Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

1918

Frederick Gillard

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F. Gillard
Second Lieutenant, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 9th Battalion
Died age 20 on 24 August 1918
CWGC: “Only son of Frederick and Harriet Eliza Gillard, of 25 Studley Road, Clapham, London.”
Remembered Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France

Information from the 1911 census

The Gillard family lived at 48 Akerman Road where they occupied 5 rooms. Frederick Gillard, 41, was a lithographic printer, born in Blackfriars, London. Harriet Gillard (née Roberts), 34, was also from Blackfriars. Frederick Gillard, 12, their only son, was born in Kennington, as were their 3 daughters:
Amy Gillard, 10
Rose Gillard, 9
Florence Gillard, 7
There was a boarder, Christopher Wright, a single grocer’s assistant from Bermondsey, south-east London.

The obituary in The Times of 5 September 1918 reads:

SECOND LIEUTENANT F. GILLARD, K.O.Y.L.I. [King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry], was killed on August 23, aged 20. He was the only son of Mr. and Mrs Gillard of 25, Studley-road, Clapham. He enlisted at the age of 18 in the Inns of Court O.T.C. [Officers Training Corps], and was given a commission seven months later. He was through some heavy fighting the latter part of last year, and returned home on leave last July, but rejoined his regiment on August 10. His colonel writes:- “The battalion had made a successful attack, and we were holding a front-line position within about 40 yards of the enemy. Your boy was was in charge of a half-company, and was holding absolutely the foremost position, and holding it very stoutly, too. The enemy counter-attacked very heavily, and it was greatly owing to the fine fight put up by your son’s platoon that we were able to beat him off with heavy casualties. Unfortunately, after the counter-attack had been beaten off, your boy was reorganizing his platoon when a stray bullet struck him in the head, killing him instantly. I need hardly say that your boy was a great favourite with the platoon, and was liked by everybody, officers and men alike. He will be greatly missed, and I only hope that he was doing his duty splendidly when he was killed will prove a little consolation to you for your loss.” Lieutenant Gillard was a member of the staff of the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company (Limited).

With thanks for additional information and images to Gwynn Jenkins, who came across the portrait and the framed obituary in the attic of her house in Forthbridge Road, Clapham. Gwynn says: ‘He has pride of place in my house and am happy for him to be included in your website for more to see and understand the tragic loss of such gallant young men – he’s a daily reminder of what sacrifice really means.’

James William Gilbert

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J. W. Gilbert
Service no. K/42535
Stoker Second Class, Royal Navy, H.M.S. “Cornwall”
Died age 19 on 10 January 1918
CWGC: “Son of W. Gilbert, of 139 Hartington Road, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Plymouth Naval Memorial

Information from the Royal Navy website

The fourth HMS Cornwall (1902-1920) was a 9000 ton armoured cruiser launched at Pembroke in 1902. On the outbreak of war in 1914 she was despatched to West Africa to intercept German merchant shipping. She proceeded to the Falklands and on 8 December 1914 engaged German light cruisers, sinking theLeipzig. Returning to West Africa until June 1915 she was sent to support the Gallipoli campaign. The following October she went back to the East Indies and China Stations to protect Allied shipping from surface raiders. Returning to the UK in 1917 she was refitted and escorted convoys between Canada and the UK. She paid off early in 1919.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 James William Gilbert, then aged 12, lived at 74 Thorparch Road, Stockwell. His father, William Gilbert, 52, was a railway guard from Frampton, Dorset. His mother, Annie Gilbert, 48, was born in London. They had had 7 children, 6 of them surviving in 1911. Five lived at home:
Ellen Lucy Gilbert, 17, was a machinist
Lilian Frances Gilbert, 14, was a domestic servant
James William Gilbert, 12
Florence Louisa Gilbert, 10
Alice May Gilbert, 7
All the children were born in London.

Frank William Gibbins

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Frank Gibbins in Rifle Brigade uniform. Courtesy of Bob Ray.

F. W. Gibbins
Service no. S/32220
Rifleman, Rifle Brigade, 7th Battalion
Died age 28 on 21 March 1918
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in Camberwell; lived in Lambeth
CWGC: “Son of Charlotte Gibbins, of 62, Wilcox Road, South Lambeth, London, and the late William Gibbins.”
Remembered at Pozières Memorial, Somme, France.

Information from the 1911 Census

In 1911 Frank Gibbins was 21 and living at 161 Hartington Road (just around the corner from Wilcox Road) with his parents William Gibbins, 57, a railway guard born in Sussex, and Charlotte Gibbins (née Dance), 47, also born in Sussex. (The couple had had 5 children, 4 of whom survived.) Frank’s occupation is listed as railway porter. His brother Reginald Gibbins, 20, was a printer, and his sister Gertrude Gibbins, 16, was a domestic servant. The youngest, Horace Gibbins, at 12, was still at school. The children are listed as born in London.

Frank, the second of five children, was born on 23 April 1889 and baptised at Christ Church, Clapham on 28 November. The family then lived at 83 Clifton Street.

