Michael Merrigan

Private Michael Merrigan – Royal Army Medical Corps

Michael Merrigan, who served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, died on 22^nd November 1919, aged 40. He was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery, among many other Swansea servicemen whose lives were claimed by the aftermath of the First World War.

Early Life

1881 Census

Michael was born in Ireland around 1879, the son of Thomas Merrigan and his wife Mary. By the time of the 1881 Census, the Merrigan family was living at 9 Brook Street, Swansea. Thomas, then 34, worked as a Dock Labourer, while Mary, aged 30, kept the home. The children were John (8), Michael (5), and Patrick (3), all of whom were attending school.

1891 Census

A decade later, the 1891 Census recorded the family at 10 Pontyfradare Street. Thomas, now 40, had found work as a Coal Trimmer, and Mary was 36. Their household had grown, with John, aged 17, working as a Labourer; Michael, 15; Patrick, 13, who was still at school; Mary B., aged 8; and William, the youngest, aged 3.

Military Service and Death

Later in life, Michael enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps, an essential unit of the British Army that provided medical support, stretcher-bearers, and field hospital staff throughout the First World War. Though details of his service remain scarce, he was one of many men who continued to serve long after the Armistice, tending to the wounded and sick in the difficult years of demobilisation.

Michael’s life came to an early end in late 1919, at the age of 40, when he died on 22^nd November.

Burial at Danygraig Cemetery

Michael Merrigan
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Michael was buried at Danygraig Cemetery, where his grave lies among those of fellow soldiers, sailors, and airmen who did not survive the war or its immediate aftermath. His burial serves as a reminder that the toll of the First World War extended well beyond the battlefield, with disease, exhaustion, and lingering wounds claiming many lives in the months and years that followed.

Legacy

Michael’s story represents the many postwar casualties of the First World War—men who gave their service but did not live to see peace in its fullest sense. By the time of his death, the conflict was over, yet his sacrifice was no less real. His resting place at Danygraig stands alongside other servicemen whose lives were shortened by the war’s long shadow, ensuring he is remembered not just as a soldier but as part of Swansea’s collective memory of loss and resilience.