William Williams

Leading Trimmer William Williams – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Eglinton

Early Life and Family

William Williams was born in 1882, the son of David Williams and Mary Hopkins, who had married in 1879.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the Williams family was living at Weig Fach House, Gorse Road, Cwmbwrla. David, 41, was employed as a steelworker, while Mary was 43. Their children included Edward, 20; William, 18; and John, 16, all employed as tinplate smelters. The younger children were Alice, 11; Evan, 9; and David H., 7—these three were recorded as having been born in America, suggesting the family had spent time overseas before returning to Swansea.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family was still living at Weig Fach House. David, now 51, remained employed in the steelworks, while Mary was 53. The older children—Edward, 30; William, 28; and John, 26—were all still working in the steelworks. Alice, 21, was at home, while Evan, 19, and David H., 17, were both employed in the tin works. A younger child, James, aged just 1 year, was also listed in the household.

Service and Death

St. Peter’s Burial Register

According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and naval casualty rolls, William Williams served in the Royal Naval Reserve, attached to H.M.S. Eglinton—an Ascot-class paddle minesweeper completed in 1916. He died of illness on 29^th November 1916, aged 34.

South Wales Daily Post 

This accords with St. Peter’s Burial Register, which records his death at the Royal Naval depot in Deal, Kent. A report in the South Wales Daily Post added that he had died of pneumonia and that his home address was Phyllis Street, Cwmdu, Swansea.

H.M.S. Eglinton

H.M.S. Eglinton was one of the Ascot-class paddle minesweepers built during the First World War, designed to clear German mines threatening Britain’s coastal waters. These vessels, with their distinctive paddle wheels, were primarily used for minesweeping operations in the English Channel and North Sea. Although it is unclear whether William ever served at sea aboard her, his official assignment places him within this essential branch of naval defence.

Royal Naval Depot, Deal

The Royal Naval Depot at Deal, Kent, originally built for the Royal Marines, became an important centre during the First World War for the training, administration, and accommodation of naval reservists. It also had hospital facilities, where many servicemen suffering from wounds or illness were treated. The crowded and damp conditions often led to outbreaks of respiratory illness. Pneumonia, which claimed William’s life, was a frequent and sometimes fatal affliction among servicemen in Britain during the war years.

Phyllis Street, Cwmdu

At the time of his death, William’s home was recorded as Phyllis Street, Cwmdu, a small working-class street in industrial Swansea. The district was dominated by the tinplate and steel industries, and most households were connected in some way to the heavy industries that defined the area. Communities like Phyllis Street were close-knit, and the death of a local man in uniform would have reverberated across the neighbourhood.

Legacy

William Williams
St. Peters church
credit - findagrave

Although much of William Williams’s life remains only partly recorded, what survives—his family background in Cwmbwrla, his work in the steel industry, his service with the Royal Naval Reserve, and his untimely death from pneumonia while attached to H.M.S. Eglinton—places him firmly within the story of Swansea’s wartime sacrifice. His grave at St. Peter’s Church, Cockett, ensures that he, like so many others whose service ended far from the battlefield, is not forgotten.