Heroes of

Colet House

St. David’s Residential Home

Formerly Colet House

This photograph was taken in 1905

Colet House was built in 1903 as a prep school.

It prepared children up to the age of 11 or 13

for public schools.

The staff and students of Colet House in 1914

South Yorkshire Miners’ Convalescent Home

In January 1930, the “Yorkshire Post & Leeds

Intelligencer” reports that Colet House was sold to

the South Yorkshire Miners’ Welfare Organisation

“for the purpose of a convalescent home”.

Colet House was officially re-opened as St David's

Residential Home on the 4th January 1985 by Her

Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for the County of Clwyd

Colonel James Ellis Evans, C.B.E., T.D.

St. David’s runs a programme of Reminiscence

Therapy: The project exploring the lives of soldiers in

World War One forms part of this programme.

Captain Kenneth Herbert Hugh-Jones

Capt., 5th attd. 12th, Rifle Brigade. Entered 1915, Arts Scholar. Killed in

action September 20th 1917.

Kenneth Herbert Hugh-Jones the fourth son of Mr. and Mrs. Llewelyn

Hugh-Jones, of Chevet Hey, Wrexham, Denbighshire, and was born on the

4th December, 1896. He received his early education at Colet House School,

Rhyl, and from there gained in 1910 a Classical Foundation Scholarship at

Bradfield College. During the whole of his time there (except his 1st term)

he was a member of the O.T.C. and latterly a Platoon sergeant. He was also

chapel prefect.

On leaving Bradfield in 1915 he gained an Open Scholarship in Arts at

Guy's Hospital, and went into residence in October, On December 11th he

enlisted in the Artists' Rifles, and passing through the Cadet school,

received a commission in the Special Reserve in the Rifle Brigade. Second

Lieut. Hugh-Jones went to France on the 25th October, 1916, and was

attached to the 12th battalion of the Rifle Brigade. He was gazetted Captain

as from 24th August, 1917, and was killed on 20th September, 1917, close

to Langemarck, Flanders, while leading his men to the attack.

His Colonel wrote: "It is a very great blow to the Battalion, as he was one of

the best officers we have ever had. He had long since proved his value, and

was in command of his Company in an attack 20th September. He was

extremely popular with his men and with all the other officers. I'm sure he

died as he would have wished at the head of his company."

Second Lieutenant John Wathen Eyton Lloyd

RFC

Younger son of Dr. and Mrs. Eyton Lloyd, was killed on June 24th, 1917

aged 22. He was educated at Colet House, Rhyl, and Epsom College. He was

articled to the Shotton Engineering Co., and when the war broke out at

once joined the Army, and after a time received his commission. He

transferred to the R.F.C. He passed the several stages of his training with

distinction, and was given his " wings."

Wilfred David Powell Jones (1885–1916)

Sportsman’s Regiment. Assistant Master “Colet House” Rhyl

Wilfred David Powell Jones was born in 1885 in Llandeilo,

Carmarthenshire, the son of John Jones (born in Bishopston, Glamorgan

in c.1845) and Emma Sarah. His parents had two children, but only

Wilfred survived.

Wilfred , by the age of 25, was working as an assistant schoolmaster in

north Wales and living at Colet House, Rhyl.

In the First World War Wilfred David Powell Jones enlisted in Hornchurch

on 22 April 1915 and served as a Private in the 23rd Battalion of the

Royal Fusiliers (Service No. SPTS/1688). (The 23rd Battalion of the Royal

Fusiliers was “raised for the upper and middle classes only”, as long as

they could shoot and ride.) He was severely injured near Betrancourt at

the Battle of the Ancre and died of wounds at a casualty clearing station

at Puchevillers, France at the age of 31 on 18 November 1916. He is

buried in the Puchevillers British Cemetery.

Wilfred Jones is remembered on the war memorial outside St Margaret’s

Church in north Oxford. He is also remembered at Llandovery College,

and in Hertford College. Administration (with Will) was granted in London

to his widowed mother, Emma Sarah Jones, on 30 January 1917. He left

£3,128 16s. 9d.

Captain Richard Conway Lowe MC

Warwickshire Regiment. Killed in action aged 22

Buried at Pozieres British Cemetery, Ovillers-la-Boisselle.

Richard Conway was born in Edgbaston, Birmingham the son of Conway

Lowe, merchant and brass founder, and his wife, Marian Todd. Richard was

educated at Colet House, Rhyl, and was a Scholar at Winchester. He was an

excellent shot, Captain of the Winchester VIII in 1913, and shooting at

Bisley. He came up to Christ Church in 1913 as a Scholar, intending to

take Holy Orders.

At the outbreak of war Richard obtained a commission as Second

Lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He was promoted

Lieutenant in the following April and Captain in March 1916. Stationed in

France and Flanders from April 1915, he was wounded in June whilst on

patrol duty, and again in November, when he was invalided home.

He was awarded the Military Cross on 18 November 1915, “For

Conspicuous gallantry in France. When directing a working party in front of

the parapet, the Germans opened fire and wounded a man of the covering

party. Second Lieutenant Lowe and a sergeant rushed to his aid and,

although the sergeant was grazed by a bullet and Second Lieutenant Lowe

shot in the thigh, the bullet subsequently being found in the wound, they

carried the wounded man across the open and through the wire, into a

place of safety. Second Lieutenant Lowe had previously been wounded and

had been brought to notice for excellent work at the front.”

He was, also, Mentioned in Despatches on 1 January 1916 by Field Marshal

Sir John French for gallant and distinguished service in the field.

He returned to France in April 1916, taking part in the early part of the

Battle of the Somme. He was killed near Thiepval on 18 August 1916 whilst

leading his company in the face of terrific fire.

Probate was granted to his father on 31 October 1916. He left £1,284-19s.

John Gurth Morgan-Owen (1883 - 1916)

Gurth Morgan-Owen, The fifth child of Timothy Morgan Owen and Emma,

John Gurth Morgan-Owen, was born on Thursday, 2 August 1883, at

Bronwylfa, Rhyl. He was first educated at Colet House School, Rhyl.

All his brothers went to Shrewsbury School but Gurth won a scholarship to

Bromsgrove.

Gurth had a shoulder that was prone to dislocation which prevented him

from being accepted for the army on the outbreak of war but he eventually

got a doctor friend to help him and he was certified fit at Newtown on 22

January 1915.

In January 1916 he was ordered to join the 4th South Wales Borderers in

Egypt where, briefly, the battalion was recovering following evacuation from

Gallipoli. Gethin arrived at Sidi Bishr in February.

The Borderers had suffered heavy losses in Gallipoli and many of the men

were newly drafted, inexperienced and under-trained recruits.

Gurth died in combat on April 9th 1916.