Chailey 1914-1918: 2011

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Farewell Chailey1914-1918.net

I've closed down the Chailey 1914-1918 site. To be honest, it had become unwieldy and the package provided by Fasthosts that I had used to create the site was certainly not user-friendly. In the end it just seemed simpler to close the site down and instead add information to this blog. I have a copy of the site and who knows, in time it might re-surface somewhere else. However, for the time being, search engine capability being what it is these days, somebody looking for a man or woman with Chailey connections during WW1 should manage to stumble across this blog without too much difficulty.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

NFDDSS - Newick & Chailey

This splendid photo shows members of the Newick and Chailey Branch of the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers at their wind-up supper outside The King's Head, Chailey on July 12th 1921.

Numbering left to right, identified members so far are:

Back row: 2: Frank Mainwood; 6: Len Gordon; 7: "Buffer Ford"; 8: William Padgham; 11: Hugh Page; 13: Charles Pateman

Second row: 6: Thomas Divall

Third row: 3:?? Ireland

Front row: 1: Jack Padgham (father of Albert and William); 7: Thomas Deadman

Frank Mainwood, RGA. My thanks to Helen Davy and Peggy Fuller in Hampshire for helping me identify him in the main photo above. Frank lost his right eye whilst serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War.

Len Gordon, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

William Padgham, RFA

Tom Deadman, Rifle Brigade

A tale of two namesakes - Thomas Avery

I am grateful to Lesley Fisher for contacting me and correcting the biography I had written for Thomas Avery. It appears that I have mixed up two men of the same name and I will now attempt to unravel them.

1. Thomas Avery was born in Chailey around 1879. When the 1901 census was taken, the family was living at 13 South Street, Chailey. The family comprised Thomas Avery (head of the household, aged 48), his wife Caroline (42) and their seven children: Thomas (21), Edith (18), Rose (16), Frederick (13), Harriett (9), Arthur (6) and Harry (2). Thomas senior worked as a carter on a farm. His son Thomas was a brick-maker (presumably working at Norman’s, locally) and Edith worked as a general domestic servant. The family also had a boarder, 22 year old Frank Funnell who worked as a labourer in at the local brickyard.

Tom Avery appears in Chailey Parish Magazine for the first time in November 1916, noted as a Private, serving with the Army Veterinary Corps in France. He survived the war and appears to have served until the end, finally appearing in the parish magazine in July 1919. He was given the army number SE/21101.

2. Another Thomas Avery, born in 1889, was the youngest of seven children of John Avery and Mary-Ann Bridon. The family can be found on the 1891 census living at Wapsbourne Cottage in the Chailey Parish. Mary-Ann then went on to marry Charles Knight. They appear on the 1901 census living at Oaklands Cottage Chailey with another brother for Thomas and also Mary-Ann's father. They moved to Rock Cottage, Scaynes Hill by the time the 1911 census was completed and Thomas, now 22 years of age is noted as a farm labourer.

Thomas died in 1949 from oral cancer and at the time of his death he was employed as a carter. He was living at Oakwood Cottages in Streat and was never in the army although it was this Thomas Avery who married the widow of the late Harry Gates and subsequently lived at Flint Cottage (pictured above, courtesy of the Geocaching website) on Chailey Common.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Chailey Roll-call: Chailey's Men

Pictured above, Ernest Stevens and his wife, Alice Pointing.

Monday, September 05, 2011

Chailey Roll-Call: The Patients

Surviving British Red Cross records tell us that between August 1914 and November 1918, the ladies of Sussex 54 VAD nursed a total of 958 soldier patients at Hickwells and Beechlands. That means that Nurse Oliver’s album represents less than 14 per cent of admissions although of course, she would have had a hand in nursing the majority of the men who passed through the two hospitals.

One hundred and twenty nine sick and wounded soldiers left their marks in Edith Oliver's album. They, and a handful of soldiers from another album kept by Nurse Rose Beatrice Smythe (indicated by an asterisk) are recorded below.

I would be delighted to hear from anybody who has further information on any of the patients listed here, or indeed anyone who can add another soldier name to the Hickwells and Beechland House roll call. Please do contact me.

