WW1 commemoration 

During the war there started to appear what became known as "shrines" at public places in towns and villages across the country.  They were a spontaneous act by the population.  Perhaps the nearest equivalent we see today are the bunches of flowers that are often left at the site of a road accident.  The shrines were not necessarily flowers but messages of remembrance and good wishes for those who were serving.  Perhaps reassuring their loved ones that they are remembered.

It was not until after the war that the war memorials we see today were built, typically by public subscription.

Bagshot's war memorial was erected in 1920 by public subscription at the junction of High Street, London Road and Church Road but was relocated in 1938 to the churchyard at the parish church to facilitate a road safety programme.

Most parish churches will also have, displayed inside, a Roll of Honour listing the fallen.  In small communities this may also list those injured in conflict, and in some cases even those who served.  St Anne's church displays two such rolls, one for each war.  

There are some differences between the list of names on Bagshot's Roll of Honour and those that appear on the War Memorial, we have combined the two.  

There was no 'official' list of those who died.  Local residents submitted names to be put on the memorial.  There are some names for whom we have been unable to find any connection with Bagshot, it may be that a relative, perhaps an aunt, put their name down. 

Below are details of Bagshot's fallen from the "Great War".  The names of all those on the War Memorial, including those from WW2 are here.

The inscriptions on the War Memorial can be viewed here.

Captain Thomas Aveling Abbott, 2nd West Riding Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, was killed in action on 25th May 1915 at Croix Blanc in Fleurbaix France age 32

It was hardly surprising that Thomas joined the army - his father Herbert Edward Stacey Abbott CBE DSO (1855 – 1939) was a Colonel with the Royal Engineers, and his grandfather, also Herbert Edward Stacey Abbott had been a Major General with the Indian Army.

Thomas Aveling Abbott was born in 1882 in India.  By 1901 he was a "gentleman cadet" in Woolwich barracks. At the 1911 census he had the rank of Lieutenant with the RHA in Egypt.  At this time his parents and some of his siblings were living at  "Parkhill", Bagshot (an 11 room house).

In 1913 he married Emmeline Mary Benson Coxton (1886-1864) in London. Records indicate that Emmeline may have been pregnant when Thomas was killed, giving birth to a daughter Evangeline M A Abbott later in 1915.  Evangeline died in 1919 age 3.

In 1920 his widow, Emmeline, married David Alexander Fairbairn (1882 – 1950), another army man who would attain the rank of Major.

His maternal grandparents were Samuel Cordue (1819-1893) and Elizabeth Shepperd (1834-1906).  

Samuel and Elizabeth, together with their daughter (and thus Martin's aunt) Charlotte Amy Cordue (1869-1925), lived in Albany Villas and Florence Villas, Church Road, Bagshot, from about 1890 to their deaths. Charlotte's sister Mary Clyde Cordue (1866-1929) came to Bagshot about the tme of her mother's death.

Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary & Charlotte are all buried in Bagshot's cemetery. 

Private 403 William Ewart Beesley, 6th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) was killed in action 1st August 1917, age 19, and is buried in the Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-le-Preux, France.

Born in Egham in 1899, William was the eldest of the 2 children of Frederick James Beesley (1869-1931) and his wife Matha Lucy Alice (b 1876, nee Peters).  He grew up in Bagshot living initially in School Lane and later in Guildford Road.

Lance Corporal 541 Herbert Brown, 6th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), was killed in action on 12th May 1917, age 39, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras memorial in France.

Herbert was born in Bagshot but moved to Wandsworth where he worked as a hospital porter and met and married Edith Hannah Tibbles (b 1884) in 1901.  In 1903 they had a son Herbert Edward Morris Brown.  They moved to College Ride, Bagshot, and their son was baptised at St Anne's in 1909.

We have been unable to identify Herbert's parents with any certainty.

Following Herbert's death his widow Edith married local soldier Lance Corporal Richard Clements at St Anne's church on 29 Jun 1918 and they had two children.

Lance Corporal 6614 Charles Hesse Burles, 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) was killed in action on 3rd November 1914 age 28.  He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ypres Menin gate memorial in Belgium.

