Tag Archives: India

Frank Harriman

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Frank was born in Stafford on 26 June 1888, the son of John William and Elizabeth Harriman. On 8 August 1888 he was baptised in St Mary’s Church, Wolverhampton. They were living in Spring Valley Street, Wolverhampton in 1891. In 1892, Frank started attending St Stephen’s Church of England Primary School in Wolverhampton. By 1901 they were living at 57 Powell Street in Heath Town, Wolverhampton, and Frank had a younger sister, Elizabeth. Frank became a carriage cleaner for the railway, joining the Wolverhampton Park Village branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants in 1911. Frank was living at 13 Powell Street, and he married Amy Lydia Lucas the same year. They had a daughter, Edna Day, who was born in Wolverhampton in 1912. Frank joined the National Union of Railwaymen in 1914.

Frank joined the Notts & Derby Regiment (service number 89947) and later served with the Infantry Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps (service number 118263). died of influenza on 25 October 1918 while serving in India. He is buried at the Mhow New Cemetery in India.

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The research for this blog post was carried out by remote virtual volunteer, Jacky de Escofet.

Joseph Henry Dickenson

16 Tuesday May 2023

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Joseph was born in Wolverhampton in 1890, the son of George and Lucy Dickenson. In 1901, the family were living at 29 Ward Street, Wolverhampton, along with Joseph’s siblings Emma, Lucy, George, Hannah, Margaret, Sarah A., Harriet and Alfred. Joseph attended St Joseph’s School in Wolverhampton.

In April 1907, Joseph enlisted with the 3rd South Staffordshire Regiment (service number 8216) at the age of only 17. He served for five years in India. He later moved to the King’s Hussars (number 3678), with whom he was serving when war broke out. Unfortunately, he was wounded, and died of these wounds on 12 December 1915. A tribute to Joseph in the Midlands County Express published on 13 January 1917 mentioned that his mother, living at 141 Horseley Fields, had received a letter from Joseph’s superior officer after his death, stating that he was “a splendid soldier, willing, and ready at all times to perform any task allotted to him.” He is buried in the Amara War Cemetery in Iraq.

Arthur Edward Lester

22 Thursday Sep 2022

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The son of William Thomas and Jane Lester, Arthur was born in Wolverhampton in 1881, and was baptised in St George’s Church, Wolverhampton, on 17 July 1882. In 1891, the family were living at 137 Walsall Street, with Arthur and his parents joined by siblings William Arthur, John Thomas, Jane Maria and George Donlan. Arthur also had three younger siblings, but they unfortunately died in infancy. By 1901, Arthur and his father were boarding in the home of Henry Cutler at 156 Park Street, Wolverhampton. Arthur was working as a brass dresser. Henry was Arthur’s brother-in-law, having married his sister, Elizabeth Annie Lester, in 1889.

A year later, Arthur enlisted with the 3rd Worcesters (service number 9018). His enlistment papers give his trade as brass finisher. He had numerous distinctive marks, including a circular scar on the back of the left shoulder and several tattoo dots on the back of his left forearm. He went on to serve nine years of active service, including 7 years in India, where he managed the mineral water department of his battalion. He later spent three years in reserve, working for Sunbeam for a year and living at 11 Park Street in Blakenhall. When war broke out, he rejoined his regiment without waiting to be called up. On 28 October 1914, he was reported as missing at La Querque. By 26 February 1916, the Midland Counties Express was stating that he was presumed to be dead. He is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial in France, as well as on the memorial in St Luke’s Church in Blakenhall.

Harry Lyttleton Toy

20 Tuesday Jul 2021

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The son of Samuel Henry and Elizabeth Toy, Harry was born in Wolverhampton in 1879. He was baptised in St Philip’s Church in Penn Fields on 19 October 1879. In 1881, he was living with his mother at 9 Star Street, Upper Penn, Wolverhampton, along with his siblings Samuel Edwin, William, Elizabeth, Alice Jane, and Annie. By 1879, Harry was with both parents at Rose Dale Cottage, Middle Vauxhall, Wolverhampton, along with siblings Samuel Edwin, Arthur, Herbert Stanley and Charles. His father died on 22 September 1916 at Burton-on-Trent Infirmary.

