Thomas John Pollard was one of three children that were born to John and Anne Pollard.
John was born around 1851 in Exmouth, Devon. Anne was born in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire in about 1851.

In the early 1890’s they were living at Ynyslas Lodge, Blaengwrach, Glynneath where John was a coachman and gardener. While they were there their children were born:

Julia Jane - was born in 1881
Mary E - was born in 1883 and
Thomas John - was born in 1884.

Some time after this Anne died and John took his remaining family to the Pontypridd area of Glamorgan. It seems that they were destined not to be together much longer.

Thomas John moved to Nelson where he was listed as a boarder with William and Mary Smith, along with their four children. The address was:

3, The Square, Nelson. I believe that this address was one of a row of very small cottages that were adjacent to the handball court and have since been demolished.

Thomas was listed as a coal miner.

By 1901, Thomas’ sister Mary had gone back to the Neath Valley and was working as a domestic servant for Claudia Griffiths who lived at Dylais Fach House, Neath.

There is a strong possibility that with Thomas’ death during the First World War, this branch of the Pollard name came to an end. I can find no record of Thomas ever marrying.

News:

January 18^th 1919.

His many friends will regret to learn of the death in action of Private Tom Pollard, Wiltshire Regiment, of 8, Ashgrove Terrace, Nelson. Deceased has been officially posted as missing since last March and since that time constant enquiries have been made about him. Last week a card was received from the Red Cross stating that he was killed and this was followed a few days later by a letter from a returned prisoner of war who was a chum of Pte Pollard’s, which read:

Dear Mrs Smith
I have received a letter from you concerning Private T Pollard. I am very sorry to have to confirm my statement given to the Red Cross Society. I was myself wounded at St Quentin on 21^st March, and taken prisoner, but after some hardship I arrived home last week.
The photo you enclosed is the same man I knew. He was transferred to the Wiltshire Regiment from the Dorsets about July 1916 and I was in the same company and same platoon. We went into the trenches on March 17^th and poor Tom was hit just before I got wounded myself, and he died a few minutes afterwards.
I am very sorry to have to tell you the sad news, and you have my deepest sympathy.
I remain yours, truly,
J Barnett.
late of the 2^nd Wiltshire Regiment.

Private Pollard enlisted in the Dorset Regiment in January 1915 and went to France the following summer. He was wounded and gassed at Hill 60. He was 35 years old and prior to enlisting, worked at Penallta Colliery.

[Source: Merthyr Express]