Born in Reading in 1866, Charles was the second of the five children of baker Herbert Burles (1861-1922) and his wife Mary Jane (nee Waugh 1855-1911).  The family had moved to Bagshot by 1895 living in High Street.   

Charles was a nurseryman.  He married Kate Asher in Dorset in 1911.  They had one son, Edwin Charles Burles born locally in 1912.  Kate moved back to her family's area to briing up her orphaned child.  She died in Longfleet, Dorset, in 1932 age only 46, her son married in 1936 and died 1980.

Sergeant Major 1180 Frederick Charles Butler served with the  "C" Company, 20th Battalion (Blackheath and Woolwich), London Regiment, and was killed in action 21st May 1916 age 24.

Charles was born in 1891 in Cheapside, Sunninghill, Berkshire, the eldest of the two children of house painter Frederick Nicholas Butler (1857-1904) and his wife Ada Mary Wye (1870-1934).   The family lived in Cheapside until the early 20th century when they moved to Bagshot living with Ada's father, retired forrester Richard Wye (1838-1920) in Guildford Road.

John was born in Bagshot and baptised at St Anne's on 13 Aug 1876, the third of the eight children of James Clements (1841- ) and his wife Emma Taylor (1850-1893).

On 3 June 1913 John married Ellen Alice Lydia Lovegrove (1891 – 1988) in St Anne's Church. Both John and Ellen were living on Jenkins Hill. Ellen's parents Daniel Lovegrove (1872–1913) and Ellen Hannah Hart (1870–1912) had lived in Half Moon Street, and had both died not long before her marriage.

John & Ellen had a daughter Ellen Kathleen F Clements born in 1916.

Born in 1891 in Malta, he was the younger son of Major Charles James Cockburn (1859–1900) and Kate Alice (nee Waterer 1869–1966) who had married in 1889 at St Anne's, Bagshot. He was schooled at St Georges School, Sunninghill, and Wellington College.

He married Helen Ann Frances Evans (1893–1981) in Cobham, Kent, in 1915.  They had no children.

In 1920 his widow married Lt. Col. Trant Bramston Luard (1873–1976) by whom she had four children.

Charles' father's fate was sad.  From a career as a major in the Royal Warwickshire Regement he was placed in the Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water (an esatblishment "for the care and treatment of the insane of the upper and middle classes") where he died in 1900.  One may assume that he may have suffered from what today we would call 'post traumatic stress').  

His widow went to live with her widowed mother and, in 1922, married Dublin-born Charles Gerrard Tench in the Isle of Wight where they lived until their deaths.  How they met is unclear but in 1907 (at least) he was renting living accomodation and a consulting room in the Alverstone House hotel in Bagshot's High Street.  There is some indication that he may have been a surgeon, and a possibility that he may have previously married in Dublin in 1910.

Born in 1890 in Malta and baptised at St Anne's the same year, he was the elder son of Major Charles James Cockburn (1859–1900) and Kate Alice (nee Waterer 1869–1966) who had married in 1889 at St Anne's, Bagshot. He was schooled at St Georges School, Sunninghill, and Wellington College.

His address is given as Yew Tree Cottage, Bagshot.

He had not married.

Major Hugh Norman Ramsay Cowie DSO CMG 1st Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment died of wounds 20th May 1915, age 42. Born in Scotland and baptised in Surbition, Surrey, he married Victoria Alexandrina, eldest daughter of Sir Howard Elphinstone in St Anne's Church on 28 September 1898 and they lived at Studland, Dorset.  He is buried in the churchyard of St Lawrence, West Woodhay, Berkshire and is also recorded on Charterhouse School Memorial

They had four children Norma Cowie (1899 – 1971), Howard Elphinstone Cowie (1901 – 1979), John Victor Cowie (1904 – 1919) and Victoria Alexandrina Cowie (1915 – 2005).  Norma and Victoria did not marry, John died at a young age, and Howard had a career in the army and married in 1937 having four children.

