A First World War compass owned by the son of Cardiff shipping magnate, Liberal Party MP and High Sheriff of Monmouthshire Sir William Henry Seager (1862-1941) has finally been returned to his family in Wales. The Cardiff family founded W.H Seager & Co in 1904, a global shipping company which operated from Cardiff docks until the 1960s.

William Seager Jr (known as Willie) a 2nd Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers was killed in action in France in February 1916 aged 23.

In 1939 Sir William Seager established the Willie Seager Memorial Trust in honour of his son, which provided homes to retired seafarers and their wives in Cardiff. The Trust is today an almshouse managed by Aelwyd Housing and continues to provide homes for seafarers and dockworkers.

After Lt Seager’s death, the compass came into the hands of his Regimental Sargent Major George Lockie who served with him on the front. Over 100 years later the compass was inherited by descendants of George Lockie who found it was engraved and set out to find out more about the soldier it had belonged to.

Alan Lloyd a great grandson of George Lockie said

“ We have no idea how our great grandfather came to be in possession of the compass, but once we saw the inscription, we knew we had to find out more about Willie Seager and hopefully return the compass to his family. We were amazed to find he came from a family that was such an important part of Welsh history and his legacy lives on today through the provision of homes for retired seafarers.”

Alan and his cousin Lorraine who both live in England contacted the Willie Seager Memorial Trust which was able to connect them with the living relatives of Willie Seager. The two families met up in March 2023 in Cardiff to exchange the compass, and Alan and Lorraine were given a book about the life of Willie Seager by his great-niece Jane Edmonds.  

Jane Edmonds who lives in Aberystwyth said

“I have no words to say how grateful we are to Alan and Lorraine. They have done a wonderful thing for our family and returned a precious item owned by my great uncle who was so tragically killed in the First World War.”

The Chair of the Willie Seager Memorial Trust Captain Hywel Jones said,

“The return of the compass to Willie Seager’s family was a very moving moment, with lots of tears. We all remembered the sacrifice and legacy of a young man whose name is still spoken every day as we provide homes to retired seafarers in housing need.

Willie Seager’s niece Jane Edmonds intends to take the compass around the UK to show it to Seagar family members, before finding it a suitable home in Wales where it can be viewed by the public.

Posted June 2023