Llewellyn Thomas
Major Llewellyn Thomas – Welsh Regiment, 6th Battalion
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| Llewellyn Thomas |
Early Life and Family Background
Llewellyn Thomas was born in 1867 in Swansea, the son
of William Thomas and Mary (née Owen).
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| 1871 Census |
The 1871 Census records the Thomas family living on Russell Street, Swansea. William, aged 38, worked as a Builder, while Mary, aged 32, managed the household. Their children were Mary Jane (9) and William R. (7), both attending school, followed by Llewellyn (4), David J. (3), and Alfred (1). The family also employed an 18-year-old servant, Jennet Johns.
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| 1881 Census |
By the 1881 Census, the family remained at 10 Russell Street. William, then aged 48, was recorded as a Builder and Contractor, and Mary, aged 42, was managing the home. Their children were Mary Jane (19), William Rawlings (17), Llewellyn (14), David J. (13), Alfred H. (11), and Elizabeth Winifred (9), all of whom attended school. Younger siblings included Beatrice Alice Mary (3), Helena Catherine (2), and Mabel (1). The family employed two servants: Emily Bidder (19) and Mary A. Jones (16).
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| 1891 Census |
By the 1891 Census, the family had moved to Gilvendeg, where Llewellyn, then aged 24, was recorded as a Civil Engineer. His father, William (58), continued to work as a Builder and Contractor, and his siblings Mary Jane (29), Beatrice Alice Mary (13), Helena Catherine (12), and Mabel (11) were also present. Two domestic servants, Jane Jones (29) and Ann Broom (20), completed the household.
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| 1901 Census |
The 1901 Census lists William Rawlings Thomas, aged 37, as head of the household at Gilvendeg. His siblings included Llewellyn (34), employed as a Surveyor; Alfred H. (32), a Timber Merchant; Helena C. (22); and Mabel P. (21). Two servants, Louisa Shackson (31) and Josephine Geary (21), were also in residence.
No 1911 Census entry for Llewellyn has been located.
Military Service
At the outbreak of the First World War, Llewellyn Thomas enlisted in the 6th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, where he became one of its senior and oldest officers. His professional background and leadership experience made him an asset to the unit during its early formation.
The 1/6th (Glamorgan) Battalion, Welsh
Regiment was a Territorial Force unit based in Swansea,
composed largely of local men. In August 1914, it was mobilised for home
defence and training before moving to Tunbridge Wells and later to Scotland,
where it guarded coastal defences and prepared for service overseas. The
battalion landed in France in October 1914, among the first Welsh
Territorial units to enter the Western Front, where it served in the Lahore
Division and later the 19th (Western) Division.
Major Thomas went to France in October 1914, serving
through the harsh winter of the first campaign. He was later invalided home
with dysentery, a common and debilitating illness among front-line troops.
After a period of recovery, he was discharged, but when he regained his
strength, he volunteered once more, returning to duty with the 3rd line of
the regiment, which was responsible for training and reinforcing the active
battalions abroad.
Death and Burial
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| South Wales Daily Post |
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| South Wales Daily Post |
Shortly after resuming duty, Llewellyn became ill again and died suddenly on 29th November 1915 at his brother’s residence in Swansea.
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| Llewellyn Thomas Oystermouth Cemetery credit - findagrave |
He was buried in Oystermouth Cemetery, his funeral
marking another early military burial at the site. The South Wales Daily
Post described his passing as a “sudden loss to the regiment and to
Swansea,” where the Thomas family had long been prominent in local civic and
business life.
Legacy
Major Llewellyn Thomas’s career exemplified the
spirit of dedication and leadership that characterised the early volunteers of
the Territorial Force. As one of the founding officers of the 6th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, his service spanned both the battlefields of
France and the home front, bridging the experience of war and the
responsibilities of rebuilding a unit at home.
His death in 1915 placed him among the earliest officers of
the Welsh Regiment to be laid to rest at Oystermouth Cemetery, alongside
Privates John Malcolm James, Arthur Michael, and Captain
Edward Talfourd Strick. Together, their stories form the first chapter in
the cemetery’s enduring connection to Swansea’s sacrifice during the First
World War.
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