mark on history.  Also, the connection between them and Tyler.  It should be noted that everyone, made their mark on history.

Mumbles and Gower, which are key places where these individuals hailed from.  Both places are steeped in history.  The originals of the name of Mumbles, is uncertain.  It is thought that Mumbles is the corruption to the French word, Les Mamelles (the breasts) after French sailor referred to feature of the headland. 

 Gower or as it is known as Gower Peninsula, covering about 70 square miles, is the westerly part of the county of Glamorgan.  the interior of Gower is made of farmland and common land, also with 21 villages.   Gower itself has had notable events during its history. Firstly, 1823, William Buckland, Professor of Geology of Oxford University when he made the discovery of the bones, in a cave situated at Paviland, the bones were later referred as the Red Lady of Paviland.  With the lack of a museum to keep the bones, they went back to Oxford University and to this date are kept.  Buckland at the time of the discovery thought that the bones were no older than the Biblical Great Flood, the time of Noah and his Ark. He also thought that the bones were female.  Alongside the bones there was the discovery of decorative items and jewellery.  With resent research on the bones have found that can be dated back to as far as 33,000, the Upper Palaeolithic era.  Also, the bones were not of a female as first thought but of a male.  The red ochre, that had been used and now staining the bones is thought to have come from the Gloucestershire area. 

Secondly, 1956, Gower was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  One of the instrumental key persons, was Ernest Jones.  Ernest Jones, the Welsh neurologist.  He was friends and colleague of Sigmund Freud.  Locally he his best remembered as the husband of Morfydd Llwyn Owen, Welsh composer.   

With a brief background to the locations of the key people in this blog, lets make a start. 

 

Edgar Evans (1876 – 1912) Edgar was born Rhossilly, he was the son of Charles Evans and Sarah Evans nee Beynon. After moving Rhossilly, the family moved to Hoskins Place, Lower Oxford Street, Swansea and then from there they moved to William Street.   When Edgar was 6, he attended St. Helen’s Boy School, Swansea.  His education lasted when he was 13.  After school, he had a brief employment at The Castle Hotel and a telegraph messenger boy for Swansea’s Head Post Office. 

This employment did not keep Edgar, aged 15 he ran away to the Navy. He soon to rise through the ranks, whilst based H.M.S. Excellent, Portsmouth he was naval gunnery instructor. 

Whilst serving on H.M.S. Majestic, that Evans first met Captain Scott. Evans, in 1901 was Petty Officer and he joined Scott, on is his Discovery Expedition of Antarctica.  The Expedition lasted from 1901-04.  Prior to this expeditions, James C. Ross had undertaken two expeditions, between 1839 and 1843.

During the second year, of Scott’s expedition. Edgar, along with Scott and William Lashly, made their “Farthest West” trek to find the South Magnetic Pole, commencing from the Discovery on the 26^th October 1903, Sadly, this trek was not successfully.  they had held up for weeks in camp due to blizzards.  They reached the westerly point on the 30^th November.  During a glacier descent they lost navigational table.  The return journey back, with limited supplies, navigations was carried out Scott’s rule of thumb.  Both Scott and Edgar suffered, potentially fatal falls into a crevasse.  They finally reached the Discovery on Christmas Eve, 1903. 

The Discovery was stuck in the ice, work commenced to free with ship, only 450 feet of ice had been cut, and further 20 miles to go till open water.    January 1904 saw the arrival of two relief ships, Morning and Terra Nova.  Finally, with the use of explosives the Discovery was freed from the ice, and all three ships, on the 17^th February were able to make the return journey to the UK.

Once back home, Edgar, married the niece of his mother, Lois Beynon, at St. Mary Church, Rhossilly.  During the five years of married life, they had three children, Norman Edgar (1906); Muriel (1907) and Ralph (1909).  They family lived at Portsmouth, where Edgar competed his gunnery instructor’s training. 

 Lois and the children moved back to Gower, when Edgar joined Captain Scott, during his Terra Nova Expedition of Antarctica.    We all know what happened during that expedition. 

Edgar is commemorated, by a memorial panel at St. Mary Church, Rhossilly.     

