Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Evan Dulais Morgan
Gender: male
Date and place of birth: 17th April 1891 , Gwynfil, Cardiganshire
Date and Place of Death: 28th February 1967, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
Nationality: Welsh
Childhood : Aged 1 month lived with grandparents
Parents: Father – William Morgan  Mother not known
Parents occupations: Father – farmer
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance:  University of Wales year not known
Occupation: Research chemist/teacher/headmaster
Place of residence at Gretna: No 1, Staff Quarters. Eastriggs. Dornock, Dumfrieshire
Marital status: married
Children: None found
Travels : Sierra Leone/ New York City
Awards/recognitions:

Positions held
Chemist at Gretna
Trivia / any other information:

Bibliography

Books published (Title, year of publication, publisher):
Books written about the individual or mentioning the individual (Title, year of publication, publisher):

References

Blogs about the individual:
Websites about the individual:

Further links, notes, and comments:

 

 

 

 

Biography 

 

 

Evan Dulais Morgan 1891-1967 

Evan Dulais Morgan was born at Gwynfil, Cardiganshire, on 17th April 1891. He was just 1 month old when the 1891 census took place where he lived in a large household with his grandparents , great grandmother , aunts and uncles. Named after his grandfather Evan who was head of the household, 55 and described as a labourer born in Gwynfil. Jane , his grandmother, 52 born in Llnymyddyfis , Margaret,an aunt,23 working as a general domestic servant, Morgan , 21 a collier, John, 12 a scholar, and Elizbeth, widow 88. Unhelpfully the address is Private House. 

His father only comes to light on his marriage banns in 1920, described as William Morgan , Farmer. Sadly, no record could be found of a mother.  

By 1901, Evan the grandfather is listed on the census as a general labourer aged 60. This is either incorrect or the previous census was incorrect as they are completed every 10 years. Jane is now 49, again incorrect. However, Evan Dulais Morgan, now 10 is a scholar and the address given is Sqre, Gwynfil. 

It is unclear but highly probable that Evan now 20,  was an underground colliery lad in 1911, boarding with William Williams a colliery fireman at 20 Bridge Street, Glencarrwyg, following in the footsteps of his uncle Morgan. 

In 1913 , there is evidence in Ships passenger lists that Evan sailed from Plymouith to New York City on the Kaiser Willhelm the second arriving on 1st September as a 22 year old student.  

There is further evidence of travels when he arrived in Liverpool from Sierra Leone on SS Apapa on 18th February 1917. The address listed is 51, Caistor Road, Balham, London SW. Interestingly, the SS Apapa was sunk by torpedoes in November 1917. Evan was 25, a teacher. The rest of the passengers were engineers, miners, wireless operators etc. Perhaps they were all being repatriated for the war effort. Perhaps this is when Evan  began work as a chemist at HM Factory Gretna. We know from various papers and journal articles that the chemists employed in munitions during the war came from a variety of backgrounds including science teachers. 

We have evidence that tells us that Evan was indeed a chemist at HM Factory Gretna,  having a BSc ( Wales) and living at No 1 Staff Quarters, Eastriggs, Dornock , listed as an New Associate of the Institute of Chemistry in 1918. 

Evan merits a listing in the Dornock Farewell magazine of 1919 along with his home address of Yniswen, Near Neath. 

Turning the clock back to 1893, Evan’s future wife Lesbia ( Emilie) Harrison was born on 18th July, 1893 in Pontefract , Yorkshire. We know from the 1901 census that her father, Sidney, 36, was a House decorator from S Kirkby, near Pontefract, her mother Alice 37 was the daughter of a cabinet maker from Pontefract, Lesbia was 7.  Mother’s sisters also lived in the house – Madge and May Turner, 32 and 30 one a bathe maid and one a sewing maid ( shirts) They lived on Southgate at the time which is now the main Wakefield road and bypass to the town center. 

In 1911, Sidney and Alice had moved along the road to Gillygate. It seems that Lesbia was their only child.  

Lesbian meanwhile is to be found on the 1911 census for 126 Sutherland Avenue , Maida Vale , London as one of 5 music students boarding at the residence- a house with 15 tooms and 16 residents-10 males and 6 females. This was clearly a lodging house and the Google map photograph shows that it hasn’t altered much since 1911. The household was headed by a matriarchal female and also consisted of young people of Danish, German and other nationalities who were waiters and servants in the area. 

This address crops up quite often over the years in the Britishnewspaper archive , namely in 1933 in the listings of out of work actresses as well as an interesting advertisement for two willing girls wanted for domestic duties at 126 Sutherland Avenue. 

It is unclear how Evan Dulais Morgan from Wales met Lesbia ( Emilie) Harrison from Pontefract but the marriage banns tell us that they were married on 21 st July 1920 at the Parish Church of St Giles and St Mary’s just off the Market Place in Pontefract. Evan now 29, described grandly as a Research Chemist  of 38 Brigham Road, N Redditch, Stockport and Lesbia, now 27 of 29 Wakefield Rd, Pontefract. Both father’s names are included and not described as deceased but it is not clear whether Evan’s father was at the wedding. His Aunt Jane was a witness. Sidney Harrison is described as a painter and decorator.  

With the grand title of Research Chemist following employment in munitions during the war, Evan is listed on the passenger list of the Akabo sailing from Sierra Leone arriving in Liverpool on 18th November 1920. His occupation is described as G.O.  ( Possibly Government Operations ).Wikipedia tells us how important and strategic  Freetown was even following the war. It appears that he made this journey without his wife. 

 

In 1938, Lesbia’s father died. Probate listing shows us that Sidney of 29 Wakefield Rd, Ponefract, Yorkshire, died 8th April 1938. Probate, London 1st July to Evan Dulais Morgan, Headmaster, Effects £4200  12s 7d. We can possibly assume that Lesbia’s mother had already died . We can now learn that Evan was a head master having abandoned the chemistry research to return to his previous calling. The house on Wakefield Rd still has its original windows. (picture included in the attached folder). 

The 1939 register just one year later shows  Lesbia and Evan are living at 31 , St Margaret Street, Canterbury. Lesbia on unpaid domestic duties and Evan a teacher. He must have been a headteacher.  

Records are scant but a story appeared in the Western Mail on Wednesday 29th November 1944 reporting that Mrs Lesbia Morgan of Ashley Bungalow, Broad Street, Llandovery returned home one evening and disturbed a burglar. She went for the assistance from Benjamin and Raymond Lloyd.  

Perhaps Evan was helping the war effort for as second time. He would have been 53.  

Probate records inform us that Evan died on 28th February 1967 at 10 New Church Road, Sutton Coldfield. Probate to” his widow Emilie Morgan £29,457” He was 76. 

Clearly Evan had a successful life from humble beginnings. He moved around a lot, had no siblings to note and no children of his own.  The mystery remains – why did Lesbia call herself Emilie? Did she become a performer using her musical talents and Emile was her stage name. She certainly trained in an area where many actresses and professional performers lodged.