Stockwell War Memorial

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William Bird

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W. Bird
Service no. J/24752
Able Seaman, Royal Navy, H.M.S. “Princess Royal.”
Died at around age 22 on 18 July 1918
Son of William Bird, of 21, Irving Grove, Stockwell, London.
Also remembered at Lambeth Cemetery, Screen Wall and St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9

Information from the 1901 and 1911 censuses

In 1911 William Bird lived with his family in 6 rooms at 21 Irving Grove, off Stockwell Road, SW9 (they are also at this address in the 1901 census). His father, also called William, was 40 and worked as a butcher’s carman. His mother, Mary Ann Bird, 40, was born in Pimlico. Nine of their 11 children survived.
The children on the census were
Arthur Francis Bird, 19, a bioscope operator
Rose Bird, 17, “at home”
William Bird, 15, an errand boy, killed in 1918
Lily Bird, 13
Edith Bird, 9
Albert Bird, 8
Annie Bird, 6
Harry Bird, 4
Marrie Bird, 2
All but Mary Ann Bird were born in Stockwell.
Alfred Gibson, 76, a retired coachman born in Islington, was visiting. He was boarding with the family in the 1901 census as was Alfred Save, 23, a single baker from Clapham.

Percy Bigg

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P. Bigg
Service no. CH/17624
Private, Royal Marine Light Infantry, H.M.S. “Formidable”
Died age 19 on 1 January 1915
Son of Alfred Bigg, of 12, Thorparch Road, Wandsworth. Born at Lambeth.
Remembered at Chatham Naval Memorial and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9

Private Bigg died after H. M. S. “Formidable” was torpedoed by a German sub and sank off Portland Bill. 547 crew (35 officers and 512 men) out of total of 782 died, including the captain (Captain Loxley). The wreck site is protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
MaritimeQuest has a list of all lost on the Formidable.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 the Bigg family lived in 6 rooms at 4 Victoria Place, Priory Grove. Alfred Bigg, 44, was a carman for a laundry. He was born in Hertfordshire. Ellen Bigg, 44, was born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset. There were 7 surviving children (of 11):
George Alfred Bigg, 22, a carman, born in Kennington
Rose Bigg, 20, a shell box maker, born in Kennington
Bertram James Bigg, 19, a painter, born in Kennington
Percy Bigg, 15, a porter, born in Battersea
Sidney Bigg, 9, born in Battersea
Arthur Bigg, 8, born in Lambeth
Albert Thomas Bigg, 3, born in Lambeth

Arthur William Batho

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newspaper report on the bombardment of lowestoftA. W. Batho
Service no. L/6439
Officer’s Steward 3rd Class, Royal Navy, H.M.S. “Conquest”
Died age 19 on 25 April 1916
Son of Henry Thomas Batho, of 15 Priory Road, Wandsworth Road, London. Native of South Lambeth.
Remembered at Chatham Naval Memorial

Batho died during the bombardment of Lowestoft on 25 April 1916 by the German High Seas Fleet. There were 38 casualties (25 dead and 13 wounded) on the “Conquest”.

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Arthur Batho, 15, was a messenger for the G.P.O. (General Post Office). He lived at 411 Wandsworth Road, SW8 with his widowed father, Thomas Batho (or Henry T. Batho, according to the 1901 census), a 50-year-old railway porter born in Suffolk (Otley on the 1901 census). Arthur’s siblings were
Elizabeth Batho, 26
Frederick Batho, 19, an engine cleaner
Harry Batho, 17, a van guard
John Batho, 12
All the children were born in South Lambeth.

