Frederick Watkin Jenkins

Private Frederick Watkin Jenkins – Royal Welsh Fusiliers

The second serviceman to lose his life on 30^th January 1918 was Frederick Watkin Jenkins, who is buried at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea.

Early Life

Frederick was born in 1885, the son of Frederick Jenkins and Eveline Elizabeth Nicholls.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Jenkins family was living at 169 Ystrad Road, Ystradyfodwg. Frederick senior, then 32, was employed as a Plumber’s Gas Porter, while Eveline was 28. Their children were Frederick Watkin, aged 6; Evelin, 3; and Esther, just 10 months old. Also in the household was Joseph Peters, a 40-year-old boarder working as a general labourer.

Naval Service

Royal Navy Registers of Seamen

By the 1901 Census, Frederick had already begun his military career. He was serving with the Royal Navy on board H.M.S. Impregnable, a training ship where many young recruits began their seafaring service. His name appears in the Royal Navy Registers of Seamen, confirming his early years in naval service.

Marriage and Family

Frederick Jenkins and Rose Adelina Barrett
Marriage Certificate
St. James church

In 1910, Frederick married Rose Adelina Barrett at St. James’ Church, Swansea. Their marriage was recorded in parish records and survives on the original marriage certificate.

1911 Census

The following year, the 1911 Census shows the couple living at 157 Port Tennant Road, Swansea. Frederick, then aged 26, was employed as a Wireman and described as an Army Pensioner — suggesting that his naval service had concluded by this time. Rose, aged 19, was keeping house.

First World War Service

When war broke out in 1914, Frederick returned to military service, this time enlisting with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Like many former servicemen, his previous experience made him a valuable addition to the Army as it expanded rapidly.

Death and Burial

South Wales Daily Post

Frederick Jenkins died on 30^th January 1918, aged 33. His funeral was reported in the South Wales Daily Post, which noted the presence of comrades, neighbours, and family members who gathered to pay their respects. The cortege began from his home before making its way to Danygraig Cemetery, where his burial took place.

The local press described the solemnity of the service, with floral tributes offered by both family and fellow soldiers. His coffin was carried with military honours, a mark of respect for his service in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Legacy

Frederick Jenkins
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Frederick’s story highlights the journeys of men who served in more than one branch of the armed forces during their lifetimes. Beginning his service as a naval recruit aboard H.M.S. Impregnable and ending it as a soldier in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, his life reflects the adaptability demanded of servicemen during the First World War.

Buried on the same day as John Dermody, another Swansea man who died in service, Frederick Jenkins’s grave at Danygraig Cemetery is part of the broader narrative of the city’s wartime losses. Together, these burials illustrate the diverse roles played by Swansea’s men — on sea, on land, and in the reserve forces that sustained Britain’s war effort.