The Early 20th Century

    We now go back to Richard and Elizabeth Margaret Jones who had 11 children, the two eldest of whom, Thomas Edward and Margaret Martha were born at Bachie, Llanfyllin, according to a list written by Elizabeth giving the dates and times of birth. Elizabeth was the grandmother of  Winnie and May. The first home of the family was 'The Ball', a Public House near Oswestry and it is possible that Elizabeth returned to her parents for the birth of her first two children. The next two children, John Owen and Mary Elizabeth, were born at 'The Ball'. The family must have moved to the farm at Bausley at the end of 1866 or early in 1867 for the rest of the children except one were born in the order of Richard, George, Evan, Amelia Ann, Charles Herbert, William Henry and Ellen Judith Jones the youngest daughter.

    In 1875 or early 1876 they moved to another public-house called 'The Hand and Diamond' situate at the Coedway, very near to Bausley, where the youngest child Frederick was born.

    The births of their 11 children was recorded by Elizabeth Margaret as follows: -

Thomas Edward Derwas, son of Richard and E.M. Derwas, born at Bachie June 16th 1861, at half past six in the morning.

Margaret Martha Derwas, daughter of the above R and E.M. Derwas, born at Bachie on Sunday night at 12 o'clock, April 26th 1863.

John Owen Derwas, son of the above, was born at The Ball, Oswestry, on Thursday morning, 5 o'clock, March 2nd 1865.

Mary Elizabeth Derwas, daughter of the above, was born at The Ball, near Oswestry, on Tuesday night, half past 11 o'clock, March 13th 1866.

Richard Derwas, son of the above, was born at Bausley, near Alberbury, on Tuesday, 10 minutes past 2 in the afternoon, June 11th 1867.

George Evan Derwas, son of the above, was born at Bausley, near Alberbury on Tuesday, quarter to 4 in the morning, February 16th 1869.

Amelia Ann Derwas, daughter of the above, was born at Bausley, near Alberbury, on Monday, half past 7 in the morning, April 18th 1870.

Charles Herbert Derwas, son of the above, was born at Bausley, near Alberbury, on Sunday, 8 o'clock in the morning, May 28th 1871.

William Henry Derwas, son of the above, born at Bausley on Tuesday morning, quarter to 2, May 14th 1872.

Ellen Judith Jones Derwas, daughter of the above, born at Bausley on Sunday, 8 o'clock in the morning, February 8th 1874.

Frederick Derwas, son of the above, born at The Hand and Diamond, Coedway, Saturday, July 22nd, at half past 4 in the evening, 1876.       The father Richard died at 'The Hand and Diamond' on 1st January 1889 in his 61st year and in the following March the family moved to Gwernefy, a farm on the banks of the Severn, where Elizabeth lived until her death in 1925 at the age of 86.

The eldest son Thomas Edward was born in 1861 and apprenticed to the drapery trade in Oswestry, later going to London where he held positions in several of the large drapery firms. He married Emily Robinson of Dublin whom he met in London and they had one son, John Edward (Ted) born in 1891. Thomas Edward died quite suddenly in 1936 and when war broke out in 1939 his widow left London to live at Gwernefy Cottages, two cottages near the farm of her mother-in-law Elizabeth’s' uncle, Richard Derwas, and which he bequeathed 'to her and her heirs forever'. The farm however, was rented from landowners named Disbrough until around 1920 when the family purchased it on the break-up of the estate. Emily died within a year of moving to the country in 1940.

 Ted, the first grandson of Richard and Elizabeth, also entered the drapery trade, married Ina White of London and had one daughter Josephine, born in 1927, who married Donald Holloway of London. They have one son Nicholas Derwas Holloway. John Edward (Ted) died in 1954 at the age of 62.

Margaret Martha Derwas the eldest daughter was born in 1863 and became ladies' maid to Lady Pryce Jones of Newtown. She later kept house for Mr. Ernest Pryce Jones at Dolerw. She inherited the possessions of her aunt Mary Anne Jones, her mothers' youngest sister, who was living at Granville Street, Shrewsbury at the time of her death in 1924. On her retirement Margaret Martha lived at Gwernefy Cottages until her death in 1942. She had remained unmarried.

John Owen the second son entered the grocery trade and also went to London, where he held positions at Harrods and Shoolbreds for many years. He was a member of the Leandor Rowing Club and won several cups. He married Alice Pretty of London and they had twins, Doris Elizabeth and a son who died at birth, with later another son, John Leslie. Alice died about 1947 and John in 1958 at the advanced age of 93 years.

   Doris Elizabeth married Richard W. Maynard of Peckham, London in 1936 and they had one daughter, Jacqueline Elizabeth, born 1938, who married Lawrence T.C. Huggins of Purley in 1963. They have a daughter Annette Elizabeth born in 1970 and a son Jonathan William born in 1973. John Leslie was born in 1903 and became a highly qualified Civil Engineer with the London firms of Oscar Faber and Sir Alexander Gibb. In 1958 he married Aileen Joyce Youla of Melbourne, Australia and they have 5 children, Leslie Jane, Malcolm John, Nicholas Owen, Claire Louise and Emma Verna Marie. The family settled in Australia in 1970.

