F. H. Merredew
Service no. 377
Serjeant, London Regiment, “C” Coy. 1st/24th Battalion
Born in Lambeth; enlisted at Kennington; lived at Brixton
Killed in action at age 25 on 26 May 1915
CWGC: “Son of Arthur James and Sarah Mary Merredew, of 1 Sternhold Avenue, Streatham Hill, London.”
Remembered at Le Touret Memorial, France
Information from the 1911 census
Frederick Henry Merredew, 21, was a piano player maker. In 1911 he was living with his family at 36 Glenferrie Road, St Albans, where they occupied 6 rooms. Arthur James Merredew, 47, born in Clerkenwell, was also involved in the player piano trade, working as a wood machinist. His wife, Sarah Mary Merredew, 46, was from Kensington, west London. They had had 11 children, nine surviving, with eight appearing on this census return:
Frederick Henry Merredew, 21, born in South Lambeth;
Florence Emma Merredew, 19, a “raincoat baster” in a clothing factory, born in South Lambeth
Catherine Helena Merredew, 16, born in North Lambeth
Elsie Ada Merredew, 12, born in Brixton
Walter Merredew, 11, born in Brixton
Cecil Edward Merredew, 9, born in Brixton
William Norris Merredew, 6, born in Brixton
Minnie Mary Merredew, 5, born in Brixton
I believe “piano player” to mean “player piano” – these were self-playing pianos, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via, usually, pre-programmed music perforated paper.
