William Irwin Gear

Petty Officer William Irwin Gear – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Early Life and Family

Gear Family Grave
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

James Irwin Gear, originally from Beckenham, Kent, worked as a Collector of Taxes around Swansea. His profession was even inscribed on his headstone when he died in 1897, leaving behind his wife Elizabeth (née James) and their young family. At the time of his father’s death, William Irwin, the eldest son, was just 15 years old.

1891 Census

Born in 1882, William grew up in Swansea. The 1891 Census records the Gear family living at 70 Upper Aberthyberthy Street. James Irwin, aged 34, and his wife Elizabeth, 32, had married in 1881 and were raising six children. William, then 9, attended school alongside his siblings Emily (8), L. Harry (6), and Annie (5). Younger children Elizabeth G. (3) and Martha M. (9 months) completed the household.

Marriage and Early Adulthood

William Irwin Gear and Ethel Maud Hill
marriage certificate
St. Gabriel's church

On Boxing Day, 1900, William married Ethel Maud Hill at St. Gabriel’s Church. At the time, 20-year-old William’s occupation was listed as Inland Revenue Clerk, continuing the family connection with administrative work.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the young couple were living at 55 Sea View Terrace, the home of Ethel’s widowed mother, Sarah Hill. Also in the household were Ethel’s siblings, Brinley (17), who worked as a Turf Commission Agent, and Florence (15). William, aged 20, was employed as a Revenue Clerk, while Ethel was recorded as 20 years old.

1911 Census

A decade later, at the 1911 Census, William and Ethel had established their own home at 59 Sea View Terrace. William, then 29, worked as a Commission Agents Clerk, while Ethel, 28, kept house.

Trouble Before the War

Herald of Wales

In June 1913, William’s name appeared in the Herald of Wales when he was charged with being “very drunk and disorderly” in Oxford Street, Swansea. He was found guilty and faced a fine of 20 shillings or 14 days in prison.

Military Service

Despite this blemish, William volunteered for service after the outbreak of the First World War. In July 1915, he enlisted with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). That December, he was assigned to the Drake Battalion, part of the Royal Naval Division.

William saw active service but by November 1917, his health had broken down. He was invalided out of the Navy due to ill health, holding the rank of Petty Officer.

Death and Burial

William died in Swansea on 18^th of February 1919, at just 37 years old, his health never having recovered after discharge. On 18th February 1919, he was laid to rest at Danygraig Cemetery, Swansea.

South Wales Daily Post

His funeral was reported in the South Wales Daily Post, which noted the presence of family, neighbours, and former comrades. Though his service was cut short, he was remembered as a naval man who had answered the call of duty at a time of national need.

Legacy

William Irwin Gear’s story reflects both the ordinary struggles of working-class life in Swansea and the extraordinary demands of war. From his early years as the son of a tax collector to his later role as a Petty Officer in the RNVR, William’s journey was shaped by responsibility, hardship, and service.

His grave at Danygraig stands as a reminder of those men whose lives were shortened not directly on the battlefield but by the lingering toll of war and illness.