Tudor Emlyn Jones – Rifle Brigade, 11th Battalion

Rifleman Tudor Emlyn Jones – Rifle Brigade, 11th Battalion

Tudor Emlyn Jones was born in 1893 in Mardy, the son of Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Jones. His early childhood unfolded in Carmarthenshire before the family later settled in Swansea, moving from rural bookkeeping work to the industrial and railway districts of Brynhyfryd.

Family Life

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Jones family living at 10 Quarry Street, Llandilo Fawr, Carmarthenshire. Thomas E. Jones, aged 47 and born in Carmarthenshire, worked as a Bookkeeper, while his wife Elizabeth, aged 48, also Carmarthenshire‑born, managed a large household. Their children — Gwladys M., 19, a Draper’s Assistant; William E., 17, a Billiard Maker; John E., 16, a Telegraph Messenger; David C., 14, an Assistant in a Stationery Shop; Tudor E., 9; and Wilmot M., 8 — reflect a family with older children already in skilled employment and younger ones still attending school.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had relocated to 56 Byng Terrace, Brynhyfryd, Swansea. Thomas, now 56, was employed as a Shedman with the Great Western Railway, and Elizabeth, aged 57, continued to oversee the home. Their married daughter Gwladys Mabel Morgan, aged 28, was present with her husband Alexander Morgan, 30, a Rollemaker in the Copper Works. Also at home were David Charles, working as a Fireman for the G.W.R.; Tudor Emlyn, 18, a Fitter (Apprentice); and Wilmot Marks, 16, an Office Boy. The census paints a picture of a household deeply rooted in Swansea’s industrial and railway life.

Attestation Papers

Military Service

In September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Tudor Emlyn Jones enlisted at Winchester to serve with the Rifle Brigade, 11th Battalion. The Rifle Brigade was one of the British Army’s elite light infantry regiments, known for rapid movement, marksmanship, and flexible battlefield tactics. Tudor’s background as a fitter’s apprentice suggests he brought practical skill and mechanical aptitude to his military service.

Tudor Emlyn Jones
Cwmgelli Cemetery, Swansea
credit - findagrave

Discharge and Death

After two years of service, Tudor was discharged from the Army in 1916, recorded as Unfit for further duty. His health continued to decline, and he died the following spring, in March 1917.

Burial

Tudor Emlyn Jones was laid to rest at Cwmgelli Cemetery, where he is commemorated among the wartime burials of the First World War.