Vincent Richard Hewitt

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France, Middle Vauxhall, Royal Field Artillery, Vincent Hewitt, Warwick Street

The son of Frederick Ambrose and Mary Elizabeth (known as Polly) Hewitt, Vincent was born in Wolverhampton in 1896. In 1901, they were living at Court No 1, Middle Vauxhall Street, Wolverhampton, along with Vincent’s brothers Cyril and Howard. They were at 3 Court, 2 Warwick Street, Wolverhampton by 1911, and Vincent had gained three more siblings – Frederick James, Arthur and Ethel May. Vincent had become an errand boy.

Vincent enlisted in the 378th Battery, 169th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery (first number 1257, then 810046), becoming a Sergeant. He first served in France from 5 March 1915, but was killed in action on 13 April 1918 in France. He is buried at the Hangard Communal Cemetery Extension.

Joseph Edward Harrison

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Bilston, Joseph Harrison, Lichfield Military Hospital, South Staffordshire Regiment, St Mary's Church, Temple Street, Warwick Street, Willenhall Road

The son of Charles Joseph and Elizabeth Harrison, Joseph was born in Wolverhampton in 1878. On 10 October 1898, he married Rachel Clarice Upton at St Mary’s Church, Bilston. By 1901, the couple were living at 17 Court, Temple Street, Bilston, along with their three daughters Clarice, Ethel and Lily. Joseph was a brass caster. The family were at Court 2, Warwick Street, Bilston, by 1911, and Joseph and Rachel had had an additional three children – Joseph, Rachael and Marie. They had another son, Edward, in 1911.

On 20 August 1915, Joseph enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 19958). By then, his address was 58 Willenhall Road, Bilston. However, on 4 December 1915, he was discharged on medical grounds. He had been in Lichfield Military Hospital “for some time” with Bright’s disease. Unfortunately, Joseph died in 1917. His name is listed on the Bilston Town Hall Ward roll of honour, although it does not appear elsewhere, so his death may have been attributed to his military service.

Bernard Stone, later Constable

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Bernard Constable, Melbourne Street, Royal Garrison Artillery, Warwick Street

Bernard was born in 1885, the son of Mary Louisa Stone. Louisa was the housekeeper working for Henry Constable, and they married in 1896. Bernard then took on Henry’s surname. In 1901 they were living at 27 Warwick Street, Wolverhampton, along with Bernard’s siblings Florence (also previously Stone), Albert and Lawrence. On 9 October 1910, Bernard married Catherine Margaret Sidaway, and they were living at 23 Melbourne Street, Wolverhampton, in 1911. Bernard had become a house painter. The couple had a son, Bernard, in 1914.

On 28 August 1916, Bernard enlisted as a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery (number 133870). He served throughout the war, until he was discharged in September 1919 suffering from nephritis. The couple had another child, Margaret, born in 1920. Unfortunately, Bernard died in 1920.

Frederick Evans

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France, Frederick Evans, Portobello, South Staffordshire Regiment, Warwick Street

The son of Frederick and Emma Evans, Frederick was born in Wolverhampton in about 1889. In 1901, they were living at 34 New Street, Portobello, along with his siblings Maud, Thomas, Sydney, Arthur and Joseph. By 1911, he was living with his now-widowed mother at 9 Court, Warwick Street, Wolverhampton. He was a striker of picks at an iron foundry.

He enlisted at Wolverhampton in the 8th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 11568). He was killed in action in France on 10 July 1916. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

William Brewer

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Express & Star, France, South Staffordshire Regiment, Warwick Street, William Brewer

William was born in Wolverhampton in 1885, the son of Bridget Brewer. In 1901 he was living at 9 Warwick Street with his mother, brothers Martin, John and Michael, and sister Maryann.

William enlisted with the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 9980). He first served in France, entering the War on 26 January 1915. He was reported as missing on 10 March 1915 and on 11 March 1916 it was reported in the Express & Star that he had been confirmed as having been killed in action. He is commemorated at the Le Touret Memorial.

