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Black Halve Lane, Christ Church, Coven Street, First World War, Heath Town, Labour Corps, Leslie Road, Lichfield, Samuel Lewis, South Staffordshire Regiment, St Thomas' Church, The Scotlands, Wednesfield
The son of Samuel and Mary Ann Lewis, Samuel was born in Wolverhampton in 1890, and baptised at Christ Church, Wolverhampton, on 9 August 1890. They were living in Coven Street, Wolverhampton in 1891. By 1901, they were at 9 Leslie Road in Heath Town, Wolverhampton, and Samuel had gained three siblings – Howard (1895), Doris (1898) and Priscilla (1901). They were living in Black Halve Lane, The Scotlands in Wednesfield in 1911, by which date Samuel was working as a general labourer in a stables, and there were additional siblings Ernest John (1902), Dennis David (1905), Major Frank (1907) and Price (1910).
In August 1914, Samuel enlisted with the 6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (service number 11268), before transferring to the 413th Agricultural Company of the Labour Corps (service number 543457). On 27 August 1918, his health was assessed in Lichfield, and he was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Although it was believed this had originated prior to his military service, as apparently he used to regularly suffer from influenza and bronchitis for about 3 or 4 weeks every winter, it was determined that his condition was aggravated by his military service. He was discharged as permanently unfit to serve, and he was sent to a Sanitorium. Unfortunately he died on 17 April 1919. He is buried in the churchyard of St Thomas’s Church in Wednesfield.
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The research for this blog post was carried out by remote virtual volunteer, Jacky de Escofet.