Arthur L Rue was born in 1924, he was the only child born to Edward Rue and Lucy nee Smith. Edward already had three children from previous marriages who were quite a bit older than Arthur – Thomas born in 1888, Margaret born in 1890 and Edward Severin born in 1914.
Arthurs mother, Lucy, died in 1928, when he would have been about 4. Arthur then went to live with his eldest brother, Thomas at his farm Llanfarach near Pontyclun, with Thomas his wife Beatrice and their two daughters, Gwyneth and Nancy who were 10 and 4 years older than Arthur.
I do not know how much contact there was with his father, Edward. Edward did live quite close by in Llanblethian until his death in 1951, however there is no evidence that he had any contact with Thomas and his family or his sons by later wives – Edward Severin or Arthur.
I do know however that Edward Severin who was Arthurs half brother and was raised by his maternal Aunts following his own mother’s death was an occasional visitor to Llanfarach Farm.
Arthur’s half brother, Thomas, who was his guardian, died on 7th January 1935, when Arthur would have been just 10 years old. I understand that Arthur then continued to live at Llanfarach with Beatrice, Gwyneth and Nancy.
Arthur married Gladys Mary Clarke (maiden name Stephens) in 1954. She was 46 years old, as compared to his 30 years, and she had at least one child from her marriage to a Mr Clarke, some of whom were already in adulthood. I do not know what happened to her previous husband, or whether she still had younger children as well.
Despite her age Arthur and Gladys had a son on 18th April 1955 called Arthur Jeffrey.
I believe that Arthur and Gladys ran a shop in Cardiff and that he also did building work. I have been told that he died following a fall from a ladder whilst working in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s although I can’t find his death recorded in the records as yet.
Gladys died in January in 1989 and their only son died in 2002 apparently without having ever had children of his own.