3246 Private John Thomson ALLAN, 1/4th Gordon Highlanders
Private J ANDREW, 4th Northamptonshire Regt
Staff Sergeant ATKINSON
23331 Private William H BADDOCK, 3rd Grenadier Guards
L/10314 Private Charles BANKS, 1st Royal Fusiliers
2767 Private William BARBIN, 42nd Australian Imperial Force
3962 Signaller Chris BARCLAY, 2/10th (Scottish) King's Liverpool Regt
43009 Private Herbert Richard BARNES,13th (West Ham) Essex Regt
486742 Sapper Arthur BEE, 470th Field Coy Royal Engineers
Lance-Corporal BEECHING
602919 Private James BENTLEY, 7th (British Columbia) Canadians
86771 Private Thomas S BENTON, 41st Signal Coy Royal Engineers
Driver BRADLEY
Corporal Albert BRANDON, 1/7th Middlesex Regt
Private BRASSINGTON
2/338493 Gunner H S BRIGHT, Royal Artillery
Private T W BROWN, Durham Light Infantry
Private S F BROWN, 2/9th Middlesex Regt
1218 Private W BROWN, 1/9th Middlesex Regt
22824 Private Henry Robert BURN, 2nd Worcs Regt
G/4780 Private Edward John BURNAGE, 2nd Royal Sussex Regt
Private D BUTCHER, 2nd Royal Sussex Regt*
1359 Private William J BUTTERS 1/20th London Regt
1583 Sergeant William CALVERT, 1/5th East Lancs Regt
290444 Private Archibald John CAPHAM, 1/4th Suffolk Regt
Private A CARTHIDGE, Royal Sussex Regt*
16534 Private William CHADWICK, 7th KOSB
12419 Private Charles Robert H CHAMBERS, 7th Norfolk Regt
Corporal CHATTERTON
Thomas George CLARKE, National Reserve
Driver CLEARY
Driver J CLEGG, Army Service Corps*
Lance-Corporal COATES
R/1480 Rifleman Stan COLLINS, 12th Kings Royal Rifle Corps
16621 Private James COWLEY, 1st Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regt
Lance Sergeant CROFT
7567 Private John CURRIE, 10th Gordon Highlanders
Private DAVEY
Drummer DAVIS
Gunner DAVIS
Private DAWSON
88802 Driver George William DEER, Royal Field Artillery
Rifleman DEERS
12517 Cpl Frederick John DENTON, 9th Essex
2605 Corporal John DICKS, 9th Essex Regt
6155 Private Frank Chivers DIXON, 1st Wiltshire Regt
3655 Private Martin DONNELLY, East Surrey Regt
Private DORCHESTER
Private DUFFY
Corporal A A C ELDRIDGE, Royal Fusiliers
22782 L/Cpl Ernest FAIRBROTHER, 10th Loyal North Lancs
5363 Private W FERGUSON 3rd Border Regiment
Private Joseph R FISH, 86th Aero Squadron, USA
Private FLYNN
Private FOSTER
16880 Private Joseph FRENCH, 9th Essex Regt
Private FROST
11908 Private Carles Hellas FUERE
8355 CSM John William Beeby GALE, 2nd Bedfordshire Regt
Bombardier GARLAND, Royal Artillery
S/7793 Private Andrew GEDDES, 10th Gordon Highlanders PHOTO
50082 Driver James GILBERT, Royal Field Artillery
Private GOLDBOROUGH
2726 Thomas Leo GOLDEN, CEF*
Private GORDON
Private GRAY
11796 Private John E GRIFFITHS, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt)
Private HALE
Rifleman HARDCASTLE
L/6723 Private Frederick HARDING, 4th Middlesex Regt
Private HARDY
21/1522 Private Charles Edward HARRALD, 24th Northumberland Fusiliers
Private HARRISON
Private HART
SR/7386 Private William HAYDON, 1st Royal FusiliersRifleman
F HEAD
2367 Trooper George Seaney HICKS, 3/1st Bedfordshire Yeomanry
Bombardier William HILL, Royal Artillery
Private HILTON
14598 CQMS Oswald Daniel HITTER, 10th Essex Regt
6850 Rifleman Robert Mearns HOBBS, 1/5th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
SE/9585 Private Albert HOIDGE, RAVC
Private HOLLERAN
20491 Private William HOLT, 20th County of London Regt
Private HOLYROD
Private HUBBARD
Private HUME
Sergeant H HUNTER, Coldstream Guards
Private JENNINGS
64720 Gunner Henry JOBSON, Royal Field Artillery*
Private JOHNSTONE
22002 Private D JONES, Army Service Corps
Private KEARTON
21675 Private O KEENAN, Border Regt
