Private llew alexander wright

[richie264]

During a Xmas meal I got talking to a lady who stated that a relative of her's (can't remember how) informed me that she has transcripts of the above guy's his diary which he had written during the Boar War. I believe the original is in a museum possibly in Bloemfontein.
He died Jan 5th 1902 of Enteric fever Elanesfontein Hospital age 25. (maybe this is were the diary is ?)
I have her e.mail address somewhere I'll clear that up. I have not read it yet but it's not that long but in 3 parts.
The title on the copy I have is .. Diary of: Private Llew Alexander Wright 2nd V.C. Royal Welsh Fusiliers Britstown South Africa.

Do we know whether we have this diary in our records ? And not sure what The V.C. is in the title ?

[Baconwallah]

V.C. in this case would stand for Volunteer Company. During the Boer War the 1st RWF were not the only Royal Welchmen in South Africa. Men from the Militia (later the Special Reserve) could and did go out as volunteers and were formed into companies and battalions after arrival.

Pte 7590 L.A. Wright, 1st Volunteer Battalion, is in my database as having died of disease at Elandsfontein on 5th January 1902.

I've no idea whether there is a copy in the Museum or not. Would be quite an asset, though, very interesting indeed.

John

[richie264]

I thought it was something to do with volunteer of course company, Just read the 1st part which basically covers a move up country, few interesting comments about concentration camps & Boer prisoners traveling in the carriages while the troops are in the open coal wagons.

[Aled Roberts]

I thought it was something to do with volunteer of course company, Just read the 1st part which basically covers a move up country, few interesting comments about concentration camps & Boer prisoners traveling in the carriages while the troops are in the open coal wagons.

I have him down for a five bar QSA, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901 & South Africa 1902

The diary sounds very interesting, I wonder if there is any chance of getting it uploaded into the vault?

Richard

[richie264]

Have read it all now, it only covers a very short period of time & is not particularly exiting in anyway but it does give a little view into the everyday life of a young soldier at the time especially as it is a volunteer unit you get a feel as to how local the guys were, mostly around Wrexham area in this case, this of course becomes even more apparent when you see the lists of names on local cenotaphs after WW1.
It seems his death was related to the fact that he initially picked up a splinter in his hand, which then became infected he was treated but it seems it may have led to complications later.
I will get more info soon such as, is this the full diary I have & exactly where the original is.
Richard if you mesg me your address I'll get it sent out to you & you can see for yourself if it's of any real value or not & who you could pass it on to.
In the mean time what other info could you give us on the guy.

Thanks.

[Aled Roberts]

Richie

I can't find anything further on his military service, but have had a root around for any other info :

Llewellyn Alexander Wright
Born 1st quarter of 1877, Cefn Bychan (spelling?), Denbighshire
Mother Martha Wright
Father Felix Wright
Was employed as a Brickyard Labourer in 1891 (aged 14)
Brothers and sisters as of 1891
William H Wright aged 12
Mary C Wright aged 8
Jamest B Wright aged 6
Felix C Wright aged 5
Martha E Wright aged 1

[ivor43]

Hi.
The spelling is correct.
the following explains the location.

The parish of Rhosymedre was created in 1844 from the Ruabon townships of Coed Cristionydd and Cristionydd Cynrig. The parish contains the villages ofCefn Mawr, Cefn Bychan, Acrefair, Newbridge, Plas Madoc andRhosymedre.
The parish church, St. John the Evangelist, was consecrated on 6 July 1837. However, in 1894 a new chapel of ease, St. Paul's , was built as a chapel of ease in Acrefair.
In 1879, part of the township of Cristionydd Cynrig was transferred to the new parish of Penycae.
The area was formerly heavily industrialised with large deposits of iron, coal and clay. Iron was worked at Acrefair; Cefn Mawr and Plas Madoc. In 1867 Robert Graesser, an industrial chemist from Obermosel in Saxony, Germany established a chemical works at Plas Kynaston in Cefn Mawr to extract paraffin oil and wax from the local shale. This was the start of the long association with the chemical industry. The site was later acquired by the American chemical company Monsanto, their first venture in Europe. Coal was worked throughout the parish and large brickworks existed at Acrefair and Newbridge.
Much of the mineral wealth of the area was exported by canal over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Shropshire Union Canal, until the railway reached Ruabon in 1855.

[Baconwallah]

Whatever the family traditions about splinters etc., in those days 'enteritis' meant typhus.

John

[richie264]

Thanks guy's, the last page of the group has detail of the local paper reports etc. Thanks for that about the fever I was going to look it up, it's just the way the diary reads the last few entries refer to his hand getting worse.

[Clive Hughes]

He should be listed as a casualty on the RWF joint South African/Boxer rising memorial in the base of the tower at St.Giles Church Wrexham - now sadly obscured by the newly built choir changing room. I might be there in a couple of days time (snow permitting) and will try to have a closer look.

Isn't there another Boer War Volunteer Company memorial in the form of a wooden panel in one of the barracks/drill halls? Saw it as a young territorial back in the 1970s but can't remember where...

Clive