Thomas William George – Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, 4th Siege Company

 Corporal Thomas William George – Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, 4th Siege Company

Thomas William George was born in 1885 in Swansea, the son of Daniel George and Harriet Davies, who had married in 1874 in Swansea. His childhood unfolded in the industrial districts of Aberdyberthi and Dyvatty, shaped by blacksmithing, tin‑works labour, and the large, close‑knit families typical of late‑Victorian Swansea.

Family Life

1891 Census

The 1891 Census records the George family living at 63 Aberdyberthi Street, Swansea, where Daniel George, aged 42, worked as a Blacksmith, and Harriet, aged 37, managed a bustling household. Their children — Mary E., 15; David J., 12; Edward D., 8; Thomas W., 6; Millicent S., 5; Charles H., 2; and Emin S., 11 months — reflect a large family rooted in the industrial life of the Lower Swansea Valley, with the younger children attending school.

1901 Census

A decade later, the 1901 Census shows the family still at 63 Aberdyberthi Street. Daniel, now 52, continued his work as a Blacksmith, while Harriet, 48, oversaw an expanded household. Their children present were David J., 22, an Engine Railway Man; Thomas, 17; Sarah, 15; Charles, 12; Emin, 10; Trevor, 8; Irene, 6; and Florrie, 2. The census paints a picture of a busy home spanning all ages, with older children entering skilled industrial work and younger ones still in school.

Marriage and Early Adulthood

In 1907, Thomas William George married Ellen Williams.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the young family were living at 37 Dyvatty Street, Swansea. Thomas William, aged 26, was employed as a Blacksmith Striker, while Mary Ellen, aged 27, managed the home. Their children — Gladys, 4; Thomas William, 2; and Daniel Edward, 10 months — completed the household.

Civil Record

Goal Records

In May 1914, Thomas was sentenced to five days’ imprisonment for a breach of the Education Act, a reminder of the strict enforcement of school attendance laws in early‑20th‑century Britain.

Service Papers

Military Service

In August 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War, Thomas William George enlisted as a Private in the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, serving with the 4th Siege Company. The Royal Monmouthshire Engineers were responsible for heavy engineering tasks — constructing fortifications, maintaining siege works, and supporting artillery operations. Thomas’s background as a blacksmith striker made him well suited to the demanding physical labour of military engineering.

Through service and merit, Thomas was promoted to Corporal, reflecting his capability and reliability within the unit.

Thomas William George
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

Discharge and Death

In 1916, Thomas was discharged as unfit for further military service, his health having deteriorated during the early years of the war. He died shortly afterwards, in November 1916, and was laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is commemorated among the wartime burials of the First World War.