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WW1 Fallen & Boldmere, St Michael's Church

Lady Penelope

master brummie
I was totally amazed and uplifted by the thread about the postal workers and all the work put in and contributed by the members of this forum. This has prompted me to ask for help with our project.

Every year the names of the fallen of our parish are read out but only the initials appear on the plaque. We have long wondered what the Christian names are and where they lived etc.

There are 83 men in total 5 of whom are buried in the churchyard and the rest are commemorated on a brass tablet on the wall. We have managed to 'find' most of the men but some still elude us. We have found a father and son who died within weeks of each other and brothers too. Some of the young me attended St Michael's others went to the URC and the Baptists churches.

The problem is that there is no indication of which regiment they belonged to or indeed where they came from. Some have lived in the area all their lives but of others we can find no trace.

The other thing is that the parish of Boldmere covered a wider area in 1914 and stretched from Banners Gate over to Powells Pool in Sutton Park, and to Walmley and some parts of Erdington. This means that sometimes it appears in Aston, sometimes in Sutton Coldfield and sometimes appears to have been lost completely! I have yet to find the exact parish details (our church was destroyed by fire in the 1960's and most of the records were lost). I would like to do a map showing where they lived and also one of where they died. We do have a few photographs cut from the Sutton News at the time of their death but would like to add others.

We have made an appeal in our church magazine but the only information I have is their initial and surname. We will also try in the local newspaper.

Those we cannot find are: W Coombs, W Garner, W E Harman, S Harrison, F Hudson, C Jackson, A E James, J Lynch, A Perks, P Pring, C C Smith, F P Wagstaffe, Harry I Woodward (buried in the churchyard) and F Wright.

The complete list is too long to put here but I would be willing to post if it as an attachment (if you think that would be in order) or check for anyone who may have lost a relative from our parish.

Any ideas would be really welcomed.

Thanks,
 
hello lady penelope thank you for your kind words about the postal workers and what a great project you have on your hands as well...i am really hoping that some of our members who are far better than i at this sort of research can find out the first names of those men on your list...

lyn
 
Name:
Walter Ewart Harman
Birth Place:
St. Mary's, Kidderminster, Worcs
Death Date:
7 Jan 1916
Death Location:
Persian Gulf
Enlistment Location:
Birmingham, Warwicks
Rank:
L/Corporal
Regiment:
Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, the Duke of Albany's)
Battalion:
1st Battalion
Number:
S/10280
Type of Casualty:
Killed in action
Theatre of War:
Asiatic Theatres
Comments:
Formerly 23633, Dragoons Of Line.
In 1911 he was aged 17 a lodger Jewellery maker living in Hall Green.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
That's absolutely wonderful Wendy and Colin, thank you!

Isn't it funny how things suddenly take you by surprise? I was looking at a website the other day and found a photograph of our soldiers called Reginald De Lattre. Although I am affected by all of the stories it was when I discovered a picture of him as a small blond boy with his brother in their little velvet suits. The person who posted it had noted that on the back of the photo his family had called him Rex. For some reason that really 'set me off'. It's little things like that which make it all the more real isn't it?

Thanks again.
 
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919

Name:
Francis Bernard Ward
Birth Place:
Erdington, Birmingham
Residence:
Erdington
Death Date:
29 Apr 1915
Death Location:
Home
Enlistment Location:
Birmingham
Rank:
Corporal
Regiment:
King's Royal Rifle Corps
Battalion:
1st Battalion
Number:
10984
Type of Casualty:
Died of wounds
Theatre of War:
Home
 
Probate re
William Ernest Oldnall of Park Farm, New Oscott, Warwickshire, Farmer. A sapper in the RE died 17 November 1918 at the military hospital Fort Pitt Chatham. Administration Birmingham 20 February to Daisy Mercy Victoria Oldnall widow. Effects £775.
 
I don't know if this is the right one but.. There is an Albert Edwin James (listed at Nechells on the 1911 census). Both the census and CWGC give his address as 01 Scholesfield Road and both name his Father as Edwin but the census lists his Mother as Mary and the CWGC lists her as Polly. (I suspect that she was known as Polly). He was in the Royal Irish regiment when he died on 2 Sep 1918 having transferred from Hants Reg and also Royal Dublin Fusiliers.

Would Nechells be near enough?