10298 Private Ernest J KELSEY, 22nd (Kensington) Royal Fusiliers
19797 Private Alfred Ephraim KENNARD, 6th Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
1366 Lance Corporal Ernest LADD, 5th Buffs PHOTO
17797 Private Albert LEGGETT, 1st Northamptonshire Regt
19740 Private Joseph LEIGH, 3rd Border Regt
Private LINCOLN
Private LISTERCorporal LITTLER
5365 Pte George Robert Alfred LUCAS, 8th RWK
230 Private Herbert MAGINNIS, 10th Scottish Rifles
G/5793 Lance Corporal Ernest Arthur MALINS, 6th Royal West Kent Regt
L/8576 Private Albert MANKTELOW, 2nd Royal Sussex
Private McBRIDE or MACBRIDE
4082 Lance Corporal Andrew McCRORIE, 2nd Royal Scots
Private McCANNPrivate Angus McKENZIE 1/5th (Sutherland & Caithness Highland) Seaforth Highlanders
Private McWILLIAMSSergeant MILNE
2844 Harry Gordon MILSOM, CEF
Corporal NASH
Private NEWTON
Rifleman R NICHOLSON
Private OLIVER
2537 Rifleman Harold William PARKINSON, 1/8th London Regt
11066 Band Boy John William PATE, 3rd Dragoon Guards
8108 Private Bernard PICTON, 2nd Connaught Rangers*
7480 Private Reginald PIMBLE, 1st Gloucestershire Regt
Private H PROCTOR, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding)
Private RAYNOR-SMITH
15429 Sergeant Arthur Samuel REEVE, 8th KOSB
Corporal W R D F REYNOLDS, 3rd Royal Fusiliers
205445 Private Joseph Henry RICHARDS, 11th East Yorkshire Regt
Private A G RICHARDSON, 1st Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles
8030 Private Henry Walter RICHARDSON, 1st Dorset Regt
Sergeant RICHEY
G/3325 Private Arthur Charles RIDGER, 7th East Kent Regt
Walter ROBERTSON, 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
Private J E ROBINSON
2229 Tpr Alfred ROCK, Royal Horse Guards WO364 RECORD
914 Bombardier Francis E RYAN, Royal Field Artillery
L/6738 Private Charles SABOURIN, 1st East Surrey Regt
SR/1921 Private James William SALMON, 4th Royal Fusiliers
Lance-Corporal SARGEANT
Lance-Corporal SAVAGE
Private SHAKESPEARE
Sergeant SHEPPARD
10690 Cpl John William SHERIDAN, 12th Northumberland Fusiliers
10181 L/Cpl Thomas Clement SKURRAY, 6th Royal Berkshire Regt*
57941 Lance Corporal Albert Edward SMITH, 20th Canadians Private E SMITH, 2nd Welsh Regt*
1584 Corporal Henry G SMITH DCM, 1/6th Northumberland Fusiliers
Lance-Corporal SMITH
Lance Corporal SMITH, The Buffs (East Kent Regt)
8451 Private Joseph SPRUCE, 8th North Staffordshire Regt
Lance Corporal STERN
Sergeant J STEWART, 84th Bde, Royal Horse Artillery
Corporal R SUTTON, CEF*
18406 Private James SWEENEY, 13th Royal Scots
Private SWIFT
6334 Private John THOMAS, 2nd South Staffordshire Regt
801298 Gunner John William THURGOOD, RFA
Private TODD
Private TOMKINSON
255507 Gunner Edward Harvey TRUMAN, Royal Field Artillery
Private J TURNER, 2nd Highland Light Infantry*
43262 Private Robert VINTON, 10th West Yorkshire Regt
841 L/Cpl George Cecil Davison WALBURN, 1/4th Yorks
9437 Private William Thomas WALLACE, 1st Border Regt
Private WARNER
2725 Private William Fryer WASHBOURNE, 1/5th Gloucestershire Regt
235397 Private Arthur Sydney WEAVING, 3rd Worcestershire Regt
65522 Sapper WEEDEN, 135th Field Coy Royal Engineers
268791 Private Arthur George WHIPP, 2/7th Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys)
6271 Private Ernest WHITCOMB, 1st Middlesex
25442 Private N WIGSTON, 4th Worcestershire Regt
21370 Lance-Corporal John William WILLIAMS, 24/27th Northumberland Fusiliers
33612 Sapper F WILLMOTT, Royal Engineers
326251 Company Sergeant Major John A C WILSON, Royal Garrison Artillery
Private WISE
9457 Corporal Horace Frank WOOD, 8th Royal West Kent Regt
Private WOOLDRIDGE
Private W WORSTER, 5th and14th Middlesex Regt