Harry was a career soldier, serving with the Royal Field Artillery, and was at their barracks in Farnborough, Baskingdoke in 1901, and serving in the Punjab, in India, in 1911. He served as a Corporal with the Royal Field Artillery (service number 35301). On 12 January 1916 he was listed as Wounded on the War Office Casualty List. On 23 Jun 1916 he was listed as “Captured at Kut”, but this was later retracted. Unfortunately he died on 25 July 1917 in Egypt. He is buried in Basra War Cemetery in Iraq.

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The research for this blog post was carried out by remote digital volunteer, Jacky de Escofet.

Joseph Dalloway

29 Thursday Apr 2021

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The son of John and Sarah Jane Dalloway, Joseph was born in Walsall on 27 November 1885, and baptised at St Paul’s Church, Walsall, on 17 December 1885. He worked as a porter and later a vansetter for the London and North Western Railway, and became a member of the National Union of Railwaymen in 1913. The same year, he married Gertrude Clarke at St Peter’s Church in Walsall.

Joseph served for 8 years in India with the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment (service number 9202). He rejoined his regiment when war broke out, but was killed in action on 27 Oct 1914. He is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium and, because of his work for the railway, his name is listed on the memorial at Wolverhampton Railway Station.

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Research for this blog post was completed by one of our remote volunteers, Jacky de Escofet.

Richard Henry Ridges

28 Tuesday May 2019

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Richard was born in Calcutta in 1885, the son of Lucy Edridge (from Bilston) and Edward Ridges (from London). Richard had an older sister Lucy born 1882 and a brother John born 1883. By 1891 the family was back in England living at 29 Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton with Richard’s maternal grandparents. Richard’s grandfather after whom he was named was a former tea dealer. Did this explain the family’s stay in India?

Richard’s father Edward Ridges was now a coach builder. On the 1901 census the family was living at Larches Lane, Wolverhampton. Richard’s sister Lucy was a milliner’s assistant. On the 1911 census she and Julia had no occupations. In 1911 the family was living at Karagola, 12 Crawford Street, Wolverhampton. They had nine rooms and on both the 1901 and 1911 census returns there was a female servant, Martha Walker in 1901 and Annie Bishop in 1911. Richard was not recorded at home on the 1911 census, as he was a pharmaceutical servant in London.

Edward and Lucy Ridges had been members of the Queen Street Congregational Church since 1893 and Richard is on the church’s 1914-15 Roll of Honour. Richard joined the Royal Army Medical Corps (unit number 534488) and served with the 4th London Field Ambulance. He was discharged on 11 April 1918 for ill heath and received a pension from 12 November 1918. He had been diagnosed with tuberculosis of the lower dorsal vertibrae, judged to be aggravated by war service, and neurasthenia judged to be caused by the war. His salary before he enlisted had been £3.50 a week and he was granted £5 a week.

The good news is that Richard’s tuberculosis did not prove to be fatal. He married Hettie Fuller in 1925, and on the 1939 National Register was working as a chemist and living at 42 Ashwood Road, Worcester. Probably after retirement he moved to Leigh-on-Sea where he died on 23 June 1967 at 68 Hillside Crescent, leaving an estate after probate of £9534. He does not appear to have had any children.

The research for this blog post has been completed by volunteer Susan Martin.

Jacob Walton

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

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waltonJacob was born in Wolverhampton in 1885, the son of William and Susannah Walton. In 1901 they were living at 7 Willenhall Road, Bilston, along with Jacob’s siblings Joseph, Henry, Mary and Minnie. From 1903 onwards, Jacob enlisted in the Militia, and served in the East for six and a half years. In 1911, Jacob was serving in India. He returned home on Reserve, and married Martha Ward in Wolverhampton in 1913. The couple had two sons, James (1917) and John (1918).

