Privates Thomas Henry Compton and William Samuel Connor
The 17th of November 1914 – Privates Thomas Henry Compton and William Samuel Connor
On 17th November 1914, two men of the Royal
Garrison Artillery died: Thomas Henry Compton and William Samuel
Connor. Both were laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea.
Private Thomas Henry Compton
Early Life
Thomas Henry Compton was born in 1881 in Cardiff,
the son of Henry Compton and Mary Jane Morgan.
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| 1881 Census |
At the time of the 1881 Census, the Compton family was living at 31 Frederick Street, Cardiff. Henry, 34, was employed as a carpenter, while Mary was also 34. Their children were Jane, 2, and Henry, aged just 4 months.
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| 1891 Census |
By the 1891 Census, the family was living in the St John’s area of Cardiff. Henry, now 44, was working as a ship joiner, while Mary was also 44. Their children present were Jane, 12; Thomas, 10; and Caroline, 6, all of whom were attending school.
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| 1901 Census |
The 1901 Census records the family at 9 Cranbrook Street, Cardiff. Henry, aged 55, was again listed as a carpenter, while Mary was 54. Their children were Elizabeth, 22, employed as a telephone clerk; Thomas, 20, working as a steam engine trimmer; and Caroline, 16.
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| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family was still at 9 Cranbrook Street. Henry, 65, was recorded as a ship joiner, and Mary, 64, was still at home. Two of their children remained with them: Thomas, 30, employed as a coal trimmer, and Caroline, 26.
Military Service and Death
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| Thomas Henry Compton Attestation Papers |
He later died at Swansea Hospital, aged 33.
His name is inscribed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as T.
A. Compton. His details are preserved in the UK Army Register of
Soldiers’ Effects, which records the settlement of his estate after his
death.
Private William Samuel Connor
Early Life
William Samuel Connor was born in Hazareelagh,
Barutory, India. Unlike Compton, fragments of his service record have
survived: his attestation papers, dating from his enlistment in 1908
with the Royal Garrison Artillery, still exist, providing insight into
his military background.William Samuel Connor
Attestation Papers
Military Service and Death
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| UK Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects Thomas Henry Compton and William Samuel Connor |
William continued his service during the war years. On 17th November 1914, he died at Mumbles, aged 45. His name, like Compton’s, appears in the UK Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects, which records the financial settlements made following their deaths.
Burial and Legacy
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| Thomas Henry Compton Danygraig Cemetery credit - findagrave |
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| William Samuel Connor Danygraig Cemetery credit - findagrave |
Though little else is known of their personal lives, the
shared date of death and burial at Danygraig Cemetery connect Thomas
Henry Compton and William Samuel Connor within Swansea’s wartime
story. Both served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, a unit responsible
for manning heavy coastal and fortress guns, protecting Britain’s ports and
coastlines during the opening months of the First World War.
Their presence in Danygraig Cemetery reminds us that
not all wartime losses occurred overseas. Some men, like Compton and Connor,
died while serving at home in hospitals, garrisons, or local stations. Their
graves stand as testimony to Swansea’s role in Britain’s defences in 1914 and
ensure that their names live on as part of the memory of the Great War.
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