Extract from The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1915:

COWIE, HUGH NORMAN RAMSAY, Capt., was born at Arrochar, N.B., 17 Sept. 1872, son of Hugh Cowie, Q.C., J.P. He was educated at Charterhouse and Sandhurst, and joined the Dorsetshire Regt. 18 May, 1892, becoming Lieutenant 28 Aug. 1894. He served in the Tirah Expedition in 1897-98, being present at the actions of Chagra Kotal and Dargai, and the capture of Sampagha and Arhanga Passes. Reconnaissance of the Saran Sar and action of 16 Nov. 1897. Operations in the Waran Valley and action of 16 Nov. 1897. Operations in the Bara Valley 7 to 14 Dec. 1897 (Medal with two clasps). He served in the South African War, 1899-1900; operations in Natal, 1899, including operations at Elandslaagte, Rietfontein and Lombard's hop. In the Defence of Ladysmith, including the sortie of 7 Dec. 1899, and action of 6 Jan. 1900 ; operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 Nov. 1900, including actions of Belfast (26 and 27 Aug.) and Lydenberg 5 to 8 Sept. He was mentioned in Despatches (Sir R. H. Buller, 13 Sept. and 9 Nov. 1900 [London Gazette, 8 Feb. 1901]) : received the Queen's Medal with three clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 19 April, 1901]: "Hugh Norman Ramsay Cowie, Capt., Dorsetshire Regt. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa." The Insignia, etc., were sent to the Commander-in-Chief in South Africa, and presented by the Duke of Cornwall and York 14 Aug. 1901. He had become Captain 13 June, 1900. From 5 June, 1901, to 17 Feb. 1904, he was Adjutant, Volunteers, and he was Adjutant, Dorsetshire Regt. from 9 Sept. 1904, to 22 Jan. 1903, when he went to the Staff College. He was D.A.Q.M.G., Headquarters, South Africa, 20 April, 1907, to 1909 ; from 1909 to 1911 a Staff Captain at the War Office, and from 1912-14 Commander of a Company of Gentlemen Cadets at Sandhurst,. In 1914 he was appointed Commandant of the 1st School of Instruction in France. He was created a C.M.G. Major Cowie died on 20 May, 1915, of wounds received whilst in command of the 1st Battn. of his Regiment. He had married, in 1898, Victoria Alexandrina, eldest daughter of the late Sir Howard Elphinstone, K.C.B., C.M.G.

He was the son of Herbert John Davis (1853-1938) & Margaret Anna Symes (1860-1953) and baptised in May 1886 in the City of London.  He had married Caroline Clara Edwards in Bromley, Kent, in 1916.

The Commonwealth War Graves' records say that he was born in Bagshot and enlisted in Camberley, but we have been unable to corroborate any local connection.  It is possible that records have confused different people with the same name, but that still leaves the fact that someone thought it appropriate to submit Walter Henry's name for inclusion on our memorials.

Updated 3 Nov 2018

Herbert was born in  Winchampton, Dorset, in 1881, one of the five children of bricklayer Simon (Alfred) Domoney and his wife Selina (nee Husher).

At the 1911 census he was a bricklayer living in College Ride, Bagshot, with his elder brother Arthur (also a bricklayer) and his wife Laura. 

Herbert married Lily Maud Leak (1886 - 1980) in Wareham, Dorset, in August 1913 and set up home in 2 Connaught Villas, Bagshot High Street. 

Lily continued to live at that address for several years until it appears likely that in 1929 she married her brother-in-law William whose wife had died two years earlier.

Rifleman Y/450, "B" Company, 10th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, Bernard Christian Draper died of wounds 24th February 1916 age 25 and is buried in Essex Farm Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Born 19 June 1891 the youngest of the 5 children of Richard Draper (1860-1939) and his wife Emma Sayer (1856-1939) of 1 Mill Lane, Bagshot, he was baptised in St Anne's on 10 January 1904. He enlisted 1 Sept 1914 in Camberley. 

Bernard had been a gardener and had not married.

