Swansea Family History

  Ernest Jones (above) Rev. William Buckland  National Portrait Gallery Gower was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956 and was the first area in the United Kingdom to be granted this status.  One person who was instrumental in this being granted was the psychoanalyst,  Ernest Jones .  Jones  was the lifelong friend of  Sigmund Fre ud.  Jones ’ first wife the composer  Morfydd Llwyn Owen , had died 1918, in mysterious circumstances. Gower does have a dark and mysterious past, and in this article, we’ll be looking at two cases. 2023 marks the bicentennial of the first event. We’ll start slightly earlier than 1823, at Christmas 1822, the  Talbot  family of Penrice, were informed that “ bones of elephants ” had been found after  Daniel Davies  and  Rev. Davies  had found animal bones earlier that year. The following January  Rev. William Buckland , Professor of Geology at Oxford University, arrived for a week. During this time,  Buckland  made a discovery of more bon

  No. 51 Squadron was formed at Thetford, Norfolk, May 1916 with the Royal Flying Corps, and then April 1918 saw the formation of the Royal Air Force.   During the First World War, the squadron was used for Home Defences.  The squadron was also responsible for the training of pilots during nighttime flying. At the out break of the Second World War, No. 51 Squadron now based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse , Yorkshire, carried out the First Nigh Ops, along with No.40 Squadron to drop leaflets over Germany. No.51 Squadron, moved from RAF Linton-on-Ouse , November 1939, to RAF Kinloss , Morayshire to provide Coastal Command until December 1939. Moved again this time to RAF Dishforth , Yorkshire.   The squadron used Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircrafts. Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V RAF Dishforth , North Yorkshire Dusk 18 th August 1941, 62 aircraft from No. 51 Squadron took off from RAF Dishforth 21.29, to embark on a bombing raid over the German city of Cologne.  Cologne was an industr

  RAF  Linton-on-Ouse RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a former Royal Air Force station, located at Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire.  It was sold during February 2021, after the MOD couldn’t find any use for the site. 1937, construction work began, and 13 th May, RAF Linton-on-Ouse finally opened as a bomber airfield.   Bombers would take off from the airfield during the Second World War and drop propaganda leaflets over Germany.   The airfield was used also from bombing raids on Norway, Netherlands, Germany and Italy. However, 12 th May 1941, three Luftwaffe aircrafts bombed RAF Linton-on-Ouse , resulting in 13 airmen, including the station commander deaths. These 13 men included. Group Captain Frederick F. Garraway OBE, RAF, 41.   Buried at All Saints Churchyard, Newton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire Sergeant George Balmforth, RAF, 28.   Buried at All Saints Churchyard, Newton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire Flight Sergeant Victor S. Dodd, RAFVR, 20.   Buried at St. Michael Churchyard, West Midlands. Ai

RAF Honnington RAF Honington , based at south Thetford, Suffolk is a RAF Station.  During both the Second World War and Cold War, it was used a bomber station. Since 1994, it has been used as a RAF Regiment depot. Construction work started during 1935, and the base was finally opened during 1937.   The squadrons that were based prior and during the Second World War included. No. 77 Squadron (July 1937 – July 1938) Hawker Herts and Vickers Wellington No. 102 Squadron (July 1937 – July 1938) Handley Page Heyford , Squadron moved to RAF Driffield No. 75 Squadron (July 1938 – July 1939) Handley Page Harrow and Vickers Wellington .   Squadron moved RAF Stradishall No. 215 Squadron (July 1938 – July 1939) Handley Page Harrow and Vickers Wellington .   Squadron moved RAF Bassingbourn IX Squadron IX Squadron (4 th September 1939 – 1940) Wellington Mk Is later changed to Mk IAs The squadron operational flight during the Second World War, was during the 4 th September when it

 Art.  There is a connection with Richard Wilson., the artist and Swansea, but first we must look at the foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts. The Mad King, George III, signed the instrument of the foundation on the 10 th December 1768, and named 34 foundering members, and allowed the total membership to be 40.   So, who were these founding members?  Joshua Reynolds (President), George Barret, Francesco Bartolozzi, Giovanni Battista Cipriani, Augustino Carlini, Charles Caton, Mason Chamberlain, William Chambers, Francis Coates, George Dance, Nathaniel Dance, Thomas Gainsborough, John Gwynn, Francis Neyman, Nathaniel Hone the Elder, Angelica Kauffman, Jeremiah Meyer, George Michael Moser, Mary Moser, Francis Milner Newton (Secretary),   Edward Penny, John Inigo Richards, Paul Sandby, Thomas Sandby, Dominic Serres, Peter Toms, William Tyler, Samuel Wale, Benjamin West, Richard Wilson, Joseph Wilton, Richard Yeo, Francesco Zuccarelli.   Added to the list the following year, were Wil

  RAF Langar, Nottinghamshire RAF Langar was a former Royal Air Force station located near the village of Langar, Nottinghamshire.  Having been established during 1942, it was used by bother the RAF and United States Army Air Force.  During the war, it primarily used as troop carrier transport airfield.  September 1942, the first flying unit to arrive was the No. 207 Squadron, they came from RAF Bottlesford.   With them they brought Avro Lancaster bombers.   No.207 were a major Bomber Command, and it participated in major bombing raids in occupied Europe. No.207 Squadron reformed November 1940, at RAF Waddington, the squadron were assigned the task of the introduction of ill-fated Avro Manchester , from there they moved to RAF Bottlesford, where the Avro Manchester were replaced to Avro Lancaster .   Owing to the runaway surface at Bottlesford breaking up and in need of repairs, the squadron moved to RAF Langar.   From there, the squadron became the first occupant of the newly RAF

  The S.S. Empire Amethyst , was an 8-ton tanker, was built during 1941 by the Furness Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Stockton-on-Tess, launched July 1941, and completed by that December.  Empire Amethyst was built for the Ministry of War Transport, and her homeport was Middlesbrough.  Sadly, there are no photographs of Empire Amethyst , however, there is a ships design plans.  During the Second World War, Empire Amethyst was part of several convoys. Convoy ON-17 was launched 17 th September 1941, departing from Liverpool and 19 th from Loch Ewe.   By the 29 th the convoy was dispersed.   Convoy consisted of 44 merchant ships with an additional 18 escorts. S.S.  Inneroy Empire Amethyst saw action during 23 rd January 1942, when survivors from the Norwegian S.S. Inneroy , was torpedoed and sunk by U-553 , the survivors were taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia. That February, Empire Amethyst was part of the Convoy HX-173.   The convoy left Halifax on the 1sst and arrived on the 14 th at

Marriage Certificate - Henry Charles Hill and Beatrice Annie Tabram St. Peter church, Cockett  This blog starts Christmas Day, 1911, with the marriage of Henry Charles Hill and Beatrice Annie Tabram at St. Peter’s church, Cockett. The witnesses of the marriages were Stanley Hill, brother of Henry and Rose Lloyd, presumably a friend of Beatrice.  The marriage certificate was signed by all four people.  This is the first time we see Stanley’s signature.  The marriage service was conducted by Vicar Stewart. 1911 Census At the time of the 1911 Census, a few months earlier, the boys were living at their family home, 68 Cwmdu, Cwmburla.  The house consisted of 5 rooms, and there were 10 people residing at the address.  Parents were Somerset born Charles Hill and Monmouthshire born Cecilia nee John, both of whom were 51 years old.  Charles’s occupation was listed as Rollerman employed at the Tinworks. The children, whom all were born in Swansea were Thomas Saunders, 28, Doubler; Cecilia, 26;