Stockwell War Memorial

Friends of Stockwell War Memorial & Gardens

age 25

Hubert Mullett

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H. Mullett
Service no. 11626
Private, The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 11th Battalion
Died on 10 August 1917 aged about 25
CWGC: “Son of Mr J. E. Mullett, of 101 Stockwell Park Road, Brixton, London.”
Remembered at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, France and on the war shrine at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, London SW9 0DA

Information from the 1911 census
Hubert Mullett, 19, a clerk, lived at 101 Stockwell Park Road, an 8-roomed house. His father, James Edwin Mullett, 60, was an architect from Camberwell. His mother, Alice Mullett, 51, was from Marylebone. There were seven children (two siblings had died):
Edwin Mullett, 26, a clerk for the Author’s Society, born in Westminster
Maurice Mullett, 24, a clerk for an insurance company, born in Westminster
Hubert Mullett, 19, a clerk for an engineering company, born in Lambeth
Allen Mullett, 16, a solicitor’s clerk, born in Lambeth
Christine Mullett, 22, a teacher for London County Council, born in the Strand
Helena Mullett, 21, no occupation, born in the Strand
In 1901 the Mullets were living at 218 Wandsworth Road. The 1901 census includes Guy Mullett, then 18, was working as a surveyor’s assistant; born in Westminster.

Frederick Henry Merredew

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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.

Arthur Stanley Manning

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A. S. Manning
Service no. 60740
Wheeler, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery
Born in Lambeth
Killed in action in Egypt on 23 December 1915, aged about 25
Remembered at Kut War Cemetery, to the north of Baghdad, Iraq
CWGC: The entry for A. S. Manning gives 25 December 1915 as date of death and states that he was of Indian nationality, a Gunner with the Madras Artillery Volunteers, 2nd (Madras) Group Garrison Artillery (The Duke’s Own).

Arthur Stanley Manning was a career soldier. He enlisted in the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery on 9 December 1909 at 88 New Kent Road, having previously worked as a printer’s engineer and served an apprenticeship. At the time of enlistment Manning was 19, 5 feet 7½ inches tall and weighed just over 9¾ stone. His chest measurement was 36 inches. His eyes were blue and his hair was brown.

Manning’s war career was short: he was killed in action on 25 December 1915 at Kut-al-Amarah in the Persian Gulf. He had served a total of 6 years and 15 days.

However, his work as a battery wheeler was solid. At the time he renewed his commitment to the army on 11 December 1914, he had gained two good conduct badges and his character was described as “very good.” After Manning died his sister, Mrs. May Adelaide Parsons, who lived  at 9 Meadow Road, received a registered letter from the Records office at Dover enclosing a letter from the Viceroy of India: “I am […] to forward the enclosed letter from his Excellency the Viceroy […] of transmission to the next-of-kin of the late No. 60740 Bombardier Manning RGA with the Volunteer Battery in Mesopotamia, who was killed in action on 25 December 1915.” Unfortunately, a copy of the Viceroy’s letter is not in the file.

On 1 March 1916 the War Office requested a copy of Manning’s Record of Service “showing the Indian period” and later Lieutenant E. F. Durand, on behalf of the adjutant General of India, sent a letter of condolence to May.

Manning was one of at least six children of James L. B. Manning, a machine operator born in Holborn, and Mary Manning, born in Lambeth.

Information from the 1901 census

Arthur Manning was 10 and living with his family at 9 Meadow Road. His father, James L. B. Manning, 46, was a “machine ruler” (machine operator) born in Holborn. His mother, Mary A. Manning, 45, was born in Lambeth. Their children at the time were:
Sidney J. Manning, 22, was a printer
Louise Elizabeth Manning, 20, a seamstress
Annie R. Manning, 18, was a pager for a bookbinder
George B. Manning, 13
Arthur S. Manning, 10,
May A. Manning, 4
All the children apart from the youngest two were born in Bermondsey.

Robert Were Leach

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R. W. Leach
Service no. 11233
Corporal, Wiltshire Regiment, 1st Battalion
Born in Battersea; enlisted in St Paul’s Churchyard, London; lived in Stockwell
Died of wounds at age 25 on 16 October 1916
CWGC: “Son of George Were Leach and Mary Julia Leach, of 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Robert Were Leach lived at 37 Landor Road, Stockwell, where his family occupied 4 rooms. His father, George Were Leach, 42, was a railway inspector, born in Uffcombe, Devon. His mother, Julia Mary Leach, 43, was from Yeldham, Essex. Robert, 19, born in Battersea, was a clerk with the South West Gas Company; his younger brother, Lionel George Leach, born in Ockenden, Esse, 15, was a clerk for a firm of barristers; Horace Reginald Leach, 9, born in Clapham, was at school.
Ten years previously, in 1901, Robert Leach was lived with his parents, younger brother Lionel and various boarders at 52 Willington Road.
William Rochester, 39, a married grocer’s assistant from Canning Town
Frederick Rowe, 22, a grocer’s assistant from Brixton
Alfred Gregory, 30, a civil engineer from Andover, Hampshire
Arthur Grout, 29, a railway guard from Greenwich
Frederick Grigg, 20, a railway guard from Deal, Kent
John J. Fruel, 20, a railway guard from East Hendred, Berkshire
Richard Dennett, 20, a railway shunter, from Margate, Essex

Henry Charles Hunt

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H. C. Hunt
(Henry Charles Hunt)
Service no. G/50055
Lance Corporal, Middlesex Regiment, 11th Battalion
Died age 25 on 9 April 1917
Born in Lambeth; enlisted at Kingston; lived in Clapham
CWGC: “Son of Henry and Matilda Hunt, of Conway Street, Wandsworth Road, Lambeth; husband of Elizabeth Caroline Hunt, of 122 Bennerley Road, Northcote Road, Battersea, London.”
Remembered at Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

Information from the 1911 census

Henry Charles Hunt, 20 in 1911, was the eldest child of Henry Hunt, 42, a painter’s labourer, and Matilda Hunt. 40. The couple had had 9 children, 7 surviving at the time of the census. The entire family was born in Lambeth.
Henry Charles Hunt, 20, a lift porter
Matilda Hunt, 18, a waitress
Maud Hunt, 16, an assistant in tea rooms
Rose Hunt, 14
Annie Hunt, 11
Lily Hunt, 7
Frederick Hunt, 4
Emma Maxter, a 50-year-old single ironer born in Lambeth, boarded with the family.
The Hunts lived in 4 rooms at 148 Wandsworth Road.

George Hansford

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G. Hansford
Service no. 2917
Rifleman, London Regiment (The Rangers), 12th Battalion
Enlisted in London; lived in South Lambeth
Died of wounds age 25 on 28 April 1915
CWGC: “Son of Henry and Rosina Hansford, of 2, Stamford Buildings, South Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 George’s father, Harry (or Henry) Hansford, 51, was a widower living in 3 rooms at 6 Stamford Buildings, South Lambeth Road, with 5 of his children. (Henry and his deceased wife Rosina had had 14 children – 9 of them surviving in 1911). He was a brass finisher and was born in Westminster. The children on the census were:
George Hansford, 22, a bell wireman, born in Westminster
Florence Hansford, 17, born in Battersea
Thomas Hansford, 15, born in Lambeth
Lily Hansford, 13, born in Lambeth
Arthur Hansford, 12, born in Lambeth
William Hansford, 8, born in Lambeth