Keith Rees who emigrated to Australia as a young lad in the 1960’s is now retired over there and finding more spare time to fulfil his hobbies. Like many people he enjoys modelling and train sets, which I don’t know very much about. Keith told me of his “helix” and his model village. Never far away from the heart of the man, like many of us, is his early life growing up on the Welsh Land Settlement at Leechpool and he has based his model village on the settlement and here are some photos set out below. He told me that he had to use a little licence with some of his models but I think he should be really proud of what he has achieved. A little bit of Leechpool in New South Wales. Well done Keith!
I was pleased to hear again from David Coupland. David, who lives in Portsmouth, is the son of Claude Coupland who was the manager at Fferm Goch until he died in 1956.
Claude managed around 20 men who were mainly ex miners. They had quite big dinners at the Red Farm farm house which were attended by members of the management board, some of whom were from Boverton and, possibly head office in Cardiff.
Betty dealt with much of the administrative work.
David believes the man who took over from his father saw the run down and sale of the settlement to a man called Desmond. Subsequent to that, the farm was sold to the Jones family who were believed to be farmers from West Wales.
David moved to no 13 Fferm Goch with his mum, Betty, after his dad’ s death. Mum was very close to Terry and Vera Jones of no 2 who was a very kind lady, especially to David’s mum. They lived at no 13 until 1970.
In his other recollections, David recalls the Newman family, particularly Joyce and Shirley, who he believes married into the Dennis family.
In the future, David hopes to find some photographs to accompany these memories of his.
I was just browsing through EBay recently and came across a copy of the Boverton Castle Co-operators (Welsh Land Settlement) Limited Rules booklet, so I went ahead and bought it. At some point in the future I shall donate it to Glamorgan Archives as that is the place it should reside with all the other WLS documentation they hold.
The objects of the company are very wide ranging giving the co-operators plenty of scope for embracing all of their potential activities, as follows:
“To carry on the industries, businesses and trades of agriculture, horticulture and farming in all its branches, house building, glasshouse building, purchase, sale, letting and hiring of real estate, canning, bottling. jam and pickle manufacturing, fruit and vegetable preserving, haulage and freight contracting and to carry on any other industry, business or trade which may seem calculated directly or indirectly to develop the Society’s property.”
Each of the settlements were registered as a limited company in their own right and registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts of 1893 to 1928.
At the back of the booklet are some pages pasted in where rules have been amended from time to time. These show the names of the three local members of the co-operators.
In a 1940 amendment they are, H. Vaughan, W C Evans and A Guy
In a 1938 amendment messrs Guy and Vaughan are shown plus J. Davies and secretary C G Hughes
In an undated amendment the three are William J Price, H Vaughan and W Chick with secretary Hughes
In another 1938 change they are Mr Chick, A Morgan and William J Price with secretary E B Hicks
I am sure one or two descendants of settlers will recall some of those names.
At this time of the year, as we remember those who gave their lives in service to their country, it is fitting to bring this to your attention.
A local lady has been painstakingly trying to unravel the mystery of a name on the Hawarden War Memorial that we have referred to before on the WLS site. Her name is Mavis Williams and she is to be congratulated for her efforts. I believe she has proved beyond doubt that David E Jones, remembered on the War Memorial, should commemorate his son, David Henry Bray Jones, both formerly of No. 1 North Green, WLS, Sealand.
Hopefully, this innocent mistake can be rectified in the near future in order to get the right person on the monument. We should add that this takes nothing away from the valuable service to his country that was given by David E Jones during WW1 as Mavis states in her work.
I have been sent a photo by Rachel who wants to know if anyone remembers her grandfather’s family living at 38 Leechpool. In the 1939 Register (similar to a census), David Parry Jones and his wife with their son Thomas Parry Jones, who is a 12 year old schoolboy, are living at No. 38. 3 other records at the house are redacted. Here is a photo of Rachel’s granddad.
The Church Warden of St Bart’s, Jennifer Watson, is keen to invite all Welsh Land Settlement descendants and all those locals with an interest in catching up to join her at the Church on Friday 21st June from 2:30 pm. I would ask that you kindly support Jennifer as she does a superb community job in keeping alive the memories of our ancestors and their lives on the WLS at Sealand.
Please click on the poster text below to open it up.
Whilst doing some family history recently I was able to access the 1939 Register which was taken at the outbreak of WW2 in September 1939 as an emergency census. Not all people are shown on it as many names are redacted although it gives a good insight into the people who were most of the original settlers and their families. So far I have transcribed West Green and it is set out below. If any of their relatives have some stories to tell and or pictures they would be more than welcome. UDD stands for Unpaid Domestic Duties.
