Edgar Prothero

The Connection Between Oystermouth and Danygraig: The Story of Edgar Prothero

Early Life

There is a direct link between Oystermouth and Danygraig Cemetery through the life of Edgar Prothero, a Swansea man whose service and sacrifice during the First World War is still remembered.

1891 Census

Born in 1891, Edgar was the youngest child of William Prothero and Ann Bailey, who had married in 1873. At the time of the 1891 Census, Edgar was just two months old. The family lived at 103 Lime Kiln Road, Oystermouth. William, then aged 37, worked as a General Labourer, while Ann, aged 35, cared for their household. Their children included Mary A. (16), Florence E. (8), Edith (5), Sidney (2), and baby Edgar.

Goal Records

In 1898, William Prothero was sent to prison for 14 days after being found guilty of breaching the Education Act.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 9 Maddock Place, Swansea. William, now 46, was employed as a Carter, and Ann was 45. The children at home were Thomas (21), a General Labourer; Ada (14); Sidney (12); and Edgar (9).

1911 Census

In 1910, Edgar married Helena Florence Hill. A year later, at the time of the 1911 Census, the couple were living at 103 Rodney Street. Edgar, aged 21, worked as a Haulier’s Driver, while Helena (Nellie), aged 20, cared for their home. They had an eight-month-old son, William G.

Military Service

Edgar enlisted with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the First World War. He was attached to H.M.S. Pembroke I, a shore establishment at Chatham in Kent. His service would keep him far from Swansea but always tied to the wider naval war effort that supported Britain’s forces across the globe.

H.M.S. Pembroke I

H.M.S. Pembroke I was not a ship but a shore-based establishment at Chatham Dockyard, one of the Royal Navy’s most important administrative and training centres. During the First World War, Pembroke I acted as a barracks, training hub, and administrative headquarters for thousands of naval ratings, stokers, and reservists. Men posted there could be assigned to sea service or retained for critical duties ashore.

Serving at Pembroke I meant Edgar was part of the backbone of the Royal Navy, ensuring that Britain’s global fleet remained manned, supplied, and coordinated at one of its most vital bases.

Burial at Danygraig Cemetery

Edgar Prothero
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

On 16^th October 1919, Edgar Prothero died while still serving, holding the rank of Able Seaman. His body was returned to Swansea, and he was buried at Danygraig Cemetery. His grave is part of the collective memory preserved there, linking the seafaring and industrial heritage of Swansea to the sacrifices of the war.

Legacy

Edgar’s story is a reminder of how Swansea families were connected both to the local industries of the town and to the global commitments of the Royal Navy. Though he never served on a famous warship, his service at H.M.S. Pembroke I placed him within the essential framework that sustained Britain’s wartime naval power.

He also represents the many men who died in 1919, after the Armistice, but before peace truly returned to their lives. Edgar left behind his young wife Helena and their son William, whose lives were reshaped by his loss. His grave at Danygraig Cemetery continues to honour his name, ensuring that his story is remembered among Swansea’s war dead.