American Abergelite seeks info about Albert Roberts

Siân Roberts has written to ask for AbergelePost.com readers’ help:

“I’m Americian-born with a strong Abergele connection, my Father moved from there in 1968 to the US. I’m hoping to find out more information about my Taid Albert Roberts, died perhaps 1960? My father refers to his Roberts grandparents are Nain and Taid Pensarn….Might these folks be related to Roberts’ that are the topic above?

“His mother’s maiden name was Wynne-Jones, and he called her parents Nian and Taid Cadau, short for the name of the family farm south of Abergele called Cadau Mawr. I’m curious to know if my Nian (Jane Roberts, nee Wynne-Jones, died Nov. 1993) might have been related to Edward Irwine Wynne-Jones, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers during WWI, and if so how.

“Any help would be tremendously helpful, it’s been twenty-five years since I’ve been back, and sadly I don’t think I’m going to be able to come check the records myself any time soon.”

Sian posted her comment here, so feel free to reply to her comment if you have any useful information.

Easily-forgotten features of Abergele Market Street 1961

I wanted to highlight a few elements of the fantastic photo of a 1961 parade in Abergele Market Street by Dennis Parr (see the full original photo here).

 


 
First of all is the Parr’s shop sign above Parr’s the toyshop in the early 60s. I love this logo:

 

1961-parrslogo

 


Secondly, do you remember the vending machines outside the shop? You could buy fresh milk as well as chocolate bars and Beech Nut chewing gum:

 

1961-vending


 

Next, do you remember when we used to rent our television sets instead of buying them? Here’s the Telehire TV rental shop, as it used to be called before it was Rediffusion:

 
1961-telehire
 


Finally, we’ve already shared Dennis Parr’s photo of the cafe above his toyshop, but how many of you remember the cafe above Wade’s?

 

 

1961-cafeabovewades

 


When you look closely enough at old photos like this it’s surprising how many memories it brings back.

1915-2015: Abergele & District Commemorations: Frank Sydney Beckett

Private 2577 Frank Sydney Beckett, 2/8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Regiment, 2nd Notts. & Derby Brigade, 2nd North Midland Division. Died of pneumonia, 5 March 1915, aged 21.

Frank is buried in Plot I. 2. 75., St. George Churchyard. He is commemorated on Abergele Town War Memorial as S. Beckett (but not the Abergele War Memorial), St. George War Memorial (which spells his name incorrectly) and Bodelwyddan War Memorial.

Frank Sydney, more commonly known by his middle name, was the son of Sarah Ann and George Horner Beckett. George was head gardener at Kinmel Park and originated from Nottinghamshire. In 1912, at the age of 18 in 1912, Sydney moved from St. George to Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. He took up lodgings at 105, Union Street, Mansfield, and was employed as a railway clerk.

The 8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, based in Worksop, were a territorial battalion that, like all territorial battalions on the outbreak of war, began dividing into a 1/8th (first line) Battalion and a 2/8th (second line) Battalion. This was completed in Newark on 11 September 1914. The first line contained men who had volunteered to serve overseas if required whereas the second line were men that would serve as home defence forces. Sydney volunteered for the 1/8th in Mansfield on 21 September 1914. The 1/8th, following mobilisation, had moved to Harpenden for training and this is where where Sydney caught up with his new comrades. In November 1914 it moved to Braintree in Essex. By February 1915 the battalion was ready for overseas service and on 24 February 1915  the battalion began shipping out to France.

On that very day Sydney was posted away from the 1/8th Battalion to the 2/8th Battalion due to illness, though he would never complete the transfer. He had caught a chill following a night attack training exercise near Braintree a few days earlier. The chill had turned to pneumonia and he was hospitalised. He died in the 1st Eastern General Hospital at Cambridge at 2.15 p.m. on 5 March.

His body was returned home and the funeral took place at St. George on Monday 8 March 1915. He was accorded full military honours, with bearers supplied from the recently completed army training base known as Kinmel Camp. A 21 gun salute was fired in the air as the coffin was lowered.

The Beckett family grave in St. George. Frank Sydney is entitled to a war grave headstone from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission though this has never been supplied. If any descendants see this article and feel that the provision of a war grave headstone would be appropriate please make contact for details of how this can be achieved.
The Beckett family grave in St. George. Frank Sydney is entitled to a war grave headstone from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission though this has never been supplied. If any descendants see this article and feel that the provision of a war grave headstone would be appropriate please make contact for details of how this can be achieved.