Lance Corporal Clifford Jones

 Everyone likes a good mystery!

Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial
credit - Commonwealth War Grave Commission

Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial situated in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, commemorates 442 names of Commonwealth casualties who died in the United Kingdom and Ireland and who have no known grave.  Many of the casualties were servicemen and women from the land forces of the United Kingdom, who subsequently died in the care of their families. The Commission did not commemorate them then but, through the efforts of relatives and research groups, including the “In From The Cold” Project, these casualties have been found. There are still many cases to be resolved, and the memorial therefore allows for further names to be added.

Unusually and because of the varied circumstances surrounding many of these casualties, investigative work continues, and this may lead to the identification of their burial locations. Whenever a casualty’s grave is located and verified, the commemoration will move to the burial site and thus some of the entries on the memorial will no longer be required. As a result, and when memorial panels are replaced, these entries will be removed.

In addition, the Brookwood 1914-18 Memorial commemorates some land and air forces casualties who were lost at sea. These casualties would normally be commemorated at the Hollybrook Memorial in Southampton, but the memorial panels there are now full and so their commemoration has been added to this memorial.

Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial
Lance Corporal C Jones
credit - findagrave

One of those names commemorated on the memorial is Lance Corporal Clifford Jones, who served with the 14^th Battalion, Welsh Regiment.  Died on the 15^th of September 1919.

Clifford was the son of Philip and Martha Jones, born in 1890.

Phillip Jones and Martha Jones were married in 1872.

By the time of the 1891 Census, the Jones family was residing at 41 Garden Street, Swansea. Clifford and his twin brother Brinley were the youngest children aged 10 months.

1891 Census

Philip, 42, was employed as a Stone Mason. Martha was 38.  Their children were Annie, 16; Thomas, 11; Cecilia, 9; Philip, 7; William, and the already mentioned Clifford and Brinley

Philip, 53 at the time of the 1901 Census is employed as a Mason have moved to 43 Garden Street, with the family.

1901 Census

Martha, 49, has her Greengrocers business. Their children are Thomas, 22 is employed as a Mason. Cecilia, 20; Philip, 18 who is employed as a Mason Apprentice. William, 13; Brinley, 10; Clifford, 8; Evan, 5 and Sydney, 3.

It looks like that Brinley and Clifford aren't twins!

1911 Census, the family moved to 24 Richardson Street.

1911 Census

Philip, 62 is employed as a Stone Mason.  Martha is 59.

The remaining children that still live at home are Mary Ann, 34; Philip, 28 is employed as a Stone Mason. William Edward, 23 is employed as a Mason Labourer. Brinley, 20 is employed as a Clerk. Clifford, 18, is employed as a Messenger. Evan, 16 is a Labourer, and Sidney, 12 attends school.

Clifford’s army records haven’t survived.

Following his death, in September 1919, Clifford was buried at Bethel.