From towers to trenches, we remember Walter George Jones
In the first quarter of 1911 celebrations of the wedding of Walter Jones and Nellie Pargeter were in full swing. The happy couple could not imagine that in just over 5 years Nellie would join the growing number of war widows and Walter’s name would join 72,000 others engraved on The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.
Walter was born in 1888 in Maids Moreton to George and Bessie Jones, he was the second of five children. Elder sister Eva was born in 1886, younger sister Nellie was born in 1893 followed by Charlie Jones in 1894 and Victoria in 1898.
The 1891 census shows that father George was employed as a brick layers labourer and the family lived in Well More. The census of 1901 shows the family had moved to Main Street and father George was away from home, eldest daughter Eva had also left the family home. Walter had left school and at the age of 13 was employed as a Waggoneers Boy on farm. By 1911 only son Charlie was still living at home, father George was at this time running his own carting contracting business employing his son Charlie and the family had moved into Church Street. Walter by this time was married to Nellie and working as a carpenter, the young couple lived in Main Street with Nellie’s mother and younger sister.
Information sources
Census records for 1911, 1901, 1891
Commonwealth war graves commission