Henry James Curtis – Welch Regiment, 17th (Home Defence) Battalion

Private Henry James Curtis – Welch Regiment, 17th (Home Defence) Battalion

Early Life and Family Background

Sidney George Curtis and Susan Bailey marriage certificate Parish Church of Marnhull, Dorset

Henry James Curtis, born in 1884 in Swansea, was the son of Sidney George Curtis and Susan Bailey, who married in 1853 at the Parish Church of Marnhull, Dorset. His childhood unfolded in the working districts of Swansea, shaped by the labouring trades that defined the Curtis family.

1891 Census – Middle Road, Swansea

1891 Census

In 1891, the Curtis family were living at 132 Middle Road, Swansea. Sidney, aged 38 and born in Dorset, worked as a Cartman, while his Somerset‑born wife Susan, aged 37, kept the home. Their household was large and industrious: Jesse, 18, and George, 14, were Coal Miners; John, 17, worked as a Stone Mason Labourer; Mary, 12, Henry, 7, Thomas, 4, and Walter, 2, all attended school; and the youngest, Albert, was just one month old. A cousin, Albert Bailey, aged 22, also lived with them, reflecting the extended family networks common in late‑Victorian Swansea.

1901 Census – Carmarthen Road, Swansea

1901 Census

By 1901, the family had moved to 135 Carmarthen Road, Swansea. Sidney, now 50, was employed as a Dock Labourer, and Susan, aged 49, remained at home. Several older children had left, but Henry, aged 17, was recorded as a Fireman, while Thomas, 14, worked as a General Labourer. Albert, aged 10, was still in school, and Eliza, aged 8, completed the household.

1911 Census – Percy Street, Cockett

1911 Census

In 1911, the family were living at 17 Percy Street, Cockett, Swansea. Sidney, aged 61, was still working as a Labourer, and his wife Susy, aged 60, remained at home. Their children present were Henry—recorded as Harry, aged 24, working as a Labourer—Thomas, 21, also a Labourer, Albert, 20, employed as a Labour Mason, and Liza, aged 19. The census reflects a household of adult children contributing to Swansea’s labouring trades.

Marriage and Later Life

In 1919, Henry married Mary A. Jenkins in Swansea.

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, Henry and his family were living at 43 Carlton Terrace, Swansea. Henry, aged 36, was employed as a Labourer by builder contractor J. F. Weaver, though he was out of work at the time of the census. His wife Mary, aged 38, was present, along with Henry’s stepson Percy G. Jenkins, aged 19, who worked as a Carter for haulage contractor W. Smith. Also living with them was Elizabeth Fokes, aged 34, the wife of Henry’s brother.

Henry James Curtis
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

Second World War Service and Death

During the Second World War, Henry James Curtis served as a Private with the Welch Regiment, 17th (Home Defence) Battalion, a unit responsible for guarding key installations and supporting civil defence across South Wales. He died on 21 September 1940, aged 60, and was buried at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is remembered among Swansea’s wartime dead.