Thomas Morris – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Eaglet

Engineman Thomas Morris – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Eaglet

Thomas Morris was born in 1872 in Swansea, the son of Thomas Morris and Elizabeth Davies. His early years were spent in the industrial districts of Mysydd and later Vivian Street, where furnace‑men, labourers, and extended families formed the fabric of late‑Victorian Swansea.

Early Family Life

1881 Census

The 1881 Census records the Morris family at 6 Gray Street, Mysydd, Swansea, where Thomas Morris, aged 28, worked as a Furnaceman, and his wife Elizabeth, aged 29, managed the home. Their children present were Thomas, 8; David J., 6; and Mary C., 8 months. Also present was John Davies, 21, a boarder. The census reflects a young family rooted in Swansea’s heavy‑industry workforce.

1891 Census

By the 1891 Census, the family had moved to 41 Vivian Street, Swansea. Thomas, now 39, was employed as a General Labourer, and Elizabeth, also 39, remained at home. Their children present were Thomas, 19, and David I., 17 — both working as General Labourers — along with Mary Catherine, 11, and Sarah, 6 months. A lodger, Joseph, 26, was also present. The household had grown, typical of Swansea’s working families of the period.

Marriage and Early Adulthood

Thomas Morris and Jessie Couch
marriage certificate
St. Mary's Church, Swansea

In 1892, Thomas married Jessie Couch.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records Thomas and Jessie at 8 Cwm Terrace, Swansea. Thomas, aged 29, was employed as a Stoker (Stationary Engine), and Jessie, aged 29, managed the home. Their son Stanley, aged 7, was present.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family were living at 13 Frederick Street, Brynhyfryd, Swansea. Thomas, aged 39, was working as a Fireman on Steam, and Jessie, also 39, was a Dressmaker. Their children present were Stanley, 17, a Labourer in the Electric Department; William, 9; Lillie, 7 — both attending school — and Ivor, aged 4½ months. A visitor, Walter Jones, 24, was also present.

Naval Service

During the First World War, Thomas Morris served as an Engineman with the Royal Naval Reserve. His final recorded ship was the Royal Navy’s Liverpool depot ship and training establishment. Enginemen were responsible for the operation and maintenance of ship engines — a demanding and skilled role essential to naval operations.

Death and Burial

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Thomas Morris
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records note that Thomas Morris died on 27 April 1920, his death attributed to disease, likely worsened by wartime service. He was laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is remembered among Swansea’s First World War casualties.