THIS postcard, published recently from?Brian Clutterbuck's collection, shows Clearwell around the time of the First World War.

To the left of the Cross is the Post Office with its posting box in the wall, a building steeped in history and tinged with tragedy.

The postmistress at that time was Elizabeth Howell, who has married William Neal Howell in 1897 after the death of her first husband. She had brought her three children with her, inherited two more from William and produced five more with William – a real houseful of 10 children on census night in 1911, ranging in age from 4 to 24!

The tragic child was Eysam Edward Yarworth from Elizabeth's first marriage. He is the first name on the Clearwell War Memorial, having become known as 'Ralph' and been promoted to Corporal. The evidence for this comes from the 'In Memoriam' column from the Dean Forest Mercury of July 6, 1971.

'...in tender memory of Cpl. Ralph Yarworth of the Post Office, Clearwell, of 2nd Monmouthshire Regiment, who laid down his life in France 1st July 1916...' The first day of the Battle of the Somme.

But Ralph was not the only member of the family to die in the war. George Merry,?Ralph's cousin, had been killed a year earlier. His obituary from the Dean?Forest Mercury of May 7, 195, also mentions two other cousins.

So two out of the four serving grandsons of Thomas and Mary Yarworth of the 'Rocks' in Clearwell, who had 11 children altogether, did not return to Clearwell, but appear alongside 11 other fallen heroes on the War Memorial.

If you would like your family tree professionally researched contact me– Malcolm Sadler at Relative Roots Family History (Dean 83310) or