Sorry, I had a busy day today, braving the storms that are currently battering Tasmania!
Yes, Thomas Richard EVANS was the son of Ann PARRY of 3 Mt Pleasant, Penrhynside. He was NOT the son of Fred PARRY though. This is what I've got so far:
1. On his Army enrolment form at Wrexham dated 07 Sept 1914, he gave his age as 21 years and 9 months, meaning he would have been born around Dec 1892. So he could have been registered in either Dec Qtr 1892 OR Mar Qtr 1893. However, his younger brother, Edward, was born on 16 June 1893, so I think the Dec Qtr of 1892 would be correct. Logically, he couldn't have been born much before mid-September, so his age on enrolment looks a bit out! But then, a lot of young men lied about their age to get into the Army for the great adventure they thought the War was going to be!
2. His next-of-kin on his Army Record is listed as Annie PARRY, Mother, 3 Mount Pleasant, Penrhynside, Llandudno. So, not a lodger at #3 Mount Pleasant then.
3. He is listed in the 1911 Census as <Thomas (Richard) Evans 19 Mab Gwraig *Wife's Son Llafurwr *Labourer born Conway, Caerns> but the family are actually listed as living at #3 Mo(u)nt Pleasant Penrhyn Side Llandudno. Also listed is his brother, Edward, aged 15, also 'Wife's son'. Going on those ages, Thomas should have been born in 1892 and Edward in 1896, but Edward's age is definitely wrong!
4. Edward was KIA after the Battle of Passchendaele and the Llandudno Advertiser ran a piece on him, stating he would have been 23 in June of 1918, but it is thought that the 23 was a misprint for 25. There is a listing in "History Points, Penrhynside war memorial FWW (1914-1918):
Edward Evans, 160396, died 30/11/1917, age 24. Royal Field Artillery "B" Bty. 298th Brigade. Buried at Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Belgium. Son of Ann Parry of 3 Mount Pleasant, Penrhynside. Next door neighbour of William Glyndwr Owen. His job as a driver was to care for the horses that pulled the heavy guns, usually six in a team. He would also ride horses when the battery was moving. He saw the allies capture Passchendaele on 6/11/1917 after one of the longest battles the world has ever seen, but he was killed several weeks later while the artillery continued its task of firing on the enemy."
I have ordered Edward's birth and death certificates, but they take at least 3 weeks to get to Tasmania. However, I am totally stuck on any real information about Thomas! He had an accident in the Army which resulted in the loss of his middle finger on the left hand and I wonder what happened to him after he was discharged as 'no longer fit for duty'. As a labourer in the Little Orme quarries, did he return to that work? Did he marry? Did he have any children of his own? His Mum would have doted on any grandchildren, having lost 2 of her own babies (Margaret and William); she fostered 3 children, Joan, Dorothy and my Mum, Marjorie, all now sadly deceased themselves. The only surviving child she had with Fred was their daughter, Ellen (or Auntie Nell, as we called her) who, although married, did not have children of her own. (Although she did adopt a child as her Mother had done before her!)
Thank you all for your most welcome input. If there is anything else you can add, please do! I would dearly like to know how Thomas got on after the War.
PS, sadly it seems that Edward's Army records were part of the 66% that were lost during WW2, so all I have of him are his commemorations on the Penrhynside War Memorial, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the "Soldiers who Died in the Great War" Database.
I have also been in touch with a gentleman by the name of Ken Evans, who was in the process of writing a book about the people named on the Penrhynside War Memorial. Unfortunately, I lost touch with him and don't know the outcome of his book-writing endeavours.
Sorry for the long post - even my finger's complaining!! (Says I who can only manage to type with 1 finger per hand!!)