Tag Archives: Hampshire

W Epps, PNR

A few weeks ago a set of medals was posted on a Facebook groups page.  The ribbons looked a little unloved, as though they had seen better days and a little on the sad side.  I contacted the person who had posted the photographs, asking would they mind if I blogged about the medals.  The reply came back…………….Yes, I could.   There has been a week or two gap since the positive message, but here goes!

The back of one of the medals bares the information  –   11658, PNR. W. EPPS. R.E.

As search of Soldiers who Died in the Great War with that service number came up with nothing.  The same with the Medal Cards and a few other sources.  A different route was needed.

wickhamTrying again, with renewed vigor, I looked at the Medal Cards, as I knew there was one as we had pictures of the medals to prove it.  This time I entered EPPS and Royal Engineers, and there he was – EPPS, William, Pnr., 116158 and his list of medals.  What I now knew was that he also served as Pte., 292069, in the Labour Corps., and had entered France on 28th August 1915.  But, what is more important is that we know he is called William.

Why is it that you can find Service Records for every one else, but not the ones who you are related to…………….it is some kind of law but whose, Sods or Murphy’s?  More information about William from his Service Records –  William was living at The Square, Wickham, Hampshire.  Leaving his military records for a while and back to Civil Records.

HMS Vulcan

HMS Vulcan

In 1911, William was 38 years old and had been married to Eliza Jane for five years and they had two children, George Thomas, 2 and Dorothy Alice aged eight months.  William had bee born in Portsmouth and earned his wage as a bricklayers labourer.  Ten years earlier in 1901 there is an entry for William Epps as a Royal Marine, as a crew member on the ‘Vulcan’ in the Grand Harbour Malta.  His place of birth varies slightly, so not completely sure this is our man.

Back to his service records – His Short Service Attestation is a Duplicate and the service number 116158 has been struck through and over written with 292069.  His Regiments also have multiple entries, starting on the line with Royal Engineers, written above is Labour Corps and then atop them all Pioneer Corps.  His address, we know as The Square.  He is a British Subject aged 43 and is married – this we know from the 1911 census.  He has also given previous service – this could have been him in the 1901 as there are the initials RMLI – cold this this be Royal Marine Light Infantry as seen in the census? He is also willing to serve for the duration of the war and he signed these papers at Whitehall London on 19th August 1915.

The next page. brings William more alive, as he is 5′ 8″ tall, with a fully expanded chest of 36″ and a 2″ range of expansion.  His wife Eliza Jane also added information to his records – that they were married on 14 of July 1906 at the Register Office, Portsmouth.  Her maiden name is not all that clear, therefore, a quick look at FreeBMD tells her maiden name was Hatton and she was a spinster at the time of their marriage.  Eliza also gave information on their children:  George Thomas was born on 2nd January 1909 and Dorothy Alice followed on the 9th of July 1910, with both children being born in Fareham.

William embarked for France, as a Private on 28th August 1915 as part of the British Expeditionary Force.  He was transferred to the Labour Corps on 31st of July 1917.

Epps, William, medals 2

Epps, William, medals 2

Epps, William, medals 1

Epps, William, medals 1

Also among his service records is the Discharge Documents.  It is so nice to write about a soldier that does not have a grave in a foreign land, a man who came home to his family, friends and neighbours.  After enlisting on 15th August 1915, William was Demobilised on the 15th of March 1919 in Nottingham.  In among the service records is a small slip of paper, the slip of paper is signed y William as a receipt for his British and Victory Medals.  There is also a receipt for another medal, as he only had three, this must be for the 1915 Star. which he duly signed for on 28th (?) October 1920 and he gives his details as 202069, 5th Labor Batt. R.E.

William, in February 1919, was issued a sheet of paper – his ‘Protection Certificate and Certificate of Identity (Soldier not remaining with the Colours’ which he would have had to carry with him.  it gives his regimental details, year of birth and where he would rejoin in case of an emergency, plus his occupation and address, and that was issued at Shorncliffe on 16th February 1919.

Further into the collection of his records is his original Attestation Paper.

There is a death entry for a William Epps aged 51 in the summer of 1925, which fits in with his birth being around 1874.

Sources

Jay Hewitt for allowing me to use the photographs

Ancestry

Wikipedia – HMS Vulcan

Royal Engineers Museum – click here 

Royal Pioneer Corps Museum – click here 

Find my Past

Freebmd

Harry “Brusher”Mills

In the past we have made a couple of visits to the New Forest area including Brockenhurst, but earlier this year I spent time walking around the churchyard.  As most who know me will be aware I tend to home in on war memorials and CWGC headstones, so after photographing the CWGC memorials I continued walking around – it is amazing what you can find out on some headstones.

One in particular caught me attention, quite plain from behind and if I had walked the row behind this headstone would have missed its interesting front.  The stone is pale in colour and shaped like a medieval church window but the carving on the top is wonderful.

Who was this headstone remembering and why did they have such an elaborate memorial.  Were they much loved in the area or a character who would be sadly missed by the local people?