Bernard's siblings were 

• Lilie Emma Eliza Draper (1884 – 1897) who died as a teenager
• Rose Caroline Draper (1885 – 1978) who married Edward John Smith in 1917
• Amos William Draper (1887 – 1947) who does not appear to have married
• Daisy Florence Draper (1889 – 1918) who, in 1911,  married Henry Smith, the brother of Edward John Smith. 

Private 493165 Frank Draper, 13th (County of London) Battalion (Princess Louise's Kensington Battalion), London Regiment and formerly Private 6451, 7th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) was killed in action on 12th May 1917. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Frank was one of the 9 children of grocer Benjamin Draper (b 1844) and his wife Ann Phipps (b 1841) who had married in Windlesham church in 1867 and lived in Bagshot High Street

He was a labourer and had not married.

Lt Col  John Fryer, 7th Hussars, The Queen's Own. Mentioned in despatches. Died 2 March 1920 age 49. 

His Probate records assets of over £60,000. He is recorded (as John Frier) on the Roll of Honour in St Anne's Church, but not on the War Memorial.

Born in Ireland, the son of Lt. Gen. Sir John Fryer, K.C.B, and his wife Catharine Reed, he married Winifred LLuellyn Mandale Fuller in London in 1904.

They had two daughters born in Bagshot at The Cedars and baptised in St Anne's church: Mary Catherine Fryer in 1907 and Winifred Argenton Fryer in 1909.  Their third daughter, Hylda Joan Fryer, was born in 1914 in Yorkshire.  Addresses given for members of the family vary between The Cedars, Evelyn Gardens Kensington and Stamford Bridge Yorkshire.  

Private 7902 John Charles Gatfield served with the 1st Btn. Royal Berkshire Regiment and was killed in action 26th August 1914 age 27.  He is buried in MAROILLES COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Nord, France.

John, who was also known as Jack, was born in 1888 and baptised at St Anne's on 13 May that year. He was the eldest of the ten children of John Gatfield (1862-1935) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (nee Soan, 1863-1938) who had married in St Anne's on 19 Dec 1886.  The family lived in School Lane, Bagshot, and John senior worked as a labourer at the local nurseries.

Lance Corporal 16159 George Hall served with the Royal Irish Regiment 2nd battalion and died 21 March 1918 age 28.  

George was born in Windlesham, one of the 6 children of coachman Harry Hall and his wife Elen Adams. He married Bagshot-born  Annie Rose Attawell in St Anne's church on 11 November 1913 when they both gave their address as The White House, Bagshot.  

They had two daughters, Ethel and Edna and set up home in Aldershot.

The elder of the 2 sons of William John Harrington (1871-1945) and his first wife Elizabeth Bishop, Stanley (as he was known) was baptised on 26 Jul 1896 at St Anne's church. 

William had a variety of jobs and circa 1900 was publican of the White Hart on Guildford Road, and living at Brookside, Bagshot, at the end of the war.

William and Elizabeth had married in St Simon's, Hammersmith, in March 1895 and had two children, both born in Bagshot, Stanley in 1896 and Ivor Harold B Harrington (1898 - 1970).  

Stanley's mother Elizabeth died in 1901 and in January 1903 his widower father William married Eleanor Maud Kemp (1883-1967) the eldest of the 3 children of Richard John Kemp (1854-1914) and his wife Eleanor Mary Morris (1864-1905).  The Kemp family were the coal merchants living next door to the White Hart. William and Eleanor had two children, Eileen Marguerite Winifred Harrington (1903 – 2001) and Edna Mabel Evelyn Harrington (1907 – 1998). 

All of Stanley's siblings and half-siblings married.  His father does not appear to have married a third time.

Private 19384 Ernest Edward Hawkins served with the 7th Batt, East Kent Regiments ("the Buffs").  He was invalided out of the army in 1918 and received the Silver Badge. He died in July 1921 in The Chest Hospital, presumably as a result of gas injuries sustained during the war.  He is buried in Bagshot cemetery.

