Glencoe House, Crickhowell

PWMP logoGlencoe House, Crickhowell

crickhowell_leonard_familyThis house was built in the late 19th century for John and Caroline Leonard. One of their sons died of wounds sustained at Gallipoli in the First World War.

John and Caroline ran the Corn Exchange Inn in the early 1890s. By 1901 they were living in Glencoe House and John was a plumber and decorator. They had nine children, one of whom died in infancy. The photo on the right (courtesy of Crickhowell District Archive Centre) shows the couple surrounded by children and children in law.

Their son Albert Jeffreys Leonard (second from right, back row) was baptised at St Edmund’s Church in February 1887. After his schooling, he trained as a tailor and was both a player and an official at Crickhowell football club. He also played rugby and was a member of the Crickhowell Territorials (reserve soldiers).

Having emigrated to New Zealand, he found work as a miner on North Island but left his job to join the Wellington Infantry Battalion in December 1914, a few months after the war began. After a long sea voyage, he reached Gallipoli, where the Allies were trying to invade Turkey. Mistakes had been made when the Allies needed the element of surprise. Many soldiers from Australia and New Zealand were among those who died.

crickhowell_leonard_brothers_in_uniformBert was appointed a cook in May 1915. He was wounded in action on 8 August and died six days later on a hospital ship off Limnos-Limnos, a Greek island. He is buried on the island.

Bert’s brothers Charlie and Bill also served during the war, Charlie being held prisoner of war by the Germans for the last six months of the conflict. The photo on the left (courtesy of Crickhowell District Archive Centre) shows, left to right, Charlie, Bill and Bert (with an unidentified seated soldier) in the Crickhowell Territorials.

Their sisters Caroline and Ethel were nurses in military hospitals.

In the 1930s Glencoe House was home to retired policeman Glyn Gabe and his wife Edith.  

With thanks to the Chris Lewis Collection at Crickhowell District Archive Centre, and Ryland Wallace

Postcode: NP8 1AY    View Location Map

To continue the Crickhowell in WW1 tour, walk up New Road to Church Lane, where the next QR codes are by the churchyard entrance
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