   Mary Elizabeth the second daughter was born in 1866, became a cook and held positions in several large establishments, including one in Yorkshire. She returned home on the illness of her mother to attend to the running of the farm on the butter making and poultry dressing side. In 1924 she married William Henry Morris of the White Abbey, Alberbury. She was his second wife and on their retirement in 1937 they lived at Portway Cottage, Ford where William died 6 or 7 months later. His brother Edward Morris had made his home with them and he and Mary (Aunt Polly) continued to live at Ford, where her brother Henry joined them when the farm at Gwernefy was sold. Mary died in November 1954 at the age of 88.

   Richard the 3rd son was born in 1867 and learnt the trade of butcher. He married Sarah Vaughan of Crew Green and then combined his trade with farming. They lived first at Meifod but later settled at Bryn Poeth, Crew Green. Their children consisted of four daughters and a son. These children are given a paragraph each below on the next 'page' as we are coming very much up to date. 

George Evan the 4th son of Richard and Elizabeth was apprenticed to the Grocery trade in Oswestry but on removal of the family to Gwernefy, shortly after the death of his father, he returned to farming with his elder brother Richard. When Richard married George continued at Gwernefy with his mother and the four younger children. He then married Nellie Gittins who was working in London but whose home had been at Alberbury. They had one daughter Mavis, born 1918, whose death at the age of 25 from tuberculosis was a sad blow to them. George suffered severely from arthritis and they gave up farming and took rooms at Ashleigh House nearby with George's cousin, Kathleen. When daughter Mavis obtained a teaching post at Guilsfield, about 1942, they moved to a nearby house but Mavis died soon afterwards. When George died in September 1945 they were still at Groes, Guilsfield but in the following January, Nellie went to John and Alice at West Norwood, London, to help nurse Alice, who was seriously handicapped with an arthritic complaint. Nellie died in November 1952 and was buried at Guilsfield where her daughter and husband were already interred.

Amelia Ann (Millie) 3rd daughter, born 1870, married David Davies of Crew Green. Their first home was at Churchstoke but later they lived at 'The Isle', Bicton. They later went to live with their daughter Helen and her husband. Millie died in 1950 (on her 80th birthday) and her husband died in 1955. They were blessed with five children. Charles the eldest son learnt the drapery trade in Shrewsbury but died after a short illness at the age of 20 or so. Mildred, the eldest daughter married John Jones of Yockleton, eldest son of Robert Jones. They had one daughter, Dorothy, who was on the staff of the Oxford University Press until her marriage to George Peck of London and they live at Chingford. George the 2nd son was an electrician and later became a Prisoner of War in World War I. He died unmarried in 1969 aged 71.  Helen, the 2nd daughter, married Robert Edwards of Bicton and they had one daughter Mary, who married Gordon Andrews of Pontsbury and has two children, Susan and Brian.  Nora the youngest daughter married Thomas Williams of Bicton who was later severely handicapped after an accident to his hand and arm. They lived at Arleston, Wellington and had three children, Olive, who married Dennis Childs of Wellington and also has three children, Amanda, Adrian and Annellie; David, an electrician with M.E.B. who married Jennifer Corbett of Hadley and have two sons, Stephen and Anthony; Olwyn, the youngest, is unmarried and lives with her mother in Wellington where she works in the Post Office.

Charles Herbert was the 5th son but died in infancy. He is said to have been drowned in a small stream on the farm at Bausley.

William Henry the 6th son lived at Gwernefy working with his brother until it was sold, afterwards living with his sister Mary at Ford. He died in January 1955 at the age of 82.

Ellen, the youngest daughter, married William Benjamin Rogers of Alberbury, who for many years was Head-Gardener to Sir Gerald Corbet at the Old Manor, Preston Brockhurst. They had two daughters, Elizabeth Margaret Winifred and Ellen Mary (May) who are the compilers of the original chronicle. Elizabeth (Winnie) was a teacher and on the death of her father obtained a Headship at Brockton, Much Wenlock, where her mother and sister lived with her. She was later Headteacher at Weston Lullingfield, Ford and Myddle, retiring in 1966 to live with her sister at Cockshutt. Ellen (May) was responsible for school meals at Weston Lullingfield when such meals were introduced in 1939/40. She was also organist for a time at Ford and at Myddle. Their mother Ellen died in November 1955, aged 81.

Frederick the 7th and youngest son was apprenticed to the drapery trade at Ledgers in Shrewsbury, and in later years was responsible for the Linen Department at Maddox and Co. (now Owen Owens) where he continued to work until he was 80. He married Christina Coles of Cruckton and had two sons, Frederick who was killed at Tobruk in 1941 and Edward Frank who joined the staff of Salop County Council on leaving school and is now head of a Welfare Department with the same Authority. He married Clara Olive Pack of Shrewsbury in 1941 and had two children, Wendy who married David Fordham of London and has three children, Emma, Caroline and Giles. The son Roger married Verna Milsom of South Wales and has one daughter Anna Clair. He is now Deputy Head of a large Junior School in Ilfracombe. After the death of his first wife at the early age of 49 Frank married Pauline Knight of Bebbington, Cheshire and they have four children, Helen, Philip, Christina and Alexander. After the death of his wife Christina, Frederick became resident at the Westlands Home at Wem where he died in March 1974 at the advanced age of 97 years, the oldest member of this branch of the family.