No.495532, Private Herbert FORDHAM
Aged 32
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Born in Bury St.Edmunds in 1885 (Qtr 4 1885 Bury St. Edmunds 4a:675), son of Thomas and Elizabeth 'Bessie' FORDHAM (née FARROW).
The birth registration seems to be the only place he is recorded as Thomas. The family no doubt used 'Herbert' to avoid confusion with his father.
1891 census...Aged 5, as Herbert, he was at 8 Mustow Street, Bury St. Edmunds with his father Thomas FORDHAM [46] farm labourer born Walsham, Suffolk; his mother Bessie [47] born Walsham; sisters Ida 20, Bessie [13] and Allen {sic} [11]. All the children were born on Bury St. Edmunds. 1901 census...Aged 17, he seems to be a Private in the Suffolk Regiment at The Barracks, Bury St. Edmunds. It seems that his father died in 1894 and his mother in 1899 1911 census...Aged 25, a labourer, he was at 131 Eastgate Street, Bury St. Edmunds with his brother in law Frank SEELEY, his sister Ellen and their 2 children. Ellen had born 5 children but already 3 had died. He married Mary McCANN in 1914 in Greenwich. The pension card has his widow Mary at 1 Colleston Road, E.Greenwich. They had 2 daughters, Edith Elizabeth Ellen [7-3-1915] and Clara Margaret [24-11-1916], both born in Greenwich. She married Thomas J. LEETE in 1919, and moved to 1 Orlop Road, E Greenwich |
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He enlisted in Greenwich when resident there.
On 30th October 1917 it was bitterly cold and the ground was very bad. The 2nd/6th Battalion, London Regiment to which several 13th Battalion men were attached, attacked NW of Poelcapelle. They had 8 killed, only one of them has a known grave. |
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