Joseph Thomas Evans – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 11th Battalion

Private Joseph Thomas Evans – Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 11th Battalion

James Walter Evans and Margaret Thomas marriage certificate St. Mary's Church, Swansea

Joseph Thomas Evans was born in 1894 in Waunarlwydd, Swansea, the son of James Walter Evans and Margaret Thomas, who had married at St Mary’s Church in 1891. His early childhood unfolded within the industrial communities west of Swansea, shaped by tin‑works employment, chapel life, and the steady routines of a working‑class household.

Family Life

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Evans family living at 229 Carmarthen Road, Swansea, where James Walter Evans, aged 31, worked as a Shunter at the tin works, and Margaret, aged 38, managed the home. Their children — Oscar E., 9; Joseph, 7; and Harold I., 5 — formed a young family rooted in the industrial landscape of Waunarlwydd and Manselton.

1911 Census

A decade later, the 1911 Census shows the family living at 4 Major Street, Manselton, Swansea. James Walter is absent from the record, and Margaret, now 48, is listed as head of the household. Her sons Oscar James, 19, and Joseph Thomas, 17, were both Cabinet Makers (apprentices), while Harold Ivor, 15, was still attending school. The census presents a picture of a household adapting to change, with the older boys entering skilled trades and contributing to the family’s livelihood.

Military Service

In the early months of the First World War, Joseph Thomas Evans enlisted as a Private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, serving with the 11th Battalion — a unit formed as part of Kitchener’s New Army, drawing heavily from Welsh industrial towns and villages. His service places him among the earliest volunteers from the Swansea district.

Joseph Thomas Evans
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea credit - findagrave

Death and Burial

On 3 December 1914, Joseph died at Hastings, having suffocated from gas in the house where he was billeted. His death occurred before the battalion left for overseas service, making him one of the earliest casualties connected to the unit. His body was brought home to Swansea, where he became the first military burial at Cwmgelli Cemetery, marking the beginning of the cemetery’s wartime commemorations.