John Henry Evans - Royal Navy, H.M.S. Vivid

Stoker 1st Class John Henry Evans - Royal Navy, H.M.S. Vivid

Birth and Family Background

John Henry Evans was born in 1891 at Llansamlet, Swansea, the son of William Rees Evans and Annie Mary Morgan.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Evans family were residing at Birchgrove, Swansea. William Rees Evans (26) was employed as a coal miner, while his wife Annie Mary (23) managed the household. Their children at that time were Margaret Hannah (1) and John Henry, aged just two months.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 1 Gordon Terrace, Swansea. William Rees Evans (36) was then working as a collier, and his wife Annie Mary (34) remained at home. Their children were Margaret Ann (11); John Henry (10); Mary Ann (7); Elizabeth (6); and Rees David (3). Also living in the household were three boarders: John Davies (30), William Davies (23), and Robert Thomas (32).

Naval Service

Royal Navy Records

In August 1908, John Henry Evans enlisted in the Royal Navy. He trained as a stoker, a physically demanding role involving the operation and maintenance of shipboard boilers and engines, essential to the functioning of naval vessels.

At the time of his death, he held the rank of Stoker 1st Class and was serving at H.M.S. Vivid, the Royal Navy’s shore establishment at Plymouth, which functioned as a training, administrative, and depot ship for personnel serving in the Devonport area.

Death and Burial

John Henry Evans
Ainon Baptist Churchyard, Birchgrove, Swansea
credit - findagrave

John Henry Evans died on 2^nd April 1916 at the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth, from pulmonary tuberculosis. Following his death, his body was returned to South Wales for burial.

He is buried at Ainon Baptist Churchyard, Birchgrove, Swansea, where he is remembered by his family and community.