St David’s Church, Newtown

PWMP logobutton-theme-womenbutton_lang_welshSt David’s Church, Newtown

St David’s church was built in the 1840s to replace the earlier St Mary’s Church, which had suffered flood damage. St Mary’s Church is pictured in the 1794 watercolour by John Ingleby (courtesy of Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).

newtown_st_marys_churchSt David’s Church was renovated in the 1870s and closed in 2006 because of its high maintenance costs. Some of the fittings and memorials inside the church were previously in St Mary’s Church. They included a carved screen from the 15th century and a medieval font.

There are seven war graves in the churchyard, one relating to the Second World War. See below for details.

One of the war graves is that of Janet Elizabeth Evans, whose parents lived in Llanllwchaiarn. She left her job as a teacher in 1917 to join the Army Pay Corps in Chester. In summer 1918, she joined the clerical staff of the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps. She fell ill and was admitted to a London military hospital. She died, aged 21, on 27 May 1919.

Also buried here, but not in an official war grave, is First World War nurse Hilda Jessie Downing. She was born in Newtown in 1889 to Thomas and Jessie Downing. The family lived at Cambrian Villa, Kerry Road. She attended Penygloddfa School and Newtown County School. After training as a nurse in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, she moved to a children’s hospital in Kent which became a military hospital when the war began. After overworking throughout the war, she returned to Newtown to recuperate but died, aged 28, of influenza on 10 October 1918.

With thanks to Newtown Local History Group

Postcode: SY16 1EE    View Location Map

More pictures by John Ingleby – National Library of Wales website

To continue the Newtown in WW1 tour, cross New Rd and follow New Church Street. Go past the zebra crossing, then find the memorial gates on your left
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War graves at St David’s Churchyard

First World War

  • Davies, George, Private 63. Died of appendicitis 05/07/1916. Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Son of David and Anne Davies, of Kerry Road. Worked as a house painter.
  • Evans, Jane Elizabeth, Worker 51329. Died 27/05/1919 aged 21. Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps. Daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Ann Evans of Church House, Llanllwchaiarn.
  • Hughes, J E, Driver 213574. Died 15/11/1918 aged 34. Royal Field Artillery transferred to Labour Corps. Son of Mrs Mary Mills of New Road; husband of Mary Isabella Hughes of Dulley Bank, Llaithddu.
  • Jarman, Edward, Private M2/116500. Died 12/04/1919. Royal Army Service Corps. Son of Mr and Mrs William Jarman.
  • Phillips, Thomas Frederick Carlyle, Private 316038. Died 16/09/1918 aged 19. Cheshire Regiment transferred to Royal Defence Corps. Son of Thomas Llewellyn and Jane Phillips of Cambrian Vaults. Died of a brain abscess.
  • Williams, J, Serjeant 290047. Died 17/11/1918 aged 26. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, transferred to Labour Corps. Son of Edward and Caroline Williams of Hargreaves Court, Ladywell Street.

 

Second World War

  • Jones, Kenneth Harry, Aircraftman 1384908. Died 13/02/1943 aged 18. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Son of Roderick Protheroe and Kathleen Averna Jones of Church End, Finchley, Middlesex.