SCOULDING, Samuel


No.28885, Private, Samuel SCOULDING
Aged 32


7th Battalion, Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
formerly 34561, Wiltshire Regiment ( Medal card)
formerly 223612, Royal Field Artillery(Soldiers Died)
Killed in Action presumed on Friday, 30th November 1917


Samuel READ was born in 1885 in Monk Soham (Hoxne Q1-1885 4A:781) son of Ellen READ. She married Henry Charles SCOULDING (Hartismere Q4-1886). He seems to have been baptised in St John's, Denham (nr Eye) on 4th August 1899, the same day as his brothers William and Henry. Their name is entered as SKOULDING. Henry senior was registered born Scoulding but married as Skoulding.

1891 census...Aged 6, Samuel Read Scoulding was at Moseley's Farm, Fornham All Saints with his stepfather Henry [28] farm labourer born Eye, his mother Ellen [27] born Bedfield; brother William Read Scoulding [4] born Eye and half brother Henry [2] born Denham; half sister Annie [6 weeks] born Fornham All Saints.

1901 census...Aged 16, a shepherd's page, he was at 1 The Aldridge, Fornham All Saints with his step father (cattleman on farm); mother Ellen; brother William (farm labourer), half brothers Henry (shepherd's page) and Bertie [5]; half sisters Annie A, Ethel M [7] and Alice D [3]. The new siblings born in Fornham All Saints.

1911 census...Aged 26, a maltster's labourer, (now recorded as born Denham) he was in Fornham All Saints with his stepfather; his mother; brother William (horse keeper), half brothers Bertie (farm labourer) and Percy [8] born Fornham All Saints; half sister Alice. Mother's marriage is now recorded as 1884. One of 9 siblings had died.

He married Annie Maria HORNE [14-11-1887] (Bury St Edmunds Q3-1911) and her address later is given as 3 The Green, Fornham All Saints. They had a son, Frederick William (5-10-1912 -1969)



One of the last photos taken of Samuel, with his wife Maria and son Frederick
courtesy of his grandson Grenville Scoulding



He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
On 30th November 1917, 61st Brigade reports show that the 7th Somerset LI and the 12th Kings were overwhelmed by a strong enemy attack around Gonnelieu and Villers Guislains. What had been observed as a considerable movement of German transport and considered as preparations for a retirement turned out to be the lead up to a massive attack.

CWGC have recorded 77 of the Somersets killed, only 2 having identified graves



Samuel Scoulding is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, panels 4 and 5
and the Book of Remembrance in Wells Cathedral

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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