C Sklinar 2012

The headstone is to one Harry Mills born around 1840 in Emery Down, Hampshire. In the census of 1861  with his parents Thomas Mills aged 60 a gardener and his wife Ann aged 59.  There are other children including :- Sarah, 22 dressmaker, Lucy 18 ; George 14, scholar and Edward Mills, grandson aged 5.  There is an entry on the 1871 census for a Harry Mills b 1842 in Lyndhurst  with Thomas Mills aged 67 a general labourer and his wife Ann also aged 67 who works as a laundress.  Along with Harry there are 2 other children ; Lucy aged 26 a laundress and Ann who is aged 2 and classed as a daughter (is she the daughter of Thomas and Ann or of Lucy or of another child of Thomas and Ann?) all living at Clay Hill, Lyndhurst.

Harry was later to become well known as a hermit and snake-catcher – eradicating many local areas of their snakes.  He could be seen around the communities with his sack and a forked stick. Harry supplied snakes to London Zoo for their mammals, birds of prey and other snakes.  Harry was also said to have made potions, lotions and ointments from various parts of the snakes to help with rheumatism and boiled snakes to sell the skeletons. It is estimated that during his time as a snake-catcher he caught tens of thousands.

Harry, became a tourist attraction following an article in the national press and many curious tourists and visitors had their photographs taken with him and listed to his tales.

During this period Harry lived in an old charcoal burners hut near Brockenhurst but decided to build himself larger accomodation. The 1891 census has Harry as a single man born in Lyndhurst with his address as  ‘hut at Westly Wood’. One night his hut was vandelised, it was thought this could be to stop Harry claiming squatters rights on the land and claim ownership as he had lived their for so many years.  After his home was destroyed Harry lived in one of the outbuildings at the Railway Inn, Brockenhurst and died shortly after  on 1st July 1905 aged 65 years.

C Sklinar 2012

The inscription on the headstone that was paid for by the locals reads:

This stone marks the grave of Harry Mills, (better known as “Brusher Mills”,) who for a long number of years followed the

occupation of  Snake Catcher, in the New Forest. His pursuit and the primitive way in which he lived, caused him to be an object of interest to many.  He died suddenly July 1st 1905, aged 65 years.

After Harry’s death a friend of his, George Waterbridge took ofer the task of snake catching and it is said he inherited the famous sack and forked stick.

The New Forest today is protected by both the Wildlife Act and local bylaws, so Harry would not be able to live or ply his trade in the forest

Odiham War Memorial – WW1 transcription

Just before Easter I spent a weekend with my daughter and her boyfriend.  The weekend started with my driving down to Ealing, meeting my daughter and visiting one of her friends and her new little one.  Then a drive to Basingstoke.

Saturday started with a yummy breakfast and then onto Winchester, lunch in Raymond le Blanc’s, a visit to the Cathedral (memorials to follow very soon ) and finally an interesting visit to see The Round Table.

So Sunday arrived and a visit to Odiham and lunch, but before lunch I was given a short tour of Odiham, including, yes, the war memorial and the church – nice village and nice company. Oh! by the way the church has a beautiful window relating to the local RAF station.  I’m not a great lover of modern stain glass but that was nice.  But, to my surprise it wasn’t even a window, but a very good deception – a light box, but it still looked impressive.

Odiham Memorial, Carol Sklinar 2011

Now to the village memorial to those who have fought and died in two world wars.

Who is mentioned on the memorial to the men and women of the Parish of Odiham ?  Geoffrey Harris Gotelee, the son of Arthur and Esther of The Old House.  Geoffrey in 1911 was a boarder at St Albans School, his parents at this time ran the Post Office.  Richard Elkanah Hownam Healy, the son of Randolph and Alice of Hownam Lodge.  1911 sees Richard living in Kensington Hall Gardens and working as a Reporter for a Daily Paper.  He is later mentioned in the London Gazette when he received his promotion.

Another young man from the area was Arthur Henry Pither, son of Stephan and Sophia.  Arthur worked in Quebec, arriving in 1908, but was back in the area by 1911.  He did however, enlist in the Canadian Army and from that we can get a fleeting glimse of what he looked like.

Guy Lutley Sclater, brother, son and husband. He served as a ~Captain in the Royal Navy and rests in Odiham Churchyard.

Now, W G Wooldridge, he was a little bit of a problem and has not been identified by others who have transcribed Odiham Memorial, but I think family history helps a great deal when transcribing and knowing people make errors and what type of error could occur – well, I found him – so visit the transcription and see who he is and where he rests.  In fact, if I had completed the transcription last week, I would have known where he was and could have visited, as I was only a matter of minutes away from him.

The last young man I am going to mention in this taster is Reginald James Moody, son of Charles and Ellen.  He served in the RFC and died on 4 March 1917 while flying with 2nd Lieut., Eric Edmund Horn.  Edmund had enlisted on his 17th birthday and died on his 19th, so, so young and very brave.  They both rest in the same cemetery.

There are still a few young men whose information needs adding to the transcription and they will be finished shortly, as will the WW2 transcript.

To read the transcription or see if your Odiham relative is there Click Here