Stockwell War Memorial

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KIA

John James Renton

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J. H. Renton

This may be an error on Stockwell War Memorial. There is a John James Renton in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. He lived at 12 Stockwell Cottages and was the son of J.H. Renton. This entry gives his details.

J. J. Renton
Service no. 6074
Private, East Surrey Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Killed in action on 9 May 1915, aged 23
CWGC: “Son of Mr. J. H. Renton, of 12, Stockwell Cottages, Stockwell Green, London.”
Remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9

Information from the 1911 census

John James Renton, 19, a coal porter, lived at 1 Stockwell Cottages, Stockwell Green. He was born in Brixton. Renton’s father, John Henry Renton, 47, was a nightwatchman for Lambeth Borough Council, born in Walworth, Southwark, and his mother, Kathrine Renton, 44, was a washer, born in Lambeth. The couple had had 12 children, with six surviving. These children were at home.
Ellenor Renton, 24, a starcher, born in Walworth
John James Renton
William Renton, 18, an assistant in an oil shop, born in Brixton
Kathrine, 9, born in Loughborough Junction, Brixton

Charles Henry Randell

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C. H. Randell
Service no. 9114
Private, South Lancashire Regiment, 2nd Battalion (described as a “drummer” in the Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 database)
Born in Lambeth; enlisted in London; lived in Wandsworth
Killed in action on 25 September 1915, aged about 26
Remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium

Information from the censuses

Charles Henry Randall’s two sisters, a nephew and a boarder were living with his mother, Lilian Randell, in four rooms at 15 Sterndale Road, Battersea. Lilian had had 13 children of whom only five survived.

In 1901 the Randell family were living at 94 Crimsworth Road, Lambeth. William Henry Randell, 39, was a motorcycle maker born in Dalston; his wife Lilian Randell, also 39, was a “tailoress” born in Paddington. Their children were
William J. Randell, 15, a waiter born in Wandsworth
Lilian T. Randell, 14, born in Wandsworth
Charles H. Randell, 12, born in Wandsworth
Daisy E. Randell, 7, born in Wandsworth
May E. Randell, 1, born in Wandsworth

In 1891 the family were living at 34 Camelia Street, Lambeth, and William Randell was described as a “cab driver”. There were two older children, Ernest E. Randell, born in 1883 and then aged 8, and Florence E. Randell, born in 1885 and then aged 6.

Going back 10 years, in 1881, William Randell was a railway lampman, married to Lilian, who was described as a mantle maker, and living with his father, James Randell, 52, a cigar maker, at 68, Regent St, Lambeth.

There are some discrepancies in all the three censuses on place and dates of of birth but these may be transcription errors.

Charles Henry Randell, born on 9 August 1888, the son of William Henry Randell and Lillian Randell of 43 Thorne Street (now Thorne Road), was baptised on 20 September 1888 along with two older siblings at St Barnabas Church, South Lambeth. Aged 20, working as a labourer, he married Caroline Lillian Shepherd at the same church. In 1911 Caroline had returned to her parents at 22 Camellia Street, Stockwell and was working as a machinist. The whereabouts of Charles is unknown.

Ernest Albert Pyle

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E. A. Pyle
Service no. G/81351
Private, Royal Fusiliers, 23rd Battalion; formerly 5505, Middlesex Regiment
Killed in action on 19 March 1918, aged 31
Born in Tottenham; enlisted in Lambeth; lived in Brixton
CWGC: “Husband of Ellen Pyle, of 11a Morat Street, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France and on the war shrine at St Michael’s Church, Stockwell Park Road, London SW9 0DA

De Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-1918

PYLE, ERNEST ALBERT, Private, No 81351, (–) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.), 3rd s. of Richard Pyle, of 1, Henry Road, South Tottenham, N., by his wife, Sarah Jane; and brother to Private H. G. Pyle (q.v.); b. Tottenham, N.; educ. Bramar Road there ; enlisted in 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed in action 19 March 1918.

Note: The De Ruvigny’s entry contains a number of inaccuracies. It refers to ‘… his wife Sarah Jane’. Sarah Jane Pyle was in fact his mother. He was educated at Bramar Road. This should be Braemar Road, Tottenham.

Further information

Ernest Albert Pyle was born in Henry Road, Tottenham on 21 January 1888. He married Ellen Edgar in Tottenham on 6 June 1908. He was killed at The Somme on 19/03/1918. One of his brothers Herbert George Pyle (aka Hubert) was also killed at The Somme a year earlier (08/03/1917) having emigrated to Australia in 1913 and joined the Australian Army in 1915.

Ernest had three sons: Ernest Richard Pyle (born 2 March 1909), Albert Edward Pyle (c1911 – c1986) and Arthur James Pyle (c1913 – c1916, aged 2 years 10 months.

Information from the censuses

In 1911 Ernest Albert Pyle, aged 23, was a house painter working on the Holland Estate. Like his wife, Ellen Pyle, 25, he was born in South Tottenham. They had a son, Ernest Richard Pyle, 2, born in Islington, north London. The family lived at 59a Morat Street. Ernest’s father Richard Pyle, 47 in 1901, was a painter, born in Islington; his mother Sarah Pyle, 48, was from Bristol. Ernest had at least four siblings.

Henry John Preston

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H. J. Preston
Service no. 2462
Lance Corporal, London Regiment, 1st/24th Battalion
Killed in action on 26 May 1915, aged 24
CWGC: “Son of William and Ellen Preston, of 33, Stockwell Rd., Clapham, London.”
Remembered at Le Touret Memorial, France

Information from the 1911 census

Henry John Preston was the son of William and Ellen Preston. The 1911 census lists William, aged 49, a soda water bottler, and Ellen Preston, 46, both from St Pancras, north London living in three rooms at 37 Stockwell Road. A married couple had a further four rooms in the house. They had seven children, three of them at that address. We have not identified Henry John Preston in the 1911 census.

In 1901 the Preston family lived at 20 Dorset Street, Littlehamton, West Sussex.

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