Information from the 1901 census

In 1901 Arthur Batho was a 4-year-old living with his widowed father, grandmother, aunt and siblings at 65 Tradescant Road. Elizabeth Batho, 65, was from Farnham, Suffolk. Her son, Henry T. Batho (Thomas Batho according to the 1911 census), Arthur’s father, 42, was a widowed railway porter born at Otley, Suffolk. Henry’s single sister, Emily F. Batho, 34, was a dressmaker born at Friston, Suffolk. Arthur’s siblings were registered on the census as
Elizabeth Batho, 16, ironer
Thomas Batho, 13
Frederick Batho, 10
Harry Batho, 7
John Batho, 2

Theodore Grace Barnes

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T. G. Barnes
Apprentice, Mercantile Marine, S.S. Belgian Prince (Newcastle)
Died age 17 on 31 July 1917
Son of Ernest Henry and Alice Barnes, of 44 Kay Rd., Stockwell, London.
Remembered at Tower Hill Memorial, London EC3 and Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9

SS Belgian Prince

MaritimeQuest has an account of the shocking fate of the crew of the SS Belgian Prince, a cargo ship built in 1901, which was attacked by a U-boat on 31 July 1917. The crew were ordered to stand on the top of the submarine, which then dived, drowning all but three.

The following is an article published in the Melbourne Argus (Australia), on Tuesday 7 August 1917:

“COLD-BLOODED MURDER”!

S.S. Belgian Prince Crime.

The British Admiralty confirms the story told by the few survivors of the British steamer Belgian Prince of the hideous cruelty of the submarine crew that destroyed their vessel.

The Belgian Prince was torpedoed on July 31, and the crew abandoned her in two boats, which the Germans smashed with axes. They deprived the crew of their lifebelts and left the men on the deck of the submarine, taking the captain below. Then the submarine was submerged without warning while 43 men were standing on the deck. All were drowned except three, who had secretly retained their lifebelts. They were picked up later, having been in the water for 11 hours.

The Admiralty’s account concludes: ‘”The men’s affidavits support the story of the details of this atrocious outrage. It was a cold-blooded murder equalling, if not transcending, the worst crimes that our enemies have committed against humanity.”

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Theodore Grace Barnes was 11 and living with his family in three rooms at 44 Kay Road, Stockwell, London SW9. His father, Ernest Henry Barnes, 50, was a compositor, born in St Peter Park, compositor. Alice Barnes, 46, was from Camberwell. They had five children, all born in Stockwell:
Thomas Barnes, 15, a boot clicker
Frederick Barnes, 14, an electrical engineer
Theodore Barnes, 11
William Barnes, 9,
Alice Barnes, 5

Leslie Frank Bailey

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L. F. Bailey
Midshipman, Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. “Bayano”
Died on 11 March 1915, aged 19
Son of Frederick Harvey Bailey and Maria Bailey, of 11 Belle Vue Gardens, Clapham Road, London. Served on H.T. “Huanchaco” on which he continued to serve when it was taken over as an Admiralty Transport in the first months of the war. Native of Brixton, London.
Remembered at Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, at Putney Vale cemetery, and at Stockwell War Memorial, London SW9

Midshipman Leslie Frank Bailey (HU 113154) CWGC family information: Son of Frederick Harvey Bailey and Maria Bailey, of 11, Belle Vue Gardens, Clapham Rd., London. Served on H.T. ‘Huanchaco’ on which he continued to serve when it was taken over as an Admiralty Transport in the first months of the war. Native of Brixton, London. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205289913

Information from the 1911 census

In 1911 Leslie Frank Bailey was 15 and at school. He lived in 5 rooms at 363 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton with his mother, Maria Bailey, 59, born in Croydon and sister, Edith Mary Bailey, 34, a fruiterer’s assistant born in Dalston, London. Frank was one of 5 children. He was born in Lambeth.

Information from the 1901 census

In 1901 Leslie Bailey was 5 and living at 50 Solon Road, Brixton, with his mother, then 49, a florist; sister, Nettie F. Bailey, 26, a florist; sister Edith F. M. Bailey, 24, a commercial clerk. Both sisters were born in Dalston. Visiting on the night of the census were Ellen R. Laurence, 41, married and born in Croydon, and Harold R. Laurence, 6, born in Long Acre, Covent Garden and presumably Ellen’s son.

Frederick Harvey Bailey, cited by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was mentioned in neither the 1911 nor the 1901 census returns for this household.