Frederick Amos Frewer

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F. A. Frewer
Service no. 926373
Gunner, Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty. 290th Bde.
Killed in action age 25 on 30 October 1918
CWGC: “Son of James and Elizabeth Frewer, of 39, Arlesford Rd., Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, Belgium

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Frederick Amos Frewer lived at 40 Chantry Road, Brixton where they had 6 rooms. James Frewer, 49,  born in Marylebone, London, was a vellum binder. Elizabeth Frewer, 44, was also born in Marylebone. Frederick Amos Frewer, 17, was a letterpress machine minder apprentice, born in Paddington, west London. Florence Elsie Elizabeth Frewer, 15, was an apprentice to an embroiderer. She was born in Paddington.

Emanuel Feder

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E. Feder
Service no. 354910
Private, London Regiment, 7th Battalion
Also London Regiment, posted to 1st/19th Battalion
Killed in action, aged about 28, on 1 September 1918
Born in Soho, London; lived in Brixton
Remembered at Vis-en-Artois Memorial, France and at the war shrine at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, London SW9 0DA

See We Were There Too, which gives his address as 15 Lorne Road and his synagogue as Borough New Synagogue in Heygate Street (Vowler Street), Walworth Road, London SE17.

Manny Feder and Hettie Bicknell

In 1912 Hettie Bicknell (1893-1985) and Manny Feder had a daughter, Gladis Hettie (d. 2018), followed in 1913 by Deborah Frances (d. 1998). Hettie and Manny married in 1914 in Islington. Hettie gave birth to a third daughter, Peggy G. Christey (d. 1934) in 1926. The Brixton and Kennington electoral rolls to 1936 record Hettie Feder as living at 15 Lorn Road with George Christey (d. 1962), after which they appear to have married and moved to Downton Avenue in Streatham.

Information from the censuses

The 1911 Census has a match for a “Manny Feder”, born around 1890, living at that time at 58 Wardour Street, in the borough of Westminster, with his parents, Wolf Feder, 58, a clothes dealer who emigrated from Russia, and Dina Feder (née Herz), 44, who emigrated from “Austria” (then the Austro-Hungarian Empire). Two of their 5 children survived: Manny Feder, 21, and his brother David Feder, 18, both born in west London, assisted in the family business. The family lived in 3 rooms (including kitchen).

Ten years earlier, in 1901, they were living at the same address. The census describes the Feder parents as “naturalised British subjects”.

The 1891 census clarifies the family’s origins, giving Littin, Russia as Wolf’s birthplace and Tardiff, Austria, as Dina’s (she is listed as Dora). David is listed as Esidorf. Sara Prolen, a married 35-year-old domestic servant born in Poland, lived with the family, who were then resident at 33 St James Residences, Little Pulteney Street, Westminster.

Notes
(1) Birth years vary between the censuses, with Manny listed variously as 1890 and 1889. Haziness about Western-style years and varying first names were normal for Jewish families at this time.
(2) Littin (various spellings), Russia, was a Jewish shtetl (village), now in Ukraine. I have been unable to identify Tardiff.

Manny’s brother David served as a driver in the Royal Field Artillery and survived the war. In 1919 he gave his address as 117 Lambeth Walk, S.E.

Information from Wolf Feder’s certification of naturalisation (23 January 1896)

Wolf Feder swore that he was a subject of Russia, born at Taurogen (Tauragė [Lithuanian], Tovrik [Yiddish], Tauroggen [German], Taurogen [Russian], now in Lithuania), the son of Isaac and Janie Feder, that he was a clothier, married with two children, “Many” aged 6 and “Davis” aged 2.

Henry Joseph John Farrant

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H. J. J. Farrant
Service no. 254446
Private, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 3rd Battalion
Killed in action, age 18, on 28 August 1918
Born in Stoke Newington, north London; lived and enlisted in Tottenham, north London
CWGC: “Son of Mr. H. J. Farrant, of 121, Peabody Cottages, Lordship Lane, Tottenham, London.”
Remembered at Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery, Bray-sur-Somme, France

National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918

FARRANT, H. J. J., Private, Royal Fusiliers.
He joined in November 1917 and after his training was drafted to France, where he took part in the Battle of the Somme. On 28th August 1918 he was killed in action at Albert.
He was entitled to the General Service and Victory Medals.
121, Peabody Cottages, Lordship Lane, N.17

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Henry J. J. Farrant was 11 and living with his family at 51 Abbotsford Avenue, South Tottenham, where the household occupied 8 rooms. Henry John Farrant, 54, a former ironmonger now working as a “commission agent”, was born in Limehouse, east London. His wife, Alice Jane Farrant, 52, was born in Kingsland, Hackney. They had 2 children: Alice M. S. Farrant, 16, and Henry J. J. Farrant. Both children were born in Stamford Hill. The household included 3 boarders: George Walker, 39, a warehouseman, born in London, his wife Florence J. Walker, 36, born in Brixton, and their son, Archibald Walker, 11, also born in Brixton.

A strong connection between Henry Joseph John Farrant and the Stockwell area of London is yet to become apparent. It is possible that he went to school at Stockwell Grammar or some other local establishment. There is only one H.J.J. Farrant in the military records.