 

 

Charles Evans (1839 – 1907) Father of Edgar.  Charles a mariner, had been one of the 'Cape Horners'.  He moved from Gower, residing at William Street.  He went on the captain the Sunlight, a boat which was registered at Liverpool. 

It was whilst on board the Sunlight that Charles was injured, and he had to have his leg

amputated, as can be seen from the Cambrian article, dated 13^th February 1913, written after the deaths of both Edgar and his father, Charles.

Other close members include brothers

Thomas Evans (1840 – 1869) he served with the army, where he died in China

Matthew Evans (1844 – 18960) served with the Royal Navy on board the S.S. Daylight, when a portion of the bulkhead fell on him, injuring his neck and spine, resulting in his death.

Other members of the family include

Margaret Wright (1855 – 1933) along with her sister Jessie Ace (1860 – 1936).  They were daughters of the Mumbles lighthouse keeper, Abraham Ace. 

Mumbles Lighthouse, was completed in 1794, is situated on the outer of the two islands off Mumbles Head.  The architect was London born William Jernegan.  His other works include Sketty Park House, Saunders Way; Stouthall, Reynoldston; Kilvrough Manor and the Assembly Rooms, Swansea.

George Grant Francis, the civil leader of Swansea, was going to foot the bill of the construction of the lighthouse. 

Further construction was started in 1859, with the building of the Mumbles Battery at the base of the lighthouse.  It was one of the Palmerston Forts built in the response of the French invasion.  The armaments included five 80 pounder rifled muzzle loading rifles.  The French never came!

However, January 1883, caught in a storm of Mumbles Head, was the German 885-ton barque Admiral Prinz.  The Mumbles lightboat, Wolverhampton a wooden sailboat was called to assist, and this soon was distress.  The two sisters waded into the surf where they saved the crew of the lightboat. 

For their heroism, the two sisters received gold brooches gifted from the Empress of Germany, Augusta of Saxe-Weimer-Eienach.  Coxswain Jenkin Jenkins was awarded by Royal National Lifeboat Institution a silver medal and £50. 

Sadly, the Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster did claim lives of 4 of the crew also one of the German barque. 

Margaret Wright carried on living in Swansea where she died in 1933 and is buried in an unmarked grave at Bethel Welsh Congregational Chapelyard, Tycoch.  Meanwhile, Jessie after marring emigrated to Australia.  Her marriage ended in a divorce and she died in 1936, and is buried at Rockwood General Cemetery, New South Wales.

 The next person is James Gammon (1853 – 1903).  He lost his life during the second of the Mumbles Lifeboat Disaster, of 1^st February 1903.  The previous day the Waterford schooner, S.S. Christina had run aground on the sands of Aberavon, Port Talbot.  With the schooner high and dry and the crew safe.  The Mumbles Lifeboat, James Stevens was launched on Saturday afternoon, with a crew of 14 men.  It was going to assist in re-floating the S.S Christina on the next high tide. 

On reaching the other side of Swansea Bay, the Coxswain Rogers, saw that the tide was not high enough and sought shelter in Port Talbot harbour. 

The Lifeboat was caught by the heavy seas and was capsized several times.  The 6 crew members who perished in the disaster were killed by being dashed against or trapped in the concrete blocks of the breakwater. 

The funeral of the 6 men was on 5^th February 1903, and they were buried at Oystermouth Cemetery. 

S.S. Christina was sunk 10^th March 1918, 15 miles southwest of Trevose Head, Cornwall by the German submarine U-55

 William John Gammon (1901 – 1947) nephew of the above, James Gammon. During 1944, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution awarded a Gold Medal to William John Gammon and a Bronze Medal to mechanic William Gilbert Davies, and Boatman Thomas J. Ace in the rescue of 42 crew members of the Canadian frigate Cheboque.

The Cheboque was in a convoy, when 4^th October 1944, she was hit by a German Navy Acoustic Torpedo fired from U-1227.  Unable to move having part of her stern missing she under tow.  With the towline parted the Cheboque was driven ashore in Swansea Bay. Refloated by the aid of Mumbles Lifeboat she was taken to Port Talbot.  At Port Talbot the Cheboque was declared a constructive loss. From the damage ship, two bodies were recovered, Able Seaman Joseph Gaal and Leading Stoker Paul Meyn, they were buried at Morriston Cemetery.