Janice
 
The only Pring I can find who fits the bill is the one shown below (named as Edgar James but served as Paul) but I am not sure why he has connections to Boldmere.
Rank:private
Service No:36506
Date of Death:25/03/1918Age:32
Regiment/Service:Northumberland Fusiliers 1st/6th Bn.
Panel ReferencePanel 16 to 18.MemorialPOZIERES MEMORIAL
Additional Information:

(served as PAUL). Son of Mrs. E. Pring, of "Moss Close Cottage", Buchanan Rd., Walsall, Staffs; husband of Jessica Alice Pring, of The Cedars, 132, Murray Rd., Rugby, Warwickshire.

Janice
 
Thank you for that Janice. P Pring is one of the ones that is causing me the most trouble. I have looked at all the P Prings born in England that I could find and also searched our church records for anyone of that name. I found a Sarah Ann Pring (d.1933) buried in the churchyard and unearthed her gravestone last week to find that her husband was John. I know her address in 1933 which was in the parish but can't find her anywhere else so far.

Your Paul definitely sounds promising so I'll have a look for Edgar James and see what I can find. Thanks again.
 
Around Cambridge there are various commemorative plaques, to such as "The Gas company workers", fallen, 1914/18, The Water Company workers 1914/18 , The Cambridge City Council workers,
The GPO workers, Eastern County Bus employee's ECT, even a plaque in Great St Marys church to city boys who died in the Boer War 58 of them? It just makes you proud of the great sacrifice of these young men for our generataion
 
Hello Lady Penelope, in response to your Harry I Woodward, I am currently working on the names on the Sutton War Memorial & there are three Woodwards on there, one is Raymond, one is Harry as mentioned above and then there is H I Woodward, whom I have as Henry Irvin Woodward! but the only information I have as yet is that he was the son of Samuel & Eliza Woodward of 266 Highbridge Road Wilde green.

I too have been struggling with P. Pring, so it is interesting to see Janice's response.

F.Wright = Frank Wright service no: 135785 died 19-8-1917 age 27: Gunner: Royal Garrison Artillery: Son of William Wright of 'Mayfield' Boldmere Road.

C.C.smith = Charles Cyril Smith: service no:088 died 25-9-1915 age 22: 2nd Lieutenant: Shropshire Light Infantry: Son of Frederick & Ada Smith of 'Ellesmere' 26 Harmen Road, Erdington .

C.Jackson (possible match) = Cyril Jackson: service no: unknown: died unknown: Private: Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Son of Frederick & Emma Jackson of 30 Penns Lane.

regards, Trish
 
Thanks Trish,

I usually get a notification but I think I must have missed this one. That'll teach me to look more carefully won't it? I'll have a look at our spreadsheet and update it. Thanks for your help this morning and we'll be back soon.
 
Hello Again Everyone,

I've found a marriage in 1910 in Aston for Edgar James (Paul) Pring which sounds promising doesn't it? Not sure which church but I'll start with St P & P. So far none of the addresses in any records helps put him anywhere near Boldmere. He came from Walsall, as mentioned, and his wife Jessica from Henley in Arden. Need to get into Birmingham to the Library.

Thanks again for all your help and ideas.
 
On the 1911 census she is listed as in Henley with her parents and he is at home with his Mother (it does list him as married). She is also not named as next of kin on his CWGC record. Strange.

No its not, there is a baby called Irene Jessica Pring listed as well

Janice
 
Good Morning Janice,

Thank you, yes I had spotted that but I expect she had taken the baby to visit her parents in Henley. I can't work out why she'd be in Rugby though (although I'm sure there are lots of reasons). It still doesn't place him in the Boldmere Parish but I will see where they were married. That should help. Fingers crossed!
 
I am just looking at St P&P online but Aston could be the registry office - I did not know Aston had its own office until I sent for my husband's gran's marriage certificate!!

Janice
 
I can't find any marriage for a Pring and Harris from September to December 1910 at St P&P Aston. That might save some wasted searching at the library.

Janice
 
Thanks for that Janice. I'm hoping to go and have an hour at the library tomorrow but I can discount that church now. The problem with 'Aston' is that it stretches so far. It used to include parts of Sparkhill/Sparkbrook and Erdington too as I'm sure you know. In fact a good part of Boldmere Parish was in Aston. I'll try the register office too. I have so many 'brick walls' in my own family history as well as the soldiers and I'm determined to chip away at them. Thanks again.

Penny
 
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