WILLIAMS, Clive, Private 1/8 Royal Warwicks ARC TBC

[Rupieroo]

Dear All,

A few years ago I posted on the Rowley Regis site, requesting information on Clive Williams, who became a Private in the 1/8 Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and was killed during the First World War. Some of you may have been members?

In 1901, Clive and his family lived at 'Myrtle Cottage', Waterfall Lane, Rowley Regis. Now, with the publication of the 1911 Census, a little more information that has come to light. This includes his address (4, Watling Street, Wilnecote, Tamworth), and confirmation of his job (Colliery Labourer, Kingsbury Colliery Co. (? - ?/?/1916)).

CIVILIAN LIFE

Born:
18/05/1894

Place:
Langley, Worcestershire

Grandparents:
Levi Williams, Married (1) Dinah Lewis, 10 June 1840 at St. Leonard's Clement (mother of Levi Arthur); (2) Jane Shaw, 1 September 1862 at St Thomas's, Dudley

Parents:
Levi Arthur Williams, (1854 - 1909), Married (1) Emma J Godfrey, September Quarter 1874 at Rowley Regis. One daughter, Martha Jane (2) Amplias Williams, (1856 - ?), September Quarter 1881 at Sandwell

Siblings:
Henrietta Amplias Swain Williams, (1882 - ?), Rowley Regis, Staffordshire. Married Dr Daniel McColl, September Quarter 1911, Tamworth
Arthur Swain Williams, (1892 - ?), Rowley Regis, Staffordshire

Marital Status: ?

Children: ?

Education:
(Known: Did not attend Wilnecote High)

Career:
Colliery Labourer, Kingsbury Colliery Co. (? - ?/?/1916)

Address (1894):
Vicarage Road, Langley, Worcestershire

Address (1901 Census):
'Myrtle Cottage', Waterfall Lane, Rowley Regis, Warwickshire (now Staffordshire)

Address (1911 Census): 4 Watling Street, Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffordshire

Address (1918):
Amplias lived at 'Holy Cottage', Polesworth, Tamworth, Warwickshire (now Staffordshire)

MILITARY LIFE

Rank:
Private

Number:
57334

Regiment:
1st/8th Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Enlisted:
?/?/1916, Tamworth, Warwickshire (now Staffordshire)

Died:
20/11/1918 (24), No. 12 General Hospital of wounds sustained in the Battle of the Sambre

Buried:
S.III.W.5, St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France

Death reported:
P.3, 'Tamworth Herald' 7/12/1918 & 14/12/1918

Medals:
(Ref WO/372/21) L/104636 (Roll) 17742 (Page) Victory Medal, British War Medal

Commemorated:
War Memorial, Holy Trinity Church, Wilnecote, Tamworth, Warwickshire (now Staffordshire)

Tamworth & District War Memorial, Tamworth, Warwickshire (now Staffordshire)

Pooley Hall Memorial, Warwickshire

If anyone does have any further information, please do contact me on cawsw@hotmail.co.uk

With best wishes to you all and for 2009!

Thanks

Clive

[mallosa]

Hi Clive/Rupieroo, yes I for one remember you! It's great to hear from you again
I think you'll find quite a few on here from R/R, we have:
myself, Mally (Sedge)
Northern Lass (Manc)
Di (still Di)
Gardener (Kate)
Linnell (Holly)
Robbie (Rob)
Carol (Carol)
Jimmy (Jimmy)

Can't think off the top of my head, maybe a few more - I'm sure they'll have something to say
So the 1911 has been really beneficial to you - you must be delighted!

Quite a bit of info there so when we've had time to digest, I'm sure we'll be on the case - so watch this space

[peterd]

and me might of only been on a month or two

[Rupieroo]

well it certainly is like old times lol HELLO!

Yes, the 1911 certainly did throw up more info: an address, confirmation of work at 16, a place of work (I thought it had been Pooley Hall because he is mentioned on the Pooley Hall memorial; although perhaps he did transfer from the one mine to the other). Although the 1911 Census had Clive's name as Olive! I have written to them to mention the typo!