Manor Farm and House John Brown Foreman Market Gardener Heavy Work
Phoebe Brown UDD
1 West Green David Preece Market Gardener Tractor Driver
Florence M Preece UDD
Frederick D G Preece GPO Sorting Clerk and Postal Telegraph
Edwin VR Preece Horticultural Worker
Redacted
Redacted
3 West Green Alfred L Baker Market Gardener
Rose D Baker UDD
Redacted
4 West Green William Morris Land Worker
Elizabeth A Morris UDD
Redacted
5 West Green James V Baker Agricultural Storeman
Charlotte E Baker UDD
Robert C Baker Agricultural Motor Lorry Driver
6 West Green Joseph Jones Tractor Driver
Alice M Jones UDD
Terrance Jones Market Gardener
Elaine Jones School
Clive Jones School
Redacted
7 West Green Edward H Harris Agricultural Worker
Catherine Harris Market Gardener
Patricia M Harris Market Gardener
8 West Green Charles H Richardson Horseman Farm
Caroline Richardson UDD
Margery Richardson School
Redacted
9 West Green Ernest HF Short Agricultural Worker
Harriet Short UDD
Redacted
Redacted
10 West Green William G Gough Land Worker
Pearl Gough UDD
Redacted
Redacted
Redacted
Redacted
Redacted
11 West Green John G Brown Foreman Land Worker
Gladys Brown UDD
Redacted
Eric Brown School
Kenneth Brown Under school age
Redacted
12 West Green James Carter Tractor Driver (Ransoms)
Florence K Carter UDD
Redacted
Ronald Carter Switch Box Maker
Redacted
13 West Green Alfred Baker Landworker Heavy Work
Elizabeth M Baker UDD
Redacted
Samuel Gooder Landworker
Gomer G Wilcot General Labourer Heavy Work
14 West Green Harry White Horseman Farm
Prudence White UDD
Alice White Farmworker Potato Picker
Harry White General Farm Labourer
Redacted
Redacted
15 West Green Edmund Coan Market Gardener
Esther A R Coan UDD
Redacted
Redacted
Redacted
Redacted
Ann E Coan OAP
16 West Green Frank Way Land Worker
Irene Way Potato Packer
Redacted
Freda M Way School
Redacted
17 West Green Henry Harvey Coppersmith sheet metal worker and welder
Auriol Harvey UDD
Redacted
Redacted
18 West Green Charles Freeman Market Gardener Heavy Work
Rose Freeman Land Worker
Redacted
Redacted
Glyndwr Freeman Land Worker Heavy Work
Redacted
Stuart Freeman School
19 West Green David J James Tractor Driver Land Worker
Florence M James UDD
Myra James School
20 West Green Harold G Gillard Market Gardener
Amelia Gillard UDD
Ernest L Gillard Market Gardener
Harvey Johnson Electrical Linesmans Mate and Electricians Mate
I was pleased to receive an email recently from Emma Price of Art, People, Place who is coordinating the provision of a new playground at Fferm Goch. Emma has been in contact with me as she is building the history of the Welsh Land Settlement into the theme of the playground. The signage will include a QR code that can be read by a smartphone, which takes you straight to our blog. That’s a wonderful tribute to all those with WLS memories, whichever settlement you are from, as it will encourage more and more people to learn about our families through those difficult times. Thank you Emma and we look forward to receiving pictures of the playground when it is opened in the near future.
Can anyone help Peter with his research, he wrote:
“I am researching soldiers from Buckley or with a connection to Buckley who died in WW2, and came across David Henry Bray Jones. According to a newspaper obit he was the son of Mr & Mrs Jones of 1, North Green. I believe his wife was Esther Garner and she lived in Belmont Crescent Buckley. I think he was born in Llandilofawr. I see from the 1939 Register and your records that the Bray family was at 1, North Green in 1939. Does anyone have anything to add to this story?”
I found this old photo that some of you may be able to identify some of the ladies in the group. Of those standing 6th from the left in her scarf is my Nan, Kitty Jones, and 7th from left is Auntie Elfie Jones (nee Kennedy). Is that Louisa Jacobs 8th from left standing and Cassie Lewis 10th left standing? Are they the Tiller Girls (London Palladium) seated?
Come on, let’s identify all 18 of them. Where and when was is taken?
Welsh Land Settlements 