When war broke out, Jacob was recalled, and served with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (number 8427), first entering the war on 22 August 1914. He was involved in many engagements, including Mons, and rose to become Corporal. On 15 April 1918 he was wounded, and he subsequently died of these wounds on 30 April 1918 in the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station in France. Notice of his death appeared in the Midland Counties Express on 18 Mary 1918. He is buried at Bagneux British cemetery, Gezaincourt, and he is remembered on the Bilston Town Hall Ward Roll of Honour.

Joseph Hicken

27 Saturday Oct 2018

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The son of William Henry and Alice Louisa Hicken, Joseph was born in Bridgend, Glamorgan, in 1897. His father was described on the 1901 census as a “missionary to navvies”, so the family, which consisted of Joseph, his parents, and sibligns Maud E., Henry R., and William Edward, moved around the country a great deal. In 1901 they were at Heptonstall in Yorkshire, and by 1911 they were back in Glamorgan. Joseph became a labourer for a plumber.

Joseph enlisted with the Brecknockshire Battalion of the South Wales Borderers (number 2182, later 200591), first serving in the Asiatic from 3 July 1915 and rising to become a Serjeant. He died in Bombay, India on 12 July 1917. At some point, the family had moved to Wolverhampton, as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission gives his parents’ address as 53 Emerson Road, Low Hill, Wolverhampton. He is remembered at the Kirkee 1914-1918 memorial in India.

John Cook

07 Thursday Jun 2018

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John was born in on 26 January 1884 in Wolverhampton, the son of William and Elizabeth Cook of 48 Chapel Street, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton. On 2 March 1900, John enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 5872), when his trade was given as tube maker. Before the outbreak of war, he served mainly in South Africa and India, and was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1905. He was transferred to the Army Reserve in March 1908. In 1911, he was listed as a labourer and living with his parents at 9 Crescent Row, Wolverhampton. John married Annie Rudge at St Mary’s Church, Wolverhampton, on 16 April 1911, and they had a daughter, Phyllis, in 1913.

John was mobilised at Lichfield on 5 August 1914. He must have voluntarily joined Section D of the Reserve as his normal reserve commitment would have ended in 1912. On 25 May 1915, the Express & Star printed details of a letter he had sent to his wife, now living at 87 Woden Road, Wolverhampton:

I am quite safe after a big battle with the Germans. I was never in such a fight in all my life. We shot the Germans down as fast as we could load our rifles, and captured about 550 of them, but we have dropped back at last for a bit of a rest, and it is like being in heaven, for the last day’s fighting was hell on earth.

He was promoted to Corporal in May 1915, and Sergeant in November 1916. In September 1917, he was transferred to the Royal Defence Corps (number 66812). On 14 November 1917, he was discharged as being no longer physically fit for war service due to sickness. He was awarded the Silver War Badge (number 269449) on 10 November 1917.

John died in Wolverhampton in 1963.

Ralph Isaiah Humphries

09 Monday Apr 2018

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The son of Arthur and Elizabeth Humphries, Ralph was born in Bilston in 1879. By 1891, Ralph was at the Standon Boys’ Farm Home near Eccleshall, Staffordshire, run by the Waifs and Strays Society, so presumably one or both of his parents had died.

When he reached the age of 18, on 22 February 1895, he enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment (service number 4571). His trade by this age was given as farm labourer. In 1901, he was permitted to extend his period of Army Service to complete 12 years with the colours, and in 1906 he was again permitted to re-engage to complete a total of 21 years. During the course of this period he served in India and South Africa.

He married Elspeth Harper Gray on 31 October 1910 in Pretoria, South Africa, and the couple had three children – Mary Elspeth (1912 in Lichfield), Jeannie Elizabeth (1913 in Lichfield) and Ralph Arthur James (1914 in Aldershot).

When the First World War broke out he was sent to serve in France with the 2nd Battalion. In 1915 he was promoted to Sergeant and continued in service under the Military Service Act in 1917. He elected to draw his pension on 8 February 1918 while still in service. He was eventually discharged on 26 March 1919, at the age of 40, by which date his home address was 10 Henwood Road, Compton, Wolverhampton.

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