I need help on Griffith Davies b. 1893 Blauneu, Festininog, Wales, UK

+4 votes
352 views
I have a brick wall.  wiki/Davies-10041   He is Griffith Davies b. 1893 Blauneu, Festiniog, Merionethshire, Wales, UK.  The only known record I have is 1911 census at Walton on the Hill, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK.  He is not with his parents, but with relatives.  This is certainly him, because his profession is Bank Clerk.  He served in the war, but survived the war, and fathered children in 1916 thru 1925.  He is never listed in any city directory with his wife, and she is always listed alone as Mrs. May Davies, first in Liverpool, which is her birth place, then by 1925 she is living in Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, UK where she remained in the same house from 1925 to death in 1980.  4 children, and each birth record states the same father, Griffith Davies, Bank Clerk.  Why can't I find him?  There is a family mystery surrounding him, and no one old enough to know would talk, they all took it to their graves, and now the living descendants want to know who this man is.  Can anyone help?  Best regards, Lilly Martin
WikiTree profile: Griffith Davies
in Genealogy Help by Lilly Martin G2G4 (5.0k points)
Lilly, The 1939 Register, has May Davies, date of birth 12 May 1892, Married, Unpaid Domestic and Barbara M Waters (Davies) date of birth 28 Feb 1916, Shorthand Typist, Single at 68 Bedford Drive, Birkenhead C.B., Cheshire.  3 other people are recorded however the record for those people are officially closed.
Thank you Erin Ryan.  I appreciate your time and effort to help me.  The other 3 in the household are the children of May Davies.  I know everything about May Kelsall Davies and her 4 children.  What I lack information on is Griffith Davies, the father of the 4 children.  He is a mystery, and the 4 children refused to say anything about their father, such as when and where he died.  May Kelsall Davies was uneducated and had no skills of any type, she had no inheritance and no job, and no source of income whatsoever. And yet she owned her own home and paid for it in cash in 1924, which was a brand new constructed home, which even today is a valuable property in Rock Ferry.  Her children all wore good clothes and attended private schools, and the family took a yearly vacation to Isle of Man.  How did any of this get paid for, when there was no father present?  Something is seriously missing.
Do you know Angela Mary Kelsall her religeon.
Does Griffith Davies have a middle name or Initial ??
Do you know unit he served with WW1. There are 2 listed on

find My Past but need more info.Why will children will not

comment on him ??
May Kelsall was Roman Catholic.  She was born in Liverpool and raised there.  In 1911 she is living at Walton of the Hill, as is Griffith Davies b. 1893 Bank Clerk.  I already know all of the ancestry of May Kelsall, and her parents and siblings. I have never found any marriage record for May Kelsall to Griffith Davies.  The birth record of all 4 children state the father is Griffith Davies, Bank Clerk.
I do not have any information on Griffith Davies other than the 1911 census at Liverpool (Walton on the Hill) and his name on all 4 birth records of his children, but none note any middle initial.
Griffith Davies was listed in 1916 as: " Lt. 3rd battery of Welsh regiment, bank clerk."

This is the exact wording on his first child's birth record, identifying him as the FATHER of the baby born.  The 3rd reverve battalion, Royal Welsh Army, never saw overseas duty, they were a reserve unit which remained between England and Ireland during the war years.
Since she was Roman Catholic,I was raised around many

Catholics,i never saw any marry out of there religeon.

Manchester Diocese shows no marriage record for them.They hold birth,Baptism,Marriage records.Thats odd.

3 Answers

+5 votes
Hi Lilly,

Your post caught my attention for two reasons, one I’m part Welsh, and then when I read your question and profile I was intrigued. I live about 5 minutes from Rock Ferry, and know the roads named in your research! Small World :-)

I can’t find him in the 1939 register, or I should say there are possibles but as you say it’s a mystery. I wonder if he was a simple bank clerk, if he worked for one of the Shipping Lines in that capacity he could have earned a decent salary! Most of the people in Rock Ferry at this time would be somehow connected to the industry. I also wonder that if he travelled it would explain his absences. The town hall at Birkenhead would be a good place to start.

