William Henry Fisher – 14th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment (Swansea Battalion)

Private William Henry Fisher – 14th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment (Swansea Battalion)

William Harman Fisher and Edith Mary Thomas marriage certificate St. Mary's Church, Swansea

William Henry Fisher, born in 1892 in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, was the son of William Harman Fisher and Edith Mary Thomas, who married in 1891 at St Mary’s Church, Swansea. His childhood and early working life can be traced through the 1901 and 1911 Census returns, which show a family moving between trades linked to Swansea’s maritime and engineering industries.

Early Life – 1901 & 1911 Census (Combined Narrative)

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the Fisher family at 3 Baptist Wells Place, Swansea. William Harman, aged 33, worked as a ship’s rigger, while his Pembrokeshire‑born wife Edith M., aged 22, managed the home. Their children were William H. (9), George H. (8) and Edith M. (14 months). Also present was Edith’s brother, James H. Thomas (37), a fish buyer, reflecting the close-knit family networks common in Swansea’s working communities.

1911 Census

By 1911, the family had moved to 30 Sea View Terrace, Swansea. William Harman, now 42, was employed as an engineer’s clerk, and Edith May, aged 41, continued household duties. Their children included William Henry (19), an engineer’s apprentice; Thomas Hector (8); Charles Ivor (6); Elwyn George (2 months); Edith Myra (11) and Phyllis May (2). The census shows a growing household shaped by industrial trades and steady employment.

Marriage

In 1913, William married Elizabeth Maud Norman, beginning married life just as Europe moved toward the First World War.

 Service with the Welsh Regiment

William Henry Fisher enlisted in the Welsh Regiment, serving as a Private in the 14th (Service) Battalion (Swansea Battalion)—a unit raised from the city’s men and closely tied to Swansea’s civic identity. The battalion saw training and early wartime duties before deployment overseas.

Death and Burial

William died on 25 November 1915, during the battalion’s early wartime period. He was laid to rest at St Peter’s, where his grave stands among the earliest First World War burials connected to Swansea’s local regiments.