Isaac JONES – Sawyer at Erddig

Isaac was born in 1885 the son of Pryce George Jones, an agricultural labourer on the Erddig estate.

In 1891 aged 6 he was living with his father Pryce at Plas Grono cottages. His mother Mary had died in 1887. The children at home were

          Ellinor                  b 1871

          Diana                   b 1874

          Price Morris         b 1876

          Edwin                   b 1878

          Edith                    b 1881

          Elizabeth             b 1883

          and Isaac            b 1885

Pryce and Mary had 10 children in total

On the 1901 census, age 16, Isaac was still living with his father at Plas Grono cottages, next door to John Jones Coachman. Isaac was described as a sawyer, presumably at Erddig.

He would have worked for Head Sawyer Thomas Roberts who worked at Erddig for 49 years.

Before the end of June 1907 Isaac married Hannah Matilda (Tillie) Boulter, the Erddig Head Housemaid. The wedding took place in Chester.

On the 1911 census Isaac was an electric tramway worker. The Wrexham and District Electric Tramways began in 1903 and ran from a depot in Johnstown, at the corner of Offa Street and Maelor Road into Wrexham.

In 1911 Matilda and Isaac lived at 20 Victoria Avenue, Johnstown and their only child was Doris Gwendoline born in 1909 (died 1956)

In 1913 Isaac was a conductor on the first bus service to open between Wrexham, Chester and Llangollen and soon became a bus driver.

Isaac and Tillie later moved to 18 Princess Street, Wrexham.        

He was then a driver for the Rhostyllen Botanic Company delivering mineral water.

He then became a driver for a private hire firm but in 1923 bought a Ford Laundelette to start his own business. He drove all over the country for such people as Lloyd George, Hugh Gaitskell, plus Freddie Grisewood and Ralph Whiteman of the BBC.

Isaac retired in May 1963 at the age of 78 years and a local newspaper report described his career.

Isaac died in 1966 age 80 and was buried on 2nd February 1966 in Wrexham Cemetery in grave 04759, with his wife Tillie.

Researched by Jill Burton. January 2019.

Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery R-04759

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