Name
Horace William Heady
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/01/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
884586
Royal Field Artillery
'D' Battery, 23rd Army Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BARD COTTAGE CEMETERY
Plot V, Row C, Grave 42.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Wesleyan Methodist (now Bushey & Oxhey) Church Memorial, Oxhey
Pre War
Born on 23 February 1892 in Watford, and baptised 17 April 1892 at Bushey and Oxhey Church, Horace was the son of William and Ellen (née Hutchinson) Heady. His father had been born in Steeply, Bucks and his mother in Long Sutton, Lincolnshire. They were married 12 August 1891 at St Matthew’s, Oxhey, Herts. Ellen died 1923 in Watford aged 51, and was buried 12 September in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; William died 1949 in Oxhey aged 82, and was buried 30 December, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
At the 1901 Census, Horace was nine and living in Ruislip with his 34-year-old father, 29-year-old mother and seven-year-old sister Louise. Like Horace, Louise had been born in Watford. His father was employed as a carter.
By the time of the 1911 Census, the family had moved to Home Farm, Carpenders, Watford, where his father was a cowman. Horace was now 19 and working as a drapers’ shop porter.
He married 22 December 1917 at Bushey and Oxhey Methodist Church. Alice remarried 1922 in the Watford district to William E King.
Wartime Service
When war broke out, Horace enlisted in Hertford as Gunner 884586 in the Royal Field Artillery, 23rd Army Brigade.
He married Alice Maud Hussey of 14, Merry Hill Mount on 22 December 1917. She was a domestic servant and was a member of the extended Hussey family of Bushey.
Horace was killed in action on 8 January 1918. There is a brief article and Death announcement for Horace in the West Herts and Watford Observer, dated 26 January 1918, and an In Memoriam in the issue dated 18 January 1919.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals.
Additional Information
His pension record card gives Alice as his dependant, living at 10, Titian Avenue, Bushey Heath. Her date of birth is given as 23 July 1895. Alice re-married in 1922 to a William E King, the marriage recorded in the Watford registration district. Unfortunately, Horace’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing. There is a brief article about and a Death announcement for Horace in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 26 January 1918; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 18 January 1919.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Chris Hussey
