David Charles Price was born early in 1855 in Wrexham, his parents were Hugh Price and Amelia Jarratt / Garratt who both were from Wrexham. They had married in Manchester in 1847.
They lived in Manchester for a while where a son was born, then came back to Wrexham and lived in Tuttle Street. Amelia died in 1859, Hugh died aged 60 on 23 June 1884 at Trevor Street.
In 1875 David Charles married Martha Parsonage who was from Holt. Martha was the daughter of Charles and Susannah and was the same age. After her husband’s death Susannah was in Wrexham working as a laundress, and Martha was a bookbinder.
David C and Martha were in Holt Street Buildings by 1881 and had 2 children, David was working as a leather dresser. Another son George Garratt was born but sadly died when he was 3 years old.
By 1891 they were living in Trevor Street, and had another 6 children including Hugh who was aged 7 and Alfred who was 5 months old.
The census was taken on the 5 April and little Alfred was buried just 11 days later.
They moved again to 16 Fairfield Street, David Charles was still in the leather works, and Hugh was an apprentice moulder. Early in 1903 David Charles became ill and was admitted to the North Wales Hospital, in Denbigh.
Martha and Hugh were in Trafalger Road by 1911. Hugh was now at the leather works. The records show that Martha had 12 children but six had died.
David Charles was still in the hospital, and was classed as a lunatic, this applied to all patients and even those who were “deaf and dumb”. It`s all very sad. Most of the patients could have treated at home in modern times.
When Hugh joined the army he gave his age as 28 years old; his records show he was working for J. Meredith Jones at the leather works. He was quite small, only 5ft 2 ¾ ins. His chest was 34 ins when fully expanded, he was classed as fit to join on 7 February 1913. His casualty form show he embodied on 5 August 1914, as a machine gunner. He was appointed as Acting Lance Corporal in 1915. In 1917 David Charles claimed his discharge from 4 Batt RWF (Pioneers) because his “time had expired”, but he had to stay in because the country was at war. Sadly he was killed in action on 6 April 1918.
In the records there are two letters from his mother, she was writing to ask if anyone knew the whereabouts of her son, she had not heard from him for weeks and her letters were being returned. It was a worrying time.
Hugh`s name in found on the Pozieres Memorial, which has inscribed on its walls the names of 14,657 British and South African soldiers of the Fifth and Fourth British Armies that were missing or killed in action from March to August 1918 during World War I. The walls of the Memorial enclosed the Pozieres British Cemetery.
David Charles died in 1924, he was still in the hospital at Denbigh, Martha died in 1940 and was buried with her husband and her two young sons.
Researched by Annette Edwards. September 2019.
IN MEMORY OF GEORGE GARRATT, SON OF DAVID AND MARTHA PRICE, WHO DIED NOVR 24, 1888, AGED 3 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS. (FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN) ALSO OF ALFRED, THEIR SON, WHO DIED IN INFANCY. ALSO OF HUGH, THEIR SON, KILLED IN FRANCE, APRIL 6TH 1918, AGED 37 YEARS. ALSO OF THE ABOVE DAVID CHARLES PRICE, WHO DIED SEPTR 17TH, 1924, AGED 59 YEARS.
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Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery J-02750