Over the subsequent years, pregnancies coincided (not unnaturally) with the periods he spent ashore. Four sons were followed by two daughters. Thomas the eldest died within a few days of birth. John, the next, went on to build a business founded on pottery, china and hardware. The quality of his china (some of which came from Henry's home country) ensured that the business prospered and was continued by his sons. William, the second son, died at a young age the victim of an accident. David, who was known in Loughor as Dai Hagedorn, the author's grandfather, worked as a miner. Swarthy, with Germanic features. Henry didn't move mountains. He didn't lead a nation. He didn't in any way change the course of history, but "no man is an island, every man is part of the whole, every man's death diminishes"…. and so it is with Henry. His story is told so that at the very least his life and the flavour of the society peopled by the generous, volatile, ebullient population of that small but vibrant and growing town of Swansea and its satellite villages of Gorseinon, Loughor and Kingsbridge will be remembered by us, his descendants.

Much of what has been written in this account is largely conjecture and imagination, and must be read as such, he was 'laid back' to a point where everyone felt relaxed in his company, but underneath was a man who could not be intimidated as many found to their cost. In the Globe Inn one evening, Dai inadvertently jogged a man's arm as he was passing, spilling his drink. The man cursed him and said he was minded to 'give him a hiding'. Dai simply walked away, but enquired as he left where the man lived. The following morning there was a knock on the man's door. On opening the door, he was confronted by Dai who enquired if he was still 'minded to give him a hiding', perhaps he would like the opportunity now. Dai was unaware that several people had advised the man to avoid confronting Dai Hagedorn. As a young man he had a fearsome reputation in any physical confrontation. The man, visibly shaken, declined the invitation, and having decided that discretion was the better part of valour he apologised. Dai simply smiled and walked away.

David married Sarah Ann Loyd, she had four daughters: Bessie, who died tragically as a teenager; Miriam, Caroline and Nancy; and a son, William. Dai took special pride in the singing talents of Carrie, who eventually formed the Loughor Childrens Choir which became well known in South Wales. This account is really about Henry's life and times so to this we return. His voyages round the globe had not been without incident. Shipwrecked three times altogether. On the final occasion when he was fifty years of age, he realised that he was tempting fate too frequently and decided to give up the sea. Never afraid of hard work, he found employment in a nearby mine as a surface worker.

As the afternoon wore on and the sun gradually set across the Loughor estuary, Henry's dreams drifted across the sea to his homeland. He saw again the red soils and bright green fields. He heard the strong voices of farm labourers singing as they trudged back along the banks of the canals and wondered what his life might have been had he remained in Schleswig-Holstein. He would, he knew, always be grateful to the lively warm hearted people of his adopted country for the way they accepted him and made him welcome. "…..it takes passionate pilgrims, vague aliens and other disinherited persons to appreciate the 'points' of this admirable country." Henry James accordingly, but it is a fact that he lived and left his imprint in his children and their children's children. These words are written for those who owe their existence to that young man who came to these shores many years ago. This account is written in tribute to his memory.