Walter Rue was one of twins born on the morning of 7th September 1895, his brother Wallace was born at 6.45am but I don’t know whether Walter was older or younger. They were born in Llanharry. Their parents were Walter Rue and Jane nee Pole and these are certainly shown on Wallace’s birth certificate as the parents, however we know that their father, Walter had died following a mining accident on 31st July 1895 – this was not reflected on the birth certificate which is unusual.
Walter and Wallace were baptised on 6th October 1895 in the church in Llanharry when they were not quite 1 month old – this may have been because Wallace was ill. He died soon after and was buried in Llanharry on 11th October 1895.
Walter had three older brothers and one older sister all the children of Walter & Jane Rue.
It appears that soon after the birth of Walter and Wallace the recently widowed Jane got together with another man – Thomas Edwards and they had 5 children together starting in 1896 and finishing in 1905 – they had 3 boys and 2 girls, all of whom of course had the surname Edwards.
Thomas Edwards and Jane continued to raise the Rue children and the Edwards children together and they all appear to have been very close. The family moved around a lot in the first 10-15 years, moving from Llanharry to the Neath area, then to Swansea and back to Neath, before finally settling in the Crynant area of Neath.
In the 1901 census the family were living in the Michaelstone Upper area of Neath and Walter was shown as being 5 years old.
In the 1911 census the family were living at Hendregymer Farm, Crynant and Walter was 16, a labourer underground in the colliery.
I believe that Walter continued to be a miner and to live in the Neath area for the rest of his life.
Walter married Catherine Williams in the Swansea are towards the end of 1924. I do not know who she was or where she came from.
Walter and Catherine had 5 children, the eldest Vernon born in 1925 then Harold in 1926, Betty in 1927, Barbara in 1932 and finally Peter in 1939.
The two youngest children died early in childhood, apparently of TB. Barbara died in 1940 aged 7 and Peter died in 1944 aged just 5.
The remaining 3 children went on to marry and have children of their own.
Walter died in Neath early in 1971.