Military Cemetery/Memorial / Fynwent milwrol: Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France.
Frederick 'Fred' Williams was born in Caergwrle in 1891 to Daniel & Ruth Williams of Lower Street Caergwrle. He was one of 9 children born to the couple, only 7 of whom survived. Daniel & Ruth (Nee Davies) were natives of Caergwrle, marrying in St Cynfarch's Church, Hope in 1879.
When we first see Fred on the Census it is in 1901. He is 10 years old and living with his parents and 4 of his brothers in Lower Street, Caergwrle. His father is a Sawyer, and his 2 elder brothers are also in employment – one is a coalminer and the other a farm labourer. Daniel & Ruth speak both English and Welsh, but the children only speak English.
In 1911 Fred, 20, is still living with his parents, along with 5 of his brothers who are aged between 14 and 30 and all are single. They still live in Lower Street, though Daniel has declared his address as Derby Road, though the ones living either side of him still declare 'Lower Street'. The street is known today as Derby Road. The boys have a variety of jobs – Daniel, their father, is now 64 and unemployed; Butcher, Painter, Coal Miner (waggoner), Grocer's assistant and Newsboy are the jobs of his brothers, with Fred listed as 'Bottler in Brewery'. My presumption is he worked at the Lassell & Sharman Brewery on Derby Road (a.k.a. Lower Street), which was only yards from his home.
From records on Ancestry.co.uk, we can see that Fred enlisted in Caergwrle into The King's (Liverpool) Regiment. Sadly, there are no images of any of the documentation relating to this, but we do know he was a Private – Regimental Number 242296.
On the grave registration document, the next of kin is named as Mr L Williams – Fred's brother, Llewelyn.
Fred received the Victory Medal & the British War Medal. He was 28 years old.
*On Ancestry & FMP there has been a transcription error listing Fred's death as being on 28th June 1918. My dates are taken from the CWGC site where you can view the exact document.