WITHIN Merthyr Dyfan cemetery there is a children’s memorial garden and a slate sun dial paid for with money from the estate of Cleophas Gill.

Cleophas married Lydda Evans in 1927, having two children, Beryl born in 1928 and Colin (my father) born in 1933. In 1945, he walked out on the family and later in 1948 he married Florence Pryce, there was never any contact or financial support from the point he walked out.

In 1992, there was an article showing a picture of Cleophas, he had died in 1972 and upon his wife’s death in 1992, there was to be a sum of £58,000 given to Barry Town Council for the purpose of building clocks and fountains in his honour?

We were not sure if the council would accept this money as his will specified ‘clocks and fountains’.

However, the council accepted the money and we assumed it would be absorbed into the coffers, and that would be the last we would hear about it.

Sadly my father passed away last August, and it was by idle curiosity I typed Cleophas Gill into Google then documents from Barry Town Council came up, showing the money had been far better spent on a children’s memorial garden.

Having researched a little of the family tree, I discovered Cleophas had a brother George Gill who married Mary Jane Fifield in 1914, George died in 1917 aged 24, he was in the merchant navy aboard the SS Sten, a ship carrying coal from Barry to St Malo, when it was sunk by a German U-boat off St Ives, and am proud to say his name is listed in the Memorial Hall opposite the Barry Cenotaph.

It would be nice to find out if there are any descendants from George and Mary’s brief marriage.

Paul Gill

Clos Enfys

Caerphilly