Ernest had been born in Bagshot in 1898, the youngest of the seven children of Henry Hawkins (1861-1918) and is first wife Hannah (nee Skinner 1860 – 1898) whom he had married in St Anne's in1885.  Following Hannah's death Henry married Bessie. Henry was a builder's carpenter and the family lived at Woodbine Cottages, Jenkins Hill, Bagshot.

Frederick was the eldest of the nine children of builder's labourer Frederick Ross Kircher (1870-1930) and his wife Ellen Phillbrook (1873-1960) and was baptised in St Anne's on 11 October 1896.

Frederick had not married.

Albert was born and brought up in Highclere, Hampshire where he learned his trade as a gardener.  

In July 1910 he married Rose May Smithers in St Lawrence church, Chobham, Surrey, and at the 1911 census they were living at Penny Hill Park Lodge, Bagshot, Albert being head gardener. With the loss of the tied cottage they were living in,  Rose moved to Medhurst Cottage, Burrow Hill, Chobham, Surrey. 

They had two children, Jessie May Knapp (1911-2002) and Leslie George Knapp (1912-1945). Jessie married in 1936, Leslie was killed in Germany in WW2.

David was born in Burton on Trent in 1891, the son of army instructor Jesse May (1864-1897) and his wife Alice Tyrrell (b 1867).  Following David's father's death he was placed in an orphenage in Lancashire.

In 1902 his widowed mother Alice married Edward Reed, a wheelwright and widower living in Guidford Road, Bagshot.  Edward had 4 children by his first wife Elizabeth Knight (1872-1900) who he had married in St Anne's in 1891, and 2 more, Cecil (1903) and Evelyn Alice (1907-1923) with Alice. 

David is recorded as being a Bagshot resident at the time of his enlistment so it may be assumed that he rejoined his mother after her remarriage.

Frederick was born in Bagshot in 1883 and baptised in St Anne's that year.  He was one of the 6 children of Thomas Moth (1845-1918) and Emily Tunnell (1851-1925) who had married in 1869 in St John the Baptist, Windlesham.

In 1909 Frederick married Nellie Rose Aylward (1885-1964) in Christ Church, Woking.  Nellie was one of the 7 children of Henry Aylwood (1843-1927) and Harriett Paice (1843-1918).

Frederick and Nellie set up home in Bagshot High Street and had two children, Frederick John Moth (1910-1977) and Doris Nellie Moth (1912-1992).

In 1921 Frederick's widow Nellie married bachelor Bertie James Smith (1878-1953) in St Anne's church.  They had 2 children, Frank and Joan. 

He was one of the two children of Charles Thomas Mundy (1863-1903) and his wife Lydia (b 1871).  Though born in Kings Cross, London, he was baptised in St Anne's church, Bagshot, in May 1893.

The 1901 census records the family living in School Lane, Bagshot, Charles snr being a builder's labourer born in Weston Turville, Ayslebury, Bucks, and his wife Lydia being Bagshot born. 

Charles snr, who died in 1903, is buried in Bagshot cemetery.  Lydia later marry a Mr Dunham.  Marriage records for neither of Lydia's marriages have been identified.

However, more data has emerged indicating that there were two people by the name of Charles Thomas Mundy and of similar age, one of whom died and the other lived to a good age.  Trying to determine who is related to who is proving surprisingly difficult and any help from relatives will be most appreciated.

Private 2078 Reginald James Paice served with "C" Squadron, Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars and died of wounds 28th April 1915 aged 26. He is buried in Bailleul cemetery, France.

Reginald was born in Sandhurst in 1889, the eldest of the seven children of farmer Walter Paice (1859-1923) and his wife Catherine Gilbert (1860-1954).

The family moved to Hall Grove Farm, Bagshot, about 1895.  Reginald did not follow his father into farming but became an under-gardener in Bagshot Park.  He had not married.

Joseph was born on 31 Jan 1876 in Sandhurst, Berkshire, the second of the four children of Robert Parker (1848-1881), a coachman working for the RMA Sandhurst, and his wife Ellen Matilda (nee Hutt 1855-1896).