Thomas Henry Evans

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Portobello, South Staffordshire Regiment, St George's Church, Thomas Evans, Warwick Street, Willenhall, Wolverhampton Borough Police Force

Thomas Henry Evans was born in Portobello, Willenhall in 1893, the son of Frederick and Emma Evans (nee Doughty). In 1901 they were living at 34-35 New Street, Portobello, together with Thomas’s brothers (Frederick, Sydney, Arthur and Joseph) and sister Maud. Thomas’s father, Frederick, died in 1907. By 1911, they were at 9 Court, Warwick Street, Wolverhampton, and were joined by a further sister, Annie, and brother Frank. By this date Thomas was a hinge caster.

Thomas enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment on 21 March 1912 (number 9098). However, by 15 October 1912 he had been discharged, on the grounds of “having made a false answer on attestation”. Closer examination of his military records reveal that he claimed to have never been sentenced to imprisonment by the Civil Power. A list of his previous convictions, provided by Wolverhampton Borough Police, proves otherwise:

DATE	OFFENCE	SENTENCE
8 Dec 1906	Stealing 16/3 from the p[arso]n	1 day, 10 strokes
3 Sep 1910	Stealing growing apples	2/6 or three days.
6 Sep 1911	Stealing 80 bunches of grapes	10/- & costs, or 7 days
7 Oct 1912	Drunk & Disorderly	10/- & costs, or 14 days.

It was the latter offence that came to the attention of the military authorities. Thomas was sent a letter on 9 October 1912, stating that “On account of your having been convicted at the Police Court Wolverhampton of being Drunk and Disorderly your furlough has been cancelled”, and he was ordered to return to Lichfield to rejoin his company. On being discharged, he was still awarded a weekly 6 month conditional pension of 18/9.

Thomas married Ellen Murphy on 3 September 1916 at St George’s Church, Wolverhampton, and they had four children – Frederick James (born 7 December 1916), Ellen (1918), Thomas H. (1922) and John (1925).

Thomas rejoined the army on 17 January 1917, when he was posted to the 295th Reserve Labour Company (number 236658). He was 23 years and 11 months old. His address was given as No. 6 Little Park Street, Wolverhampton, where he was living with his wife Ellen and his son Frederick. Unfortunately his son died on 12 October 1917 in the General Hospital, Wolverhampton. His death was recorded as due to diphtheria and cardiac failure.

Thomas was discharged from the army on 14 December 1917 as “being no longer physically fit for service”. During his army career he sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and shell damage.  Thomas died in 1945 at the age of 52.

Alfred Thomas Fowles

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Alfred Fowles, Express & Star, Gibbons, Graisley Hill, Hussars, Merridale Street, Midland Counties Express, St Paul's School, Warwick Street

Alfred Thomas Fowles was born in Wolverhampton on 2 December 1894, the son of Edward and Agnes Fowles. In 1901, they were living at 1ct Warwick Street, together with Alfred’s sister, Ellen, and brother, Frederick. Alfred attended St Paul’s School, in Merridale Street, and later the Council School at Graiseley Hill. He later worked for Gibbons’s of Church Lane.

In 1913 he joined the 15th Hussars (number 9681). While in the trenches, he was hit by a bomb from a trench mortar. Although the bomb did not explode, it caught Alfred between the shoulders. Despite the pain, he walked over a walked from the trenches to the dressing station. He died in hospital on 1 February 1916 from shock. Articles about this brave soldier appeared in the Express & Star on 25 February 1916 and in the Midland Counties Express on 6 January 1917. He is buried at the Chocques Military Cemetery in France.

