Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

S names

Edwin Charles Smart

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E. C. Smart
Service no. 263068
Rifleman, Monmouthshire Regiment, 1st Battalion
Born in Walworth; enlisted in Battersea
Killed in action on 3 September 1917, aged 35
CWGC: “Husband of Elizabeth Ann Smart, of 12, Thorparch Rd. Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Loos Memorial, France

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

On 7 November 1917 Elizabeth Ann Smart, widow of Edwin Charles Smart, wrote to the War Office: “Will you please let me have my marriage and other certificates which I have forwarded to you on 20th of Sept,” she said. “…I am sorry to trouble you only I have a [illegible] means a [illegible] £5 to me and of which I would be glad, being left with four young children.” Although some of the letter has been so damaged that it I am not able to read it, it is clear that Elizabeth is struggling to manage on the money she has coming in. Clearly the possession of these certificates, perhaps to show the relevant authorities at the local pension board, would make a difference.

Smart was killed in action on 3 September 1917, leaving Elizabeth with the children. These included her son by a previous relationship Emlyn Thomas Campbell, 13, and three she had with Edwin: Eliza Louise, 6, Alice Maisie, not yet 5, and Edwin Alexander, 3, all born before they married at Lambeth Register Office on 5 December 1914.

Smart enlisted on 11 December 1915 when he was 34 and 7 months. He was described as 5 feet 8 inches and 10 stone. His chest measured 36 inches (which he could increase to 39). His physical development was “good.”

Charles Edward Small

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C. E. Small
Service no. 960469
Driver, Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty. 302nd Bde.
Enlisted in Fulham; lived in Stockwell
Killed in action on 31 October 1917, aged 21
CWGC: “Son of Charles Edward and Laura Louisa Small, of 61 Mordaunt Street, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Jerusalem Memorial and St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

Charles Edward Small presented himself at the Fulham recruiting office early in the war – on 16 September 1914. We do not know what kind of occupation he left behind, as this was not recorded in the service records. However, it was a settled kind of life.

His family had lived in the same house for at least 13 years, and although his father had died, his mother, Laura, earned a living through dress-making. They were doing well enough to order headed paper, on which Laura wrote on 24 April 1918 to the War Office enquiring about the “watch and silver mizpah ring” which should have been among her son’s effects. “Will you kindly make enquiries for me,” she wrote, “as I should value them much.” The mizpah ring, popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries, was given and worn when close relatives or lovers were about to be separated, often by catastrophic events such as war.

Small was 19 and a good 5 feet 7half inches tall when he enlisted. His vision and physical development was noted as “very good.”

Information from the censuses

Lambeth-born Charles Edward Small, 14 in 1911, lived with his widowed mother, Laura Louisa Small, 46, a dressmaker from Eastman, Southampton, and his siblings, Winifred Small, 21, a business clerk; Kathleen Small, 18, a student teacher; and Leslie Allan Small, 9, in 4 rooms at 61 Mordaunt Street.  The family at been at this address since at least 1901 Charles’s father, also called Charles, was on the 1901 census described as a 37-year-old coach painter, born in Reigate, The girls were born in Reigate, but Charles (junior) and Leslie was born in Stockwell.

Joseph Charles Smale

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J. C. Smale
Service no. G/2820
Private, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), “C” Coy., 8th Batallion
Died of wounds age 24 on 22 January 1916
CWGC: “Son of Martha Tucker (formerly Smale), and the late William James Smale, of 3 Kenchester Street, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

Brother of William Herbert Smale

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Joseph Smale, 19, was a laundry foreman. He lived with his mother Martha Tucker, 48, stepfather George Tucker, 50, and siblings at 3 Kenchester Street, South Lambeth (roughly, behind the Tate Library). George Tucker, from Clapham, worked in a laundry. He had been married to Martha for six years – they had a son, Frederick Tucker, 6. Four of Martha’s other children lived in the household: William Smale, 25, a soapmaker; Lilian Smale, 23, a packer in a laundry; Thomas Smale, 21, a manager in a cigarette factory; Joseph; Edward Smale, 15, a electrician’s mate; Sidney Smale, 10. All the Smale children were born in Lambeth. In 1901 the Smales lived at 7 Wilkinson Street. Joseph’s father William James Smale, 49, gave his ocupation as “warehouseman – baskets”. Ten years previously the Smales were living at 18 Walberswick Street, South Lambeth Road.

Percy Hendrick Sloots

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P. H. Sloots
Service no. 25582
Lance Corporal, East Surrey Regiment, 12th Battalion
Died age 24 on 31 October 1918
Husband of Lilian E. E. Sloots (nee Mann – they married in March 1918) of 31 Gateley Road, Stockwell, London.
Remembered at Kezelberg Military Cemetery, Belgium

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Percy Hendrick Sloots was 15 and working as a telegraph messenger for the Post Office. He lived with his father, Dutch-born hairdresser George Sloots, 42, and mother Jane E. Sloots, 46, from Pimlico, and two younger brothers, Albert E. Sloots, 14, another telegraph messenger, and Reginald C. Slooots, 12, in four rooms at 86 Stockwell Road. The boys were all born in Stockwell. One other sibling had died. A boarder, Hugh Vollbrecht, a hairdresser’s assistant from Norwich lived with the family. In 1901 the family lived at 70 Stockwell Road. The Sloots had lived at that address since at least 1891 as George and Jane Sloots appear there on the census for that year.

Edward Arthur Slade

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E. A. Slade
Service no. G/17166 (This service number, given on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for E.A. Slade, is not quoted on any other document known to date)
Private, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), Depot
Secondary Unit, Regiment transf. to (Cpl. 62899) 105th Coy. Labour Corps
Died 30 October 1917, aged about 24
Remembered Solferino Farm Cemetery, Belgium

This identification was made by Chris Burge, who writes:

Edward Arthur Slade was born in 1883 in Battersea, one of William and Leah Frances Slade’s three children. By 1901 the family were living in Kennington and Edward Slade worked as a carpenter. Edward was married on 7 September 1901 to Jessie Florence Merryweather at All Saints, South Lambeth, giving their address as 124 Crimsworth Road, an area dominated by the Nine Elms Locomotive Works.

By the time of the 1911 census, Edward and Jessie had three children, Edward aged 8, Jessie aged 7 and Florrie aged 5. Their son, Stanley Sidney Slade, was born in 1912. Edward now earned his living as a house painter and Jessie worked as an LCC school cleaner. The family of five occupied three rooms at 12 Union Street, Clapham. Two other people lived in two rooms at the same address.

Edward Arthur Slade was probably conscripted in 1916, first joining a training battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. Edward was sent to France as private (corporal?) 53436, Royal Fusiliers at an unknown date.

The Labour Corps was created at the beginning of 1917 with men from the Royal Fusiliers 36th(Labour) Battalion becoming the 105 Company and given service numbers between 62401 and 63000. It is very likely the Edward Slade was wounded or injured while serving in the infantry before he was transferred to the Labour Corps some time in 1917. Edward Arthur Slade lost his life in unknown circumstances on 30 October 1917.

His widow Jessie received a £6 10s war gratuity in 1919 and a widow’s pension for herself and her four children: Jessie Florence Slade, Edward Arthur Slade, Jessie Minnie Slade and Stanley Sidney Slade.

Jessie was remarried in 1919 to Charles E. Forbes and continued to live at 12 Union Street until 1924. Edward’s son, Stanley was living in Larkhall Lane in the 1930s and was a resident of Sutton when he passed away in 2000, aged 87.