On 19 April 1897 at St Anne's church Joseph married Alice Isabel Gatfield (1875-1965). They lived at 4 Laurel Cottages, Bagshot, and had six children of whom two died at a young age.

Alice did not remarry and died in 1965 age 90.

Following the death of Joseph's father Robert his widow married James Hizzey (1859–1936) in St Lawrence Church, Chobham, on 19 Oct 1884 and had four more children with him.  In 1899 following Ellen's death James Hizzey married again and had more children.

Lieutenant (Adjutant) Arthur Hennis Perrott served with 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) and was killed in action 10th September 1914 age 29.  He is buried in the Oulchy-le-Chateau churchyard, Aisne, France.

He was born in 1855 in Shoeburyness, Essex, the younger of the two sons of Major-General Sir Thomas Perrott (1852 - 1919, b Ireland) and his wife  Gertrude Louise Grace  (1856 – 1926, also b Ireland) and educated at Windlesham House School (Sussex), Wellington College (Berkshire), and the R.M.C., Sandhurst.  

His father gave his address as The Green Farm, Bagshot, when applying in 1914 for Probate for Arthur, however no other record of a family connection with Bagshot has been identified. 

He is listed on the war memorial as Robinson FG but no other connection with Bagshot has been identified.  As with some others, this leaves the question as to why someone thought it appropriate to submit his name for inclusion on our memorials.

updated 3 Nov 2018

Private T/240562 Frederick John Rose served with the 1/5th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and died in Mesopotamia on 27th September 1916 age 33.  He is buried in Baghdad (North Gate) cemetery, Iraq.

Frederick was born in 1883 and baptised in St Anne's church on 14 October that year.  He was the fifth of the six children of George Rose (1842–1927) and his wife Elizabeth (nee Brown b 1845). George was from a Bagshot family, his wife was born in Reading, Berkshire.

The family lived in Laural Cottages, Jenkins Hill, Bagshot.

Frederick did not marry.

Pte 8216 Herbert Alonzo Marchant Rowe, 1st battalion Prince of Wales' North Staffordshire Regiment, died 24 June 1916.

Born in Totterdown, Bristol, in 1888, he was the eldest son of butcher Alonzo Marchant Rowe and his wife Agnes Ellen Bowyer who had married in 1886. Herbert was baptised in Holy Nativity church, Bedminster, Somerset, in May 1889.  His father was admitted to Bristol Lunatic Asylum in May 1891 and he died in November 1893 aged just 29.

Herbert and his brother Henry Frank Rowe were sent to an orphanage in Malvern.

Herbert enlisted in the army prior to the war giving his address as Sandhurst. He served in India and France where he was killed in action.  He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium.

In October 1915 he married Emily Sumner in St Anne's church. Emily (born 1893) was one the daughters of Henry Sumner and his wife Elizabeth Waller, and the sister of George William Sumner (1879 - 1916).  They had one child, a daughter born a few months after Herbert's death.

Emily remarried, marrying Eric Wheeler in St Anne's in 1922.

Private 39027 Benjamin Searle served with the 2nd Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and died in Egypt on 11th December 1917 age 43.  He is buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) cemetery, Eygpt.

Benjamin was born in Bagshot in 1875, the third of the nine children of John Searle (1845–1927) and his wife Mary Ann (nee Holmes 1845–1931). 

Benjamin married Emma Ayers (1875–1934), who hailed from Somerset, in St Anne's on 16 Nov 1901.  They had three children William John Searle (1903 – 1999), Albert George Searle (1904 – 1971) and Dorothy Mary Searle (1909 – 1925). Benjamin's occupation was as a gardener at the local nurseries, and they lived in Fairlight Cottages, Guildford Road.

His widow did not remarry and is buried in Bagshot's cemetery.

Private 425341 George Edward Soan served with the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion and died 6th November 1918 age 26.  He is buried in the Quievrain cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium.

George was the illegitimate child of Clara Soan (1872-1951).  Born 13 Nov 1893 he was baptised in St Anne's church on 10 December.

Clara was the sister of Elizabeth Ann Soan, the mother of John Charles Gatfield (1888–1914).

