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Thomas Daniel JonesThomas Daniel Jones was born in Arlingham in 1887 to Albert Paxton Jones, a dealer, and Florence Mary née Dwyer. The family were living in a three-roomed property in Arlingham's High Street in 1891, with Albert having to support his wife and four young children as a general labourer. Albert died two years later and Florence took on work as a charwoman. By 1901 Thomas was working as a plough boy; ten years later Thomas (then a farm labourer), and his mother had moved to Colthill. According to those census records, Thomas was blind in one eye but, despite his disability, he served as a private during the war. His medical category restricted him to Home Service and on 22 August 1917, then of The Lake, Frampton, he reported to the Inland Waterways & Docks, Royal Engineers, at the White City in London. We do not know where he served at first, but he was later transferred to the 699 Agricultural Company of the Labour Corps at Canterbury and appears to have finished his service with the 389th (HS) Labour Company of the Labour Corps, working in the Canterbury depot of 'The Buffs', the Royal East Kent Regiment. Thomas was finally discharged on 12 November 1919 and his war service is commemorated on the plaque in the village hall. Thomas stayed on briefly in Frampton after the war before moving away for some years. He later returned to the village to live, once more at The Lake. Thomas Daniel Jones was buried in St Mary's churchyard on 28 March 1953. |