Pictured above, regular soldier Horace Frank Wood photographed after his recuperation at Chailey. He would survive the war.

Chailey Roll-Call: The Nurses

The following list of Sussex 54 VAD personnel has largely been compiled from a single 1914 source and is certainly incomplete. It is ironic that although VAD Probationer Edith Oliver inspired the research that led to this website, it is Edith Oliver and her colleagues in Sussex 54 VAD that I have least information about. I would welcome further input from visitors to this blog who can either add names to the list or augment any of the biographical details contained here.

I have used the term "Nurse" for those women who provided nursing services although strictly speaking, "Probationer" is the correct term for those VAD members who were not qualified nurses.

Miss or Mrs BEST, Cook
Miss Frances Isabel BLENCOWE, Nurse and Commandant
Mrs Mabel Frances BLENCOWE, Quartermaster
Miss Margaret Penelope BLENCOWE, Nurse
Mrs Emily BRYANT, Nurse
Miss Susan Margaret COTESWORTH, Commandant
Miss or Mrs CURTIS, Cook
Miss Jessie Mary FENN, Nurse
Miss Alice Kathleen FENN, Nurse
Mss A GANDER, Assistant Quartermaster
Miss or Mrs GASTON, Nurse
Miss Helen Marian GREEN, Nurse
Miss Marina Edith Bourne GROUNDS, Nurse
Miss Unis Reta Bourne GROUNDS, Nurse
Miss Rose A HANCOCK, Nurse
Miss Dorothy Austen HOLCROFT, Clerk
Miss Emily Morris MARSHALL, Matron
Miss Edith OLIVER, Nurse
Dr William Stewart ORTON, Medical Officer
Sister OSMUND, Lady Superintendent
Alice POINTING, Cook
Miss Kathleen Etheldred POWNALL Nurse
Miss or Mrs ROOTES, Nurse
Miss Marguerite Harriet SANDFORD, Nurse
Miss Rose Beatrice SMYTHE, Nurse
Mrs Ada Elizabeth WEST, Nurse
Dr H R WHITEHEAD, Surgeon General
Miss or Mrs O WILSON, Nurse

Pictured above, Sussex 54 VAD at their Field Day in Stnmer Park, Falmer, Sussex in June 1914. Dr William Orton leads the contingent and tall Nurse Oliver is fifth from left.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

George Martin & Albert Setford

I am grateful to Richard Senior who writes:

For information, George Martin, who you refer to, was the brother of my great grandfather, William Martin. There was a connection between George Martin and Albert Setford. For more information, see The London Gazette HERE .

The shop at South Street, Chailey was taken on by Albert (Bert) Setford & then his son, who married Dolly & had a son. George Martin also farmed Shelley's & Tutts Farms, South Common, Chailey, I believe at the same time as running the shop. In about 1930 he went on to farm Courthouse Farm, Hamsey, Lewes, and Allington Farm, Hamsey, Lewes. Circa 1933 he built (or had built) Colinbourne, South Common, Chailey (named after Colin Godmans, Danehill & Wapsbourne Manor, Chailey, which he had helped farm as son of farmer William Martin, snr., prior to running the shop. After William Martin, snr, Wapsbourne was farmed by George's uncle, Frank Martin and then his son, George Stenning Martin. George Martin's descendents still farm in the Lewes area.

Monday, July 11, 2011

William John Butters

It's always a real treat when I hear from a relative of one of the men or women I've spent so many years researching; even more so when there's a photo to put to that name.