In August 1899 his mother married painter & plumber Frederick Francis (b 1886) in Ss Peter and Paul church, Ewhurst, Surrey, which was Frederick's home village.  By 1901 they were living with Clara's father in London Road, Bagshot, with George and their own daughter.

George emigrated to Canada and in 1915 he enlisted with the Canadian forces.  He had not married. 

Private 51302 John William Stennett served with the  2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment and was killed in action on 10th August 1918 age 34.   He is buried in the Bouchoir cemetery, Somme, France.

John came from a Lincolnshire family being born in Bacebridge in that county in 1883, the youngest of the 4 children of Thomas Stennett and his wife Mary Stow who had married in Lincoln in 1870. 

John's career started as a shop assistant in the clothing trade, then as a tailor's travelling salesman, and at the time of his marriage an Outfitter's Manager in Horsell, Surrey.

He married Agnes Raggett (1880-1951) in St Mary's church, Horsell, on Boxing Day 1913.

When or why they moved to Bagshot is unclear. Post-war records show John's widow Agnes living in Connaught House, Bagshot, but in what capacity is unknown.  Agnes did not remarry and died in 1951 at The Corner Shop, Sunninghill.

Corporal T/240346 Henry Edward Stevens served with "B" Company, 1/5th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and died in India on the 3rd October 1918 aged 27. He was buried in Bangalore (Hosur Road) Cemetery and is commemorated on the Madras 1914-1918 Memorial, Chennai, India.

Henry was born and brought up in Bagshot, the second of the five children of James Stevens (b 1863) and his wife Ellen Elizabeth Taylor (b 1869) who had married in St Anne's on Christmas Eve 1889.  Henry was baptised in St Anne's on 10 July 1882.

The family lived variously on London Road, School Lane and Guildford Road.

Private 7796 George William Sumner was a reservist. He enlisted in 1904 for 5 years then 7yrs on reserve. He was wounded in an early battle, and then missing presumed dead on 3rd July 1916, the 3rd day of the Battle of the Somme, age 38. He was serving with the 5th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment). He has no known grave and is commemorated on Thiepval memorial, Somme, France.

George was the only son among the eight children of Henry Sumner (b 1856) and his wife Elizabeth (nee Waller, b 1856).  Born in Frimley, he was brought up in Bagshot, the family living in College Ride.

He had married local girl Emily Smith on 8 Apr 1912 in  St Anne's church.  They had a daughter Margaret Louise Sumner. Emily did not remarry.

George's sister Emily married Herbert A M Rowe.

Sergeant 13634 Charles William Taylor served with the 9th and 21st  (Queen's Royal) Lancers and died of his wounds on 24th January 1918.  He is buried in the Etables cemetery, Pas de Calais.

Charles was born in Basingstoke, the eldest of the 9 children of Henry & Alice Taylor.

He was the husband of Lillie Rose Trueman (1887–1956), the sister of  George Trueman who also died in the war.  Charles and Lillie had married on 13 December 1913 at St Anne's.  They had a daughter Lillie Rohilla Taylor in 1916.

In 1920 Charles' widow married Francis Henry Abery (b 1896) and in 1921 they had a daughter.

He is also recorded on the Basingstoke War Memorial.

Private S/213 George Taylor served with the 2nd Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and was killed in action 6th November 1914. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) memorial, Belgium.

He was born in 1878 in Bagshot and baptised in St Anne's on 10 November 1878, he was the eldest of the 5 children of James Taylor (b 1858) and his wife Betsey (nee Bowyer b 1859).

The family lived on Bagshot High Street, and Park Road, until about the turn of the century when they moved to the Farnham area.

Jessie (1887-1969) was the daughter of Robert Weeks (b 1857) and his wife Annie (1861-1927 nee Higgs) who lived in Church Road, Bagshot.

Sydney & Jessie had no children and she did not remarry.

They had married in 1900 and had no children.

Charles had married in 1915 in Scotland, so his death left a widow, Janet Kay Varndell.

He had previously served with his regiment in India.

