Name
William Oswald Jefferys
1 July 1880
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/09/1916
36
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
27021
Somerset Light Infantry
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2A
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
War Memorial Plaque, Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, Birch Green Village Memorial, Birch Green School, Birch Green, Hertingfordbury Village Memorial, Church of St Mary and St John Church Roll of Honour, Hertingfordbury, Welwyn & Woolmer Green Internal Memorial, Hertford WW1 And WW2 (WMR 1160) Hertford
Pre War
William Oswald Jefferys was born on 1 July 1880 in Hertingfordbury to William Jefferys and Sarah (nee Willis) and was baptised on 8 August 1880 in St Andrew's Church, Hertford. He was one of six children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Cole Green, Hertingfordbury where his father was working as a painter.
By the 1901 Census he was referred to as Oswald William Jefferys, and remained living with his parents in Hertingfordbury. He was then apprenticed as a boot maker and this trade may have bought him to Welwyn to work for one of the Boot and Shoe Makers then operating in the village, however, in 1911 he had changed his occupation and was working as a Gardener at Myrtle Hall (Welwyn Hall) for Riversdale Grenfell, father-in-law of another man named on the memorial, Walter Stewart, and referred to himself as William Jefferys.
He married Elizabeth Binstead of Bengeo in Hertford, in 1914, again referring to himself as William Oswald Jefferys.
Although his parents were living still living at Cole Green, Hertingfordbury, in 1911, they had moved to Mill Lane, Welwyn by the time he died.
Wartime Service
William enlisted in Welwyn, initially joining the Hertfordshire Regiment as Private no. 7218, but later being transferred to the 6th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry.
In 1916 the 6th Battalion was involved in fighting on the Somme. William was killed in action on 16 September 1916. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3. She also received a pension of 13s 9d a week and gave her address as 10 Waterloo Terrace, Bengeo, Hertford on pension records.
N.B. Spellings of the surname can differ. e.g. Jeffreys, Jefferies
William is commemorated on the family headstone in Bengeo (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, his part of the inscription reads:
". . . ALSO WILLIAM OSWALD JEFFERYS THE DEARLY LOVED SON IN LAW OF THE ABOVE (George Binstead) KILLED IN FRANCE SEPTEMBER 16TH 1916 AGED 36.
DEATH DIVIDES SWEET MEMORIES EVER CLING (BELIEVED TO APPLY TO BOTH George (son) and William (son-in-law)
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, Paul Jiggens, Welwyn and District History Society - www.welwynww1.co.uk, Brenda Palmer