I recently received an email from Jonathan Butters who is the great-grandson of William Butters of the 20th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment. William was a patient at Hickwells in 1915 and would die of tuberculosis in January 1920 leaving a widow and nine children. In my write-up on the Chailey 1914-1918 site I omitted one child, George Butters, who was born in late 1909 and who died in infancy in September 1912.

William married Clara Ann Corley at St Margaret’s Church, Lee, south east London in 1907, their marriage recorded in the March quarter of that year for the Lewisham district. William would have been around 22 years old, his bride, born in 1882, would have been around 25.

On 8th December 1907 their first child, Edward Charles Butters was born. On 29th January 1909 a daughter, Emily Doris Butters, followed. George Butters was born in December 1909, followed by John Nicholas Butters on the 10th December 1911. Then, on 27th September 1912, at around the same time that their third child died, twin sons James Leslie Butters and Henry James Butters were born.

On 6th June 1913, William joined the 20th London Regiment (TF) for a period of four years and served with B Company. On 17th November that year, his seventh child, Florence May Butters, was born.

There were also one more son and two more daughters that I had not noted in my original Chailey write-up: William John Butters (born 24th December 1916, died 1985), Jessie K Butters (whose birth was registered at Lewisham in the March quarter of 1917) and Clara A Butters (whose birth was registered at Lewisham in the March quarter of 1919).

The photo at the top of this post shows an undated, but presumably pre-war photo of William Butters. The one below shows William, believed to be seated far left, when the 20th London Regiment was at Hatfield. This was probably in November 1914 and would be about the same time that William's poor health first became evident. In June 1915, a Medical Board, identifying tuberculosis, would report:

“Originated Nov 1914 at Hatfield. He states that he was quite well Nov 1914, when he developed a cough. The cough became worse and he brought up much purulent sputum. Sleep sweats from March 1915 to April 1915. Lost some weight. Present condition a weak and wasted man. Signs of active tuberculosis in both lungs, particularly the right lung which is affected in its entirety. Sputum contains enormous numbers of tubercle Bacilli.”

William sent the card to his son, Edward ('Ted') at the family home at 1 Brigade Street, Blackheath. On the reverse he wrote:

"Dear Ted, thank mummy for sending butter which I got alright. I haven't seen Mrs Hurd today so could not send any message. No more news. They are taking away our Reds, Ted and giving us another service dress. XXX. Daddy."

Jonathan also sent me a photo of William when he was recuperating at Hickwells in Chailey. Here he is, sitting cross legged, far left.

This is remarkably similar to a photo I have in my collection which was taken by Frances Blencowe:

In Jonathan's photo, Nurse Blencowe is on the back row, far right, looking away to her left. On my photo, the two dogs have wandered off and one of them is being held by the unidentified woman who replaced Frances Blencowe when she took the photo that I have a copy of. The only other soldier I have positively identified in these photos is Charles Sabourin who lost his leg at Mons and who is sitting behind William Butters.

Clara Butters died just four years after her husband and when she died Ted, aged just seventeen, became the head of the family and had to take charge of his eight brothers and sisters who went into care. Ted Butters died some years ago, but his sister Jessie, the second youngest of William and Clara's children, is still alive and well in Australia. My thanks to Jonathan Butters for sending me this fascinating additional information about his family.

Monday, June 27, 2011

William Albert Foord

As a result of correspondence from Chris Green, I am happy to include another Chailey man on the roll of honour for the village. Chris writes:

"While carrying out family research I have visited Chailey on a couple of occasions.

My interest is in the Foord family to whom I am related through my maternal Grandmother, L Foord.

Looking at your WW1 Chailey 1914-1918 website I was surprised to see no mention
of my first Cousin one removed, William Foord. He is apparently not listed on the Chailey War memorial, however he is shown on the WW1 commemorative board at Eastbourne Town Hall.

His family, my Grandmother’s brother lived at Cinder Hill, Chailey. One of William’s sister also attended Chailey Heritage School.

William died 25 June 1916. I have visited the family grave at St Peter Chailey & he is commemorated there.

Here are his details for your information.

Private William Albert Foord No.178, 11th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
Died 25 June 1916 age 18yr 345 days.
Died of wounds near Richelbourg L’Avoue
Buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery."

William Albert Foord, RIP.

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