Name
William Edward Kingsley
1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/08/1916
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
18301
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MESNIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
I. A. 20.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin
Pre War
William was born in 1877 in Hitchin and christened on 23 May 1877. His mother was Elizabeth Kingsley and unmarried.
The family connections are complex, but at present we think that William’s mother was the daughter of Edward (b Shillington, c 1831) and Margaret Kingsley (b c1832, possibly in Ireland). Margaret may have died, because we think that Edward married Edith Armitage in Hitchin on 2 October 1875.
One interesting aside, found while researching William, was a report in the Herts Mercury in 1855 for his grandmother, Margaret, it reported: "Margaret Kingsley, of St. Andrew-St, was charged with assaulting Charlotte Izzard, of the same place. Evidence was heard on both sides, which was unfit for publication. The bench dismissed the case."
In 1881 the family were living at Davis Alley (Queen St), Hitchin. Present were William’s, mothers’ father Edward Kingsley (50) and his wife Edith Kingsley (36), Edward was working as a bricklayer’s labourer. Elizabeth, William’s mother was 25 and both she and Edith were working as straw plaiters. William was 4 and at school. Herbert Armitage (14) and Henry Armitage (10) – both listed as son in Laws, were also present.
William attended Hitchin British Boys' School.
No one relevant has been identified in the 1891 census yet.
In July 1894, at 18, William enlisted for 7-years’ service (then 5 years in the reserve) into the West Yorkshire Regiment as Private 4180. He was described as 5’ 8”, 149 lbs, with brown hair and eyes with a fresh complexion. His sister, Louisa, was recorded as at Newton Road, Birmingham.
He seems to have had a chequered service. He was injured on 17 September 1894 and there was a Court of Enquiry. He wrote that he has injured himself in a gymnastics exercise, landing on a bar between his legs and suffered a rupture (hernia) – “The injury is not severe and is not likely to incapacitate him from performing his military duties efficiently, except to the extent of disqualifying him for service abroad.” However, he does not seem to have been happy. In October he was described as “Lazy & inattentive” and was confined to barracks for 3-days, In November he was “Absent from fatigue at 7:15am” and received another 3-days confined to barracks. He then deserted in December 1894 and was absent for 21-days. This too was investigated in the 4 February 1895, apparently he had been 'warned' for foreign service, but it is not clear of this is why he went A.W.O.L., or what action was finally taken.
In 1901 he was out of the Army – could have been time expired - William was head of the household at 10 St John’s Lane, Hitchin. He was working as a roadman for the district council and sharing the house with his mother and sister, Louisa (18).
By 1911 they were living at 16 Sunnyside, Hitchin. Present were William (33) and working as a labourer on a farm, his mother described as 33 and single, his sister Louisa, Harry Kingsley (4) - a nephew, and Eva Kingsley (2) a niece. Possibly Louisa’s children.
Officially he was recorded as born in Hitchin, Herts., and living there when he enlisted in Bedford.
Wartime Service
William’s Regimental Number was 18301. He trained at Ampthill and went to France on the 20th January 1916 serving in the 8th Battalion of the Regiment. He was said to have been hard-working and reliable. He fought at Ypres, Festubert and Loos and was killed in action by a shell on the Somme.
This was probably in the Beaumont Hamel area when the 8th Bedfords were providing work parties for the Signal Corps in digging cable trenches in preparation for an attack on Beaumont Hamel which did not eventually take place. The Battalion was billeted at Beausart. Ten officers and five hundred men were engaged in the work One other rank was killed and one wounded that day.
He is buried in Plot 1, Row A, Grave 20 in the Mesnil Communal Cemetery in France.
Additional Information
Although no headstone inscription was requested his mother’s address after his death was recorded as 16 Sunnyside, Hitchin.
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After his death £4 19s 1d was authorised to go to his mother, Elizabeth Kingsley, on 7 March 1919. Later, a war gratuity of £7 10s was authorised to be paid to her, on 23 September 1919.
His pension cards record Elizabeth as his mother and dependant, living at 16 Sunnyside, Hitchin. She was awarded a pension of 8s 6d a week from 1 May 1917.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
