Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

1917

Everard Vaughan Ridge

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E. V. Ridge
Lieutenant, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 153rd Coy.
Died on 9 April 1917, aged 21
CWGC: “Son of the late Edward H. Ridge, of 15, Bedford Row, High Holborn, London.”
Remembered at Arras Memorial, France and at St John’s Church, Clapham Road, London SW9

Everard Vaughan Ridge attested for service in the Territorial Force on 13 April 1913. He served as Gunner in the 7th County of London Battery Royal Garrison Artillery. He was discharged to a commission in the 13th Reserve Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in September 1915. Transferred to the 153rd Company Machine Gun Corps, he was killed in action, on 9 April 1917, aged 21 years.

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Everard Vaughan Ridge was a 15-year-old schoolboy living with his family in nine rooms at 55 Chelsham Road, Clapham. His father, twice-widowed Edward H. Ridge was a 52-year-old solicitor born in Manchester. There were five children from the first marriage and one from his second (all born in Clapham).
Violet Maude Ridge, 20, a millinery shop assistant
Phyllis Myfanwy Ridge, 18, a clerk in an insurance office
Ronald Edward Trevor Ridge, 16, an engineering apprentice
Everard Vaughan Ridge, 15
Victoria Gwenllian Ridge, 13
Reginald Nelson Ridge, 4
Dorothy Robinson, 21, a housekeeper from Bootle, Lancashire, lived with the family.

Henry Ray

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H. W. Ray
Service no. 42425
Private, Lancashire Fusiliers, 10th Battalion
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Camberwell; lived in Lambeth
Died on 26 September 1917, aged 19
CWGC: “Son of Daniel David and Catherine Ray, of 9, St Andrews Place, Windmill Street, New Cut, Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

This is a tentative identification. There was an H. Ray (Private, Middlesex Regiment) who was born in Battersea and died on 26 March 1918.

Information from the censuses

Henry Ray, 13, was at school in 1911. He lived with his family at 17 Mary’s Buildings, Tanswell Street, north Lambeth, where the family of nine had four rooms. Daniel D. Ray, Henry’s father, was 40 and worked as a costermonger. He was born in Southwark. Catherine Ray, 39, was from Ireland. The couple had eight surviving children (of nine), of whom seven were at home:
Daniel P. Ray, 17, a costermonger
George Ray, 15, a news boy (sold newspapers)
Henry Ray, 13
Mary Ann Ray, 11
Margaret Ray, 8
Catherine Ray, 6
William Ray, 3
All were born in Southwark.

Frederick James Raishbrook

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F. J. Raishbrook
Service no. 955161
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, Z/29 Trench Mortar Bty.
Born in Clapham; enlisted in Brixton
Died of wounds on 2 December 1917, aged 20
CWGC: “Son of William Edward and Louisa Ann Raishbrook of London.”
Remembered at Tincourt New British Cemetery, France

In 1911 Frederick Raishbrook, aged 14 and working as a messenger boy in a newspaper office, lived at 46 Landor Road, Stockwell with his parents, siblings and two boarders. The household had five rooms. Frederick’s father, William Edward Raishbrook, 40, a coal porter, was from Clapham, as was his mother, Louisa Anne, 37. Frederick had three siblings and there were two boarders including Robert Schleicher, 24, an Austrian pastry cook. 

Raishbrook was born on 2 January 1897 and baptised at St Andrew’s, Landor Road, Stockwell Green on 21 February. His father described himself as a carman and the family lived at 25 Landor Road.

At the time he joined the 8th London Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery at Holland Road, Brixton, on 11 May 1914, three months before the outbreak of war, Frederick was living with his family at 46 Landor Road and working as a clerk at H.R. Baines & Co., of The Strand, London, the publisher of The Daily Graphic magazine. He was 17 and 10 months, and stood 5ft 8¾in, with a 32in chest. His physical development was described as ‘moderate’.  

On 18 November 1916 he was admitted to hospital with lacerations of five fingers of the left hand. Three weeks later, he fractured a finger. He convalesced at Boulogne. Raishbrook was wounded in the field on 2 December 1917. Two days later his family received a telegram: ‘[…] to inform you 955161 Gunner F. Raishbrook dangerously ill at 55 Casualty Clearance Station, France suffering from gunshot wounds multiple. Permission to visit cannot be granted.’

His effects, including disc, letters, photos, pipe, wallet, knife and mirror, were returned to his family. 

Charles Edward R. Powell

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C. E. R. Powell
Service no. 6966/233236
Private, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), “C” Coy. 2nd Battalion
Killed in action on 18 March 1917, aged 23
Born in St Helena; enlisted at Westminster; lived at Lambeth
CWGC: “Son of Mr C. E. and Mrs A. M. Powell, of 8, Walberswick St., London, SW8.”
Remembered at Beaurains Road Cemetery, Beaurains, France

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Charles Edward R. Powell, 17, was a clerk to a stone mason. He lived with his parents and three siblings at 73 Grosvenor Road, Westminster, where the family had three rooms. Powell’s father, Charles Edward Powell, 45, was an Army pensioner now working as a timekeeper for a hotel. He was born in St. George’s West, London. Amy Powell, 38, was from Winchester, Hampshire. The eldest three children were born on St Helena in the South Atlantic, I guess while Charles senior was stationed there. It was then a Crown Colony.
Dorothy Helena Powell, 18, a clerk to a blouse manufacturer
Charles Edward Powell, 17, a clerk to a stone mason
Albert Powell, 16, a schoolboy and part-time messenger
Reginald Alfred Powell, 13, born in Aldershot, Hampshire