[mallosa]

Mmmm ...typo is only one letter but what a problem that can cause eh?
Clive, for the members that don't know your story, would you mind explaining again?

I think you would be interested in a site that is running alongside this one, take a look -

..................click here

Mally

[Northern Lass]

Hi Clive welcome to the forum
do think about adding all that detail on Clive Williams to our Black country tree
pm me if you are interested

[Carol]

Hi Clive,

I remember your story. I have the following saved in a file

"The 1/8th Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment
This summary of the battalion's day-to-day history covers the period from October to December 1915"

I think this must be from when I read your research into the 1/8 Batallion, but possibly not so let me know if you need a copy.

[Rupieroo]

Hi All,

Again, thank you for the warm welcome and interest. I am also very impressed by Carol for keeping some information in her records! Thank you, I have a memory stick with all information on it, but what an offer of help!

OK, for those of you who do not know the story as to why I am researching Private Clive Williams:

During the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday, in November 2005, I realised that I lacked a personal focus to my act of remembrance. That lunchtime I was to visit the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey. Before going, I was somehow “guided” to visit the Commonwealth War Graves website, type “Clive Williams” into the search field (not a Clive "something" Williams, just a Clive Williams - as that is my name), and I was introduced to many C Williams, but only one Clive Williams - Private Clive Williams, 1st/8th Royal Warwickshire Regiment. The personal focus was found.

Clive does not seem to have had a wife and children, and so, like many of his generation he died leaving nothing but a name. I am not sure if it is better than having been killed leaving a wife and family, but at least in one's children, one can survive, live on... Clive - as far as I know - had no memory in which to live.

Appeals via the Prof Carl Chinn radio show, 'Tamworth Herald', and 'The Black Country Bugle' all came to nothing. Polesworth Abbey, Royal British Legion, Records Offices, County Councils, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, War Memorials Trust, National Archives, Imperial War Museum, The Centre for First World War Studies at Birmingham University, the good people of the old Rowley Regis website... so many helpful and informative sources! Yet, I know nothing about his school, when he enlisted, in which battle he was wounded and subsequently died, family, a photograph, or who placed the following:

“Williams - To the unfading memory of Clive Williams, who died at Rouen, November 20, 1918, of wounds received in the Great War.”
'Tamworth Herald' 20 November, 1939

Yet someone out there cared enough to have a copy of Clive's medals reproduced and sent to me, anonymously. No note, no message, just a package at the door one day, with a copy of his two medals. I am not ashamed to say that I cried.

It does not seems strange writing from my heart about a man I never knew, who has no family connection to me, and who had already been dead for over 50 years by the time I was born in 1972. I just care.

[mallosa]

Clive, thanks for that - I do hope we can help? I take it you haven't been able to trace anyone related to him at all?

Found this Marriage 1913
WILLIAMS Arthur S MARLER Ada Blackheath, St Paul Dudley Register Office 012/005/189

[Rupieroo]

A fresh pair of eyes! How quickly you work!

[Jimmy]

I was on RR as well.

[mallosa]

Hi Clive welcome to the forum
do think about adding all that detail on Clive Williams to our Black country tree
pm me if you are interested

Clive, I really do think it would be worth your while cos we are finding more & more connections now - who knows someone might find a connection to Clive?

[Rupieroo]

And the one aspect that really interests me is that Clive's grandfather was Levi Williams. His father Levi Arthur Williams. His mother Amplias Williams, his sister Henrietta Amplias Swain Williams, and his brother Arthur Swain Williams. So all, except for Clive are taking names from their parents. Just seems slightly odd, although his birth certificate confirms that Levi Arthur and Amplias are his parents.

[mallosa]

Hi Clive, I understand you have been in touch with NL?
I have taken the liberty of adding some of your info to 'Connections'

.........See here

Would you like to add the info you have on Clive Williams or shall I ?

Mally

[mallosa]

Can one of you super sleuths find Levi & Amplias in 1891?

..........see here