H.H. Morgan

MORGAN, Hubert Hopkin
Lieutenant,
17th Battalion Manchester Regiment

Died - 30th March, 1918 - killed in action

Commemorated on panel 64-67 at Pozieres Memorial, The Somme, France

Hubert Hoppin Morgan memorial
HH Morgan plaque

The photo on the left shows a larger image of the plaque that contains the memorial to
Hubert Hopkin Morgan

Hubert Hopkin Morgan was the younger of two sons that were born to Thomas and Sarah Jane Morgan.
Thomas originated from the Cardiff area, where he was born around 1865. Sarah came originally from the iron works area of Ebbw Vale.

The Morgans would have been slightly better off than families where men worked in the coal mines. Thomas Morgan was a mine owner and at the turn of the 20th century the family were able to afford the slightly larger house of ‘Brynhyfryd’, Heol Fawr, Nelson for his small family to live.

Sadly, Sarah was 62 years old when she died on 28th February, 1917, just one year before Hubert was killed.
At the time, the Morgan family had moved to Maes-y-Dderwen, a large home with good grounds, sited on the main

Morgan Family Grave

The Morgan family grave at Holy Trinity Churchyard, Ystrad Mynach.

road between Nelson and Ystrad Mynach, evidence that owning a coal mine at the time was very profitable.
Hubert’s father, Thomas, died on 11th February 1925 aged 69 years.

Thomas Prosser Morgan was the first son to Thomas and Sarah. He was born in Llanhilleth, near Abertillery, Monmouthshire on 22nd August 1893.
Thomas had married Ethel Maud Williams early in 1920. Ethel was born on 26th July 1891.
Thomas P. died on 8th April 1980 while Ethel died on 20th October 1969.

Hubert Hopkin Morgan was born in Ystrad Mynach, just a few miles from Nelson.
He was born around 1896. This would have made him near to the age of 21 or 22 yrs at the time of his death.

Hubert had risen through the ranks to the position of Lieutenant and was still comparatively young. Perhaps the position his father held as a businessman played some influential part in Hubert’s progression.

News:

April 20th 1918.

Killed in action.

Mrs Morgan, Efail Shingrig, Nelson was notified on Monday of the death in action of her husband Lt Hubert Hopkin Morgan, Manchester Regiment.
Lt Morgan was the 2nd eldest son of Mr T Morgan, M.E., colliery proprietor, Maesydderwen House, Nelson. He enlisted at the outbreak of war as a trooper in the 1st Life Guards, and was later granted a commission in the Manchester Regiment.
He was educated at Pengam, Penarth Tutorial School and Bloggs School of Commerce, Cardiff. He married in 1915 the daughter of Mr Robert Walters, overman of Treharris pit.
Lt Morgan had been for some time engaged in taking drafts out to France, but a short time ago he was appointed instructor at one of the musketry schools, when the German offensive became so threatening that he was again ordered into the trenches with the regrettable result stated above.
Mrs Morgan received the sad news in a letter from Lieut Colonel Horn, Commanding the 5th Musketry School in France.

Mrs Morgan – you will have been officially informed of the death of your husband in action on March 30th. He was killed instantaneously by a shell during an enemy bombardment of our trenches east of Amiens. It will be some consolation to you to know that at the time he was gallantly helping to stop the enemy advance at a critical time. The staff from this school were ordered up to hold a section of the line under General Carey on March 26th and he was at the time attached to the school as an instructor. I regret I did not know him personally, as I only took command here on March 26th, but his death was keenly felt by the staff, who desire me to offer you their deepest sympathy.

This brings the Nelson death toll to 29

[Source: Merthyr Express]

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