Gwilym Hopkins – Royal Artillery, 53 Light Battery

Gunner Gwilym Hopkins – Royal Artillery, 53 Light Battery

Gwilym Hopkins was born in 1900 in Llansamlet, Swansea, the son of William Hopkins and Elizabeth Morgan, who had married in 1896 at Pontardawe. His childhood unfolded in the close‑knit mining communities of Trallwn, where families lived by the rhythms of chapel, colliery work, and the steady routines of early twentieth‑century Swansea Valley life.

Family Life

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Hopkins family living at Trallwn Road, Llansamlet, where William Hopkins, aged 29, worked as a Coal Miner Repairer, and his wife Elizabeth, aged 26, managed the home. Their children were Gwilym, aged 1, and Anita, just five months old. Also present was Elizabeth’s younger sister, Mary H. Morgan, aged 14, employed as a Dressmaker’s Apprentice, reflecting the extended family networks common in mining districts.

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census shows the family still residing at Trallwn Road. William, now 39, continued his work as a Coal Miner (Repairer), while Elizabeth, aged 36, oversaw a growing household. Their children — Gwilym, 11; Anita, 10; Ceridwen, 9; Maggie, 7; Benjamin, 3; and Trevor, 1 — were all recorded as attending school, capturing a busy family life shaped by industry, chapel, and the educational aspirations of the era.

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Hopkins family were living at Rossets Cottage, Trallwn Road, Llansamlet. Elizabeth, aged 46, was recorded as a widow, undertaking household duties while raising her children alone. Gwilym, aged 22, worked as a Colliery Labourer Below Ground for Smaler Colliery Syndicate, though he was listed as out of work at the time of the census. His siblings included Anita, 20, a Dressmaker employed by Edwards Drapers, Swansea; Maggie, 18, assisting at home; and the younger children — Benjamin, 14; Trevor, 11; Maygwen, 10; Cyril, 6; and Dora, 5 months — all of whom were still in school or infancy. The census presents a portrait of a large family navigating hardship after the loss of its breadwinner.

Military Service

In adulthood, Gwilym Hopkins enlisted in the Royal Artillery, serving as a Gunner with 53 Light Battery. Light batteries were responsible for mobile artillery support, often equipped with lighter field guns designed for rapid deployment. His service placed him among the many Swansea Valley men who joined the Royal Artillery during the Second World War.

Gwilym Hopkins 
Carmel Methodist Chapel, Llansamlet credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

Gwilym Hopkins died on 8 October 1940 at Leicester, during the early months of the Second World War. His body was brought home to Llansamlet, where he was laid to rest at Carmel Methodist Chapel, returning him to the chapel community that had shaped his family across generations.