Nearly two years after the end of the Second World War, 1947, William J. Gammon coxswain of the 8 crew Mumbles lifeboat Edward Prince of Wales had been launched for the second time on 23^rd April to assist in the help of Liberty ship S.S. Samtampa having been wrecked on Sker Point, Porthcawl.  The oil spill from the ship had created an area of calm water, where Gammon wanted to take advantage of.  Disaster struck, and the crew perished in the oily water, they chocked to death rather than drowning.  The crew of S.S. Samtampa also perished; they were buried in a mass grave at Porthcawl Cemetery.

The crew of the Mumbles Lifeboat were buried at Oystermouth Cemetery.

Turning the attention to the First World War. 

The worst day for the British Army in the number of casualties lost is the First Day of the Battle of the Somme, where just under 20,000 men were killed.  Seven days later, the 7^th July, the 38^th (Welsh Division) main objective was Mametz Wood. 14^th (Swansea) Battalion, Welsh Regiment entered the line on the 8^th July and its first day action was on the 10^th.  This was local battalion, having been raised in October 1914 by the Mayor and Corporation of the Swansea Football and Cricket Club. 

 One of those that were killed on that day was Samuel Thomas Gammon (1887 – 1916).  He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial

A year later, during the later stages of the Battle of Passchendaele, July – November 1917.  Lemuel Philip Ace (1884 – 1917) was killed on 30^th October 1917.  He is buried at Solferino Farm Cemetery.  Prior to the outbreak of the First World, Ace was a former Professional Golfer and Groundsman based Langland Bay Golf Club.

Langland Golf Course was officially opened 10^th September 1904.

 

 

Keeping that sporting theme, the next person is David James (1917 – 1981). 

James was a professional footballer, from 1934 his career started at Leeds, having been transferred from Midland Athletic.  He made no appearance with Leeds.  May 1935 transferred to Bradford City, here there was five appearances and no goals.  1937, transferred to Mossley, there 43 appearance and 42 goals.    Signed in April 1938, for Chelsea.  His career was halted due to the Second World War.  May 1947, he transferred to Swansea City FC, with 12 appearance and 7 goals.  During his spell with Swansea, he helped them win the 1947 London Combination Cup.  August 1948 a final transfer to Haverfordwest County, where he was captain. After his career as a player he was a manager for the club.  James died 1981.

 The British Lions tour of 1959 tour of Australia and New Zealand one of the Welsh players was 26-year-old John Faull (1933 – 2017).  In this tour Faull played in four test matches, 1 against the Australians and three against the All Blacks. The Lions won two test matches against the Australians but lost the international series against the All Blacks, by three matches to one.

Prior to this tour, Faull, who had joined Swansea Rugby in October 1953.  December of that year, he was chosen as one of the players to face the New Zealand national rugby team.  The game resulted in 6-6 draw.  Faull won twelve caps. 

His father, Wilfred Faull, was an international rugby referee, and during the 1960s was the President of the Welsh Rugby Union. 

 The final person in this blog, is Sir Harry Secombe (1921 – 2001), comedian, actor, and singer.  Secombe was born in St. Thomas, Swansea. 

Secombe made his first radio broadcast during May 1944; a variety show for the military. 

He made his first break in fame on radio when he was chosen as the resident comedian for the Welsh series Welsh Rabbit, this followed appearances on Variety Bandbox and a regular role in Educating Archie. 

Whilst at the Windmill Theatre, where he joined the cast in 1946, he was introduced to Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.  The three of them formed The Goon Show. 

With the success of The Goon Show, Harry developed a dual career as comedy actor and singer.   This led to successful career on TV. 

His later career, Secombe presented religious programs.  This attracted new audiences.  1990 Harry was surprised for the second time, when he honoured with the This Is Your Life book.  The first time being 1958.

Secombe was the younger brother of Frederick Secombe (1918 – 2016), Anglican clergyman and author.  Frederick was the vicar at St. Peter's church, Cockett, Swansea

Harry died 11^th April 2001, from prostate cancer, in Guildford, Surrey.  His ashes are interred at Christ Church, Shamley Green, Surrey. 

Christ Church is the final rest place for artist Tony Hart.