Born in 1887 in South Ascot, Sunninghill, Berkshire, the eldest of the seven children of  William Venn (b 1852) and his wife Emily (nee Attfield b 1866) he enlisted in  Reading.  His family moved to 8 Connaught Rd about 1905.

Henry had not married.

His brother Ernest enlisted in The Queens Regiment (Royal West Surrey)

updated 3 Nov 2018

Sergeant 8377 Albert Wheeler served with distinction with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) and was mentioned in despatches.  He died of wounds on 26th February 1918 age 30 and is burried in Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium.

He was the second of the 8 children of Edward Wheeler (b 1858) and his wife Alice (b 1857).

Albert and many of his siblings were born in Yateley, the family moving to Jenkins Hill, Bagshot, about 1894, and later to College Ride.

Albert had not married.

WHITE
James

Private T/240058 Jack White died in Mesopotamia on 29th August 1916 age 26.

Private T/1925 James White died in Mesopotamia on 8th July 1916 age 21.

The two brother both served with 1/5th Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) and are burried next to each other in the Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery, Iraq.

They were two of the ten children of Edward White (b 1859) and his wife Harriet (nee Waller 1855-1902).  The brothers were born and lived in Bagshot. Jack was baptised in St Annes on 13 July 1890, and James on 8 Apr 1894.

The family lived in Myrtle Cottages on  Jenkins Hill.

Their nephew, Jack Herbert White, died in WW2 while serving with the RAF and is also commemorated on our War Memorial.

Pte 240435 Herbert Wickens, the 5th Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment 2/5 battalion died 6 May 1917 in Canterbury Military Hospital, presumably from injuries sustained, and is buried in Canterbury Cemetery. 

Herbert was bon in Windlesham in 1884, one of the 7 children of agricultural labourer John Wickens (b 1850) and his wife Annie Swadling (b 1849).  Both John and Annie came from the Englefield area in Berkshire where they married in 1871.  They lived at various places in Berkshire and Oxfordshire before moving to Bagshot around 1880. 

In 1913 Herbert, who was employed as a groom, married Blanche Maud Shipley (1891-1969) in her home village in Norfolk, and their son, John, was born later that year in Norfolk. Their second child, Dorothy, would have been conceived shortly before Herbert's death.

At the 1911 census Blanche was lin domestic service in Sunninghill, so presumably they met locally.

Military records indicate that Herbert's widow Blanche, now with a toddler and a babe-in-arms, married William S Young (b 1888) within two years of Herbert's death, but no confirmatory record has been identified.  Blanche and William had serveral children of their own. 

Updated 3 Nov 2018

Private TF/241800 Charles William Wood served with the 1st Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) and was killed in action on 24th September 1917 aged 39.  He has no known grave and is commemmorated on the Tyne Cot memorial in Belgium.

Born in Oxtead, Surrey, he was the eldest of the 3 children of shoemaker William Wood (b 1848) and his wife Eliza (b 1847). 

The family had moved to Bagshot in the 1880's living in the High Street.  After the war they moved to Chobham.

Charles had not married.

He was born in London in 1891, the youngest of the 8 children of John William Wroth (1854–1915) and his wife Emily Ellen (nee Lewin 1848–1905).

He enlisted in 1906, age 15, on account of having played flute and drums as a cadet, having previously been rejected as unfit to serve.

In 1913 he married Mary Agnes Coles (1895–1986) in Barnet. They had a son Sidney Albert Wroth who was born at his materal grandfather's house next to the bridge in Bagshot in 1914 but who died  in 1919 in the Ottershaw Isolation Hospital.

Sydney's widow subsequently married William Henry Webster (1892-1922) in 1920 and then Robert Clasper Todd (1903–1990) in 1924 having children by both.

Sydney's brother Archibald Herbert Wroth served with the Northumberland Fusiliers and the 9th Bn Yorkshire Hussars (Pte 235329).  He was killed in September 1917 leaving a widow Violet Rosa (nee Lewis) whom he had married in 1911 and two sons. 

Updated 3 Nov 2018