LEONARD WJ

William John LEONARD
Corporal 21926
11th Battalion, South Wales Borderers

Born - Abercarn, Monmouthshire
Enlisted - Newport, Monmouthshire
Residence - Cilfynydd, Pontypridd, Glamorgan

Died 2nd February 1917 - Western Front - aged 32yrs

Buried at Ferme Olivier Cemetery, Belgium
Plot 2, Row A, Grave 4

The headstone (left) is that of Elizabeth Leonard who was the wife of William J Leonard.

Elizabeth died on 28th July 1928 aged 44 years.

The plot also shows that the grave contains the remains of a Leonard Davies who died aged 6 months. I do not know the connection between Elizabeth Leonard and Leonard Davies. Maybe she remarried after William was killed and Leonard Davies is a son from this marriage.

The connection of William J Leonard and Nelson is his memorial on the headstone of his wife, which is situated at St Mabon’s Churchard, Llanfabon, Nelson.


	William J. Leonard is commemorated on the Cilfynydd War Memorial at Cilfynydd, Nr Pontypridd

William John Leonard was born in Abercarn, Monmouthshire in 1885. He was the eldest of at least four sons born to Tom and Cath Leonard (born Powell). Tom was born in Newport Monmouthshire in about 1862 while Cath was born in Abercarn in 1865.

They lived at:

10 Truck Row, Abercarn which is where most of their children were born.

William John was born in 1885
Joseph was born in 1887
Phillip was born in 1889, and
Thomas in 1891.

By 1901, the family had moved to:

5, Railway Terrace, Abercarn. Maybe this move had been to accommodate two further births in the family:

Catherine Leonard was born in 1895, and
Elizabeth was born in 1898.

What is clear on records in that while the male head remains as Tom Leonard the female figurehead at the address at this time was Elizabeth Powell and not Cath Leonard. Elizabeth Powell is shown as the mother-in-law to Tom, i.e. Cath’s mother. Had Cath died?


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