INCE, Thomas Pelham



No.E/2434, Lance Corporal, Thomas Pelham INCE
Aged 32


17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
Killed in Action on Sunday, 29th September 1918


Thomas Pelham Ince was born in 1886 (Risbridge Q3-1886 4A:619), mother's maiden name not given, therefore presumed to be illegitimate son of Emily INCE.

1891 census...Aged 4 ( recorded as born Haverhill) he was lodging at Spring Cottages, Hamlet Road, Haverhill with widow Emma Whybrow and her family and Emily INCE [28] single.

It does seem that Emily married in 1893 in Mile End Old Town to Thomas James SPICER.

1901 census...Aged 14, as Thomas P SPICER (recorded as born Haverhill) he was at 4 Rosemont Road, Hampstead with his stepfather Thomas J SPICER [34] milk carrier, born Haverhill; his mother Emily [37] born Haverhill; half sister Dorothy P SPICER [6] and half brother William F [4] both born in Hampstead. Also a visitor, Katey Coleman [9] born Hunstanton.

1911 census...As Pelham Spicer, a dairyman, he was a visitor at Post Office, Sturmer, with widow Annie PAYNE[54] postmistress born Sturmer; her daughters Ada [32] assistant post mistress, and Agnes [21] general servant, both born Sturmer.
His stepfather (baker's assistant) and mother were at 20 Burrard Road, Hampstead with cousin William Herbert INCE [27] builder's labourer born Sturmer; half-sister Dorothy Phyllis [16] (draper's assistant); half-brothers Frederick William [14], Cyril James [9] born Hampstead and Leslie Robert [6] born Fulham. Years married has not been entered.

On 17th August 1915 [1A:2162] in Hampstead, he married Bertha PAYNE (b.24-3-1888). His marriage certificate 17/8/1915 ( his age given as 25) gives his father, Thomas James INCE, as deceased, a blacksmith (only the death is correct). Bertha was apparently a Sturmer girl,(another daughter of Annie) daughter of William Henry PAYNE.

On the pension card she was at 8 Loveridge Mews, Brondesbury, London with their sons Cameron Richard (b.20-6-1912) and Frederick Thomas (b.7-9-1915). They were still there in 1939.



Thomas enlisted in Hampstead, when resident in Kilburn.

O'Neill's "History of the Royal Fusiliers in the Great War":-
The battalion, having crossed the Scheldt and the canal near Noyelles on the 28th were faced by a German counter-attack at 3 am on the morning of the 29th. The King's Own on the right were forced back on the 17th Royal Fusiliers. The Fusiliers having resolved the ensuing confusion, were then ordered to take upper a position between Paris Copse and Range Wood on the outskirts of Cambrai. They actually advanced beyond this line and were brought back to form a defensive flank on the right until relieved just before midnight. Establishing this bridgehead cost the battalion 249 officers and men.

The battalion, according to CWGC had 13 killed on the 29th.




photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Thomas Ince is buried in Anneux British Cemetery, grave 1:E:10

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


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