Saving Private Graham

 

Graham Reese died of exposure in the dank and cold trenches of the Dardenelles back in November 1915, and his name is etched on the War Memorial in Lytham as well as the Liverpool Roll of Honour.

 

Prior to his country’s call, he had become well known in the Lancashire town as the ‘left handed bacon cutter’ at Seymour Mead Store, but as the world deteriorated into conflict, he was drafted into the army at the age of 29, sadly his death came just over a year later.

 

But it was the discovery by the wife of an ancestor of Graham’s Bronze Death Plaque which was presented to the next of kin and more commonly known as the Dead Man’s Penny that uncovered the family’s Welsh roots. And since then, she has dug deep to find out more information which has led her search to Welshpool.

 

Catherine Yates explained: “Graham was the son of George and Emma Reese of Mount St. Welshpool. He had two sisters - Alice Mary and Charlotte. In the 1911 Census George Reese was an Inn Keeper at The Dragon on Mount Street.

 

“Graham was married to Eliza who was the sister of Margaret Griffiths, my husband’s grandmother.”

 

Graham’s Welshpool link was discovered when Catherine read a newspaper report on his death which mentioned the Montgomeryshire town. She now wants to continue her search and has asked for information from local residents or historians.

 

“Newtown Library kindly sent me two articles that they found in local papers about his death. One was from The County Times on January 1, 1916 and one from The Montgomeryshire Express and Radnorshire Times on January 4, 1916. It confirms that Graham was born at Nursery Cottage, Powis Castle,” Catherine added.

 

If you are able to assist Catherine, contact her on hefinayates@aol.com