George Henry Perks

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Crescent Row, George Perks, Horsley Fields, Shakespeare Street, South Staffordshire Regiment, Warwick Street

George Henry Perks was born in 1891, the son of Robert Walton and Elizabeth Perks. In 1901, they were living at 4 Crescent Row, together with George’s brothers Robert Walton and Frank Richard, and sisters Elsie Jennie and Florence Annie. George married Alice M. Price in 1914. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, later that year.

George enlisted in the 1st Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 8894). On 25 September 1915, he was reported as missing, and a piece appealing for information about him appeared in the Express & Star on 4 February 1916. Unfortunately, it later transpired that this was the date of his death. By the time of his death, his parents were living at 8 Warwick Street, and his wife was living at 7 Shakespeare Street, Horsley Field. He is commemorated at the Loos Memorial, and also appears on the Monmoor & Victoria Works Memorial (presumably his place of employment prior to the war.

Sidney George Brewster

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Granville Street, Sidney Brewster, South Staffordshire Regiment, St George's School, Warwick Street

Sidney George Brewster was born in Wolverhampton in 1895. By 1901, his mother, Mary, was widowed, and they were living at number 4, 7 court, Warwick Street. Sidney and his mother lived with his brothers John and William, a sister Sarah, and a lodger, Hannah Dobson. Sidney went to St George’s School, Wolverhampton.

Sidney enlisted in the 1st/6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 1701). He was killed in action on 1 July 1916 at the age of 21. By this date, his mother was living at 13 Granville Street. He is commemorated at Foncquesvillers Military Cemetery in France.

The sad story of Annie Fletcher

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Annie Fletcher, Arthur Fletcher, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, coroners records, Essex, Express & Star, France, Frances Hughes, James Fletcher, Kidderminster, South Staffordshire Regiment, Warwick Street, William Fletcher

Sad Story – Express & Star 22 January 1915

On 22 January 1915 an inquest was held on the body of a 52-year-old woman, Annie Fletcher (nee Smith), of 12 Warwick Street. We hold the inquest file at the Archives, but the essential facts also appeared in an article in the Express & Star on the same day.

Annie Smith was born in Kidderminster in 1862, and married James Pierce Fletcher, also in Kidderminster, in 1888. By the 1901 census, the couple, living at 14A Middle Vauxhall, Wolverhampton, had three children: Elizabeth (aged 14), Arthur Miller (aged 7) and William Henry. Both sons were later to join the army, one of whom was wounded and in a hospital in Essex by the time their mother died.

Statement of James Pierce Fletcher (ref: T-CR/1915)

The circumstances of her unfortunate death are as follows: On the night of Wednesday 20 January 1915, Annie retired to bed at 10.50 pm “in her usual health”, according to her husband’s witness statement. At about 3 o’clock in the morning she woke her husband “and complained of pain in her head, and said the room seemed to be going round. She looked as if she was in a fit.” Mr Fletcher called in a neighbour to assist, Frances Hughes, while he went to fetch the doctor, Dr Munro. In her statement, Mrs Hughes confirmed that she had “found Mrs Fletcher in bed unconscious. She remained unconscioues till her death about half past three.” Shortly before 4 o’clock the doctor arrived and pronounced Mrs Fletcher dead, stating that “I could not have done anything if I had come before.”

Statement of Frances Hughes (ref: T-CR/1915)

The verdict at the inquest was that Annie Fletcher had died of natural causes. However, both witnesses refer to Annie’s concerns about her son at the Front. Frances Hughes states that “she often referred to her son, and would start to cry.” Although neither witness says as much, it is clear that there is some speculation about whether her worry about her son contributed to her death.

And she was right to be worried. Her son, William Henry Fletcher, was killed in action on 1 July 1916. His entry on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site states that he was the son of James Piree Fletcher, but this is clearly the same man, as it is the same address. He was a member of the 1st/6th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 2154), and is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial. I have not been able to find definitive informaiton about his brother, Arthur. As William was killed in France, it is possible that Arthur was the son who was in hospital in Essex, but that is not necessarily the case.

Annie’s husband, James, went on to marry again.