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Post by annedw on Dec 8, 2008 21:17:38 GMT
Local author Mr Alister Williams has rescued the War Memorial Scroll from Salem Chapel which is now closed. He is giving it to Wrexham Museum, this is fantastic news as it has named photographs of chapel members who served in WW1. My Grandfather and two brothers ( Wilcoxons) are on it, I`m so pleased ;D ;D ;D
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Post by hilary on Dec 8, 2008 22:44:56 GMT
Is this Salem Chapel in Coedpoeth? Good work, whichever!
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Post by annedw on Dec 9, 2008 14:18:28 GMT
Thats right, Coedpoeth. It`s a long story, I put a request on the WW1 forum and mentioned Joseph Oswald Wilcoxon who died. A man replied to this and this is part of it.
I bought Joseph's medallion in an antiques fair at Caernarfon on 16 April 1979 for the (then) princely sum of £6. It was the only military item on offer on that stall, so it says to me that his medals, plaque & medallion had been dispersed at least as early as that date.
The medallion (just to check) was about 1 inch diameter but not circular; it had on the front a red enamelled dragon on a shield, with a dove above, surrounded by a blue enamelled circle lettered "Lest We Forget - Salem Church Coedpoeth". The reverse was plain, but engraved: "In Loving Memory of Pte Jos. O. Wilcoxon 'Who died that we may live' Great War 1914-19". It was manufactured by Fattorini of Bradford, and hallmarked for 1920/21. At the top of the piece was a loop which suggested that something was meant to be inserted there (? a pin or hinge) in order to suspend it from, say, a watch chain or a ribbon.
At the start of the 1980s I was in contact with a local Wrexham author on military matters, Alister Williams, and he kindly went along to Salem Welsh Congregational Chapel to check it up. He found that eleven of the congregation had died in the War, and took copy photos of Joseph and Thomas for me. There was a third Wilcoxon on the roll, but I didn't have the details.
In about 1988-89 I sold my collection of medals, and offered this item for sale. The notice was spotted by a collector who said he owned Joseph's three war medals, and earnestly asked to buy the piece. I duly sold it to him for little more than I paid for it. I am sure that somewhere in the attic I will have his (then) address, but the most I could do in respect of that would be to offer to forward a letter from yourself, if you so wished. There is of course no guarantee that the collector still lives there after 20 years, or that he still has the medals.
I will contact Alister again and see if he knows the fate of the Roll of Service. He might just also have his own copies of the photos. Thomas' medals should certainly be preserved: they would now be worth a great deal of money to a collector, but perhaps you would rather they were kept by an institution such as the Welch Regiment Museum or something similar?
Result of this is that Alister has rescued the Roll and it`s now in Wrexham. Good eh ;D ;D ;D
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Post by eluned on Dec 9, 2008 17:09:10 GMT
This is wonderful. I didn't realise that there were photos. A big thank you to Mr Alistair Williams. Benjamin Franklin Kelly appears on this memorial according to the Salem Chapel MIs booklet.
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Post by annedw on Jan 28, 2009 17:37:10 GMT
I`ve been to the museum today, and copied all the names from this memorial, each name has a photograph. Unfortunately there`s no more personal information .
RHOL ANRHYDEDD EGLWYS “ SALEM” COEDPOETH 1914 -1918 Driver Thomas Roberts A M Albert Edwards Gunner Gabriel Blackshaw Pte. Rowland Roberts Sapper Wm Williams Pte. David Idris Williams Pte. Wm Owen Williams Gunner John Wm Jones Pte. Benjamin Thomas Pte. Jos Thos Williams Pte. Robert Rogers Hughes Sergt. Wm Robt Jones Pte Frederick Davies Sergt. Frederick G Roberts Leuit. Thomas Wilcoxon Driver Alfred Ernest Williams Robert Cadwalladr (Merchant Service) Pte. Wm Stanley Davies Driver J James Davies Pte. Llew Davies Capt. H Wilcoxon MC Pte. Walter Williams Pte. Isaac H Douglas Gunner J Caradoc Williams Pte. Stanley Davies Pte. Jos Arthur Jones Corp. Robt Thos Hughes Pte. Jonathon Lloyd Lt Corporal Elias Roberts Corp. Daniel Ellis Pte. Francis Roberts Pte. Harold Rogers Pte. Geo F Hedley Pte. John Wm Williams
KILLED IN ACTION Pte. Richard Jones Driver Thomas S Davies Pte. Robert Jones. Died of wounds. Lance Corp. J Pryce Roberts M M Died in France. Co Sergt . Major J Henry Roberts Killed in Action Pte. J Oswald Wilcoxon Killed in Action Pte. J James Morris , died after discharge Pte. John Williams Killed in Action Sergt. John Roberts Killed in Action Pte J Iorwerth Jones.
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Post by eluned on Jan 28, 2009 18:23:14 GMT
This is wonderful. I didn't realise that there were photos. A big thank you to Mr Alistair Williams. Benjamin Franklin Kelly appears on this memorial according to the Salem Chapel MIs booklet. So where is he I am not for one minute suggesting you missed him off Annette, as I am sure you didn't but it seems rather odd. Just checked and he appears on the Rehoboth Chapel Memorial as Franklin Kelly.
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Post by eluned on Mar 21, 2009 17:04:41 GMT
I checked the Salem Chapel MIs book again and now realise why I had got confused At the front of it is a list of men from a war memorial but it says Park Road so I now see that this is probably the Coedpoeth memorial rather than the Chapel one. It does say on Park Road but not being a local, this didn't help ;D
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