I like you cannot find Griffith in 1901 in Wales or England at the moment. I would suggest creating profiles for the family in the 1911 census. If Griffith is Robert William Roberts nephew then his mother was a Roberts. If hes Jane Ellen’s nephew then it would need her marriage record to establish her maiden name.

There are a few possible birth registrations, to determine the right one the family in the 1911 census may be the key.

Hopefully you will able to connect them to each other, and if you need any help let me know :-)

Lizzie
by Lizzie Griffiths G2G6 Pilot (128k points)
+3 votes
His record on Forces War Records,His full name Griffith E.G.

Davies serial number 28620 ,shows Private .at  joining.

Possibly made Lt. later.Also May remarried a Thomas Edward

Waring.So Griffth either died or they divorced.
by Wayne Morgan G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)
Thank you Wayne Morgan.  You have confused Angela Mary Davies, the daughter of Griffith Davies, with her mother.  Angela married Thomas Edward Waring.  Angela's parents were May Kelsall and Griffith Davies. I really appreciate this clue about his name on the war records. There were numerous men named Griffith Davies who all served in the WW! at the same time, and several died, and several survived.  I need a man who survived the war.  I have had to study them all in order to sort them out.  This is the first time I have seen this full name with initials, and this might be the break in the case.  Thank you so much.  Lilly Martin
I've checked this record and, while it's certainly worth investigating, there's only a small probability of it being the right person. The record itself is just an index card entry with extremely scant details.
Thank you Matthew Fletcher.  I used the free weekend to check through all soldiers named Griffith Davies, who served WW1, and were the right age.  I further identified several who were all in the WELSH regiment.  Those files are not digitized, and so can not be viewed online.  I would have to go in person to the KEW in London to go through each of the list and see who survived the war, and was a Lt. and was in the 3rd battalion, and had the occupation on BANK CLERK.  It can be done, but not by me, as I live overseas.  However, there are paid researchers who will do it, and eventually that might have to be done.  Thanks again.  Lilly Martin
Well my advice is to save your money because I've already checked and he isn't there. I've spent a long time looking at this because I thought it would be easy but haven't posted an answer because I'm getting dead ends in all directions. There's something very fishy about Griffith Davies. No birth, no marriage, no death, no traceable connection with his supposed uncle or aunt, no military record, no apparent presence other than the census entry. If it wasn't for the children you'd wonder if he existed at all.

I don't think its worth  pursuing Griffith Ellis George Davies private 28620 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/18148362?h=4cae43&utm_campaign

A Griffith Ellis George Davies  was from Haverford West and perfectly visible in records from birth reg to the 1939 register and his death in 1969. He was son of a labourer George and his wife Charlotte  in 1901 and in 1939 was single, a labourer living in Haverford West with the widowed Charlotte Davies.

Thank you Helen Ford.  It is worth noting that I can eliminate that one man.  I have a very long list of eliminated persons.
Thank you again Matthew Fletcher. I have spent many years going round in circles. What I do know for sure, is only the 1911 census with his name, age, birth place, and occupation.  His name on each of the 4 children's birth records 1916 to 1920 is always the same name, with same BANK CLERK as occupation.  Yet, he appears to be non-existing in records other than 1911.  However, his wife who had no job, no source of income was able to buy a home in 1924 and send all the kids to private schools and they wore good clothes.  That all takes money.  So where did this money come from?  The kids were told that shortly after the last baby was born in 1925, Griffith Davies died, and that is why no one knows him.  The eldest child would have been about 9 yrs in 1925.  I have thought maybe the name Griffith Davies was invented, and this was just a boy she knew in the 1911 census, as they were in fact neighbors.  Maybe the kids were fathered by a wealthy man who did not want his name known publically, and so this name was simply used for documents?  There is a mystery here, as none of those who knew would tell, and now they are all dead.  The grandchildren are in the 60's now and we want to know the truth.  DNA might help if a male descendant would agree. Thank you so much. Lilly
+3 votes
Found Griffith E.G Davies using his service number 28620.

Fwr is cheap too join.Find them online.
by Wayne Morgan G2G Astronaut (1.0m points)

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