Name
E (Charles) James Mardell
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/09/1916
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
18669
Bedfordshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MILL ROAD CEMETERY, THIEPVAL
I. F. 1.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Mark’s Church Plaque, Colney Heath, We are not aware of any memorial in Tyttenhanger Green, Not on the Wormley memorials
Pre War
He was the son of Samuel and Fanny Mardel born in Wormley, Hertfordshire The census records for 1891 records the ‘Mardels’ as a family of ten living in lived at the Farm Yard, Welwyn, Hertfordshire. Charles (7) at the time was a scholar and there is a good chance that he attended St Mary’s School.
In 1901 the family move to Bramfieldbury Cottage, Bramfield, where Charles (16) was then recorded as an agricultural labourer, along with his three brothers Samuel, Albert and Joseph. Also living with them were Charles’ other siblings, Edward, Arthur, Emily and Daisy. The 1911 census records his mother as a widow. Charles (27) appears to have left the family home to live with John and Sarah Stratton at Flint Cottage, Hedges Farm, St Albans. Sarah Stratton is identified on the census as Charles’ sister and this is also supported by the 1891 census. Also living with the ‘Strattons’ were two other people: Sarah and Charles sister Cecilia; and Mary Fitzgerald, an Irish girl, who would later become Charles’ wife.
Within the extended Stratton family was Charles’s nephew Frederick Charles Stratton. Charles was working as agricultural labourer On the 15th June 1912, at St Peter’s Church, St Albans, Charles married Mary and they set up home in Tyttenhanger Green. The St Mark’s parish records confirm that on 28th July 1913, they had a daughter, Mary Fanny Alice Mardel, who was subsequently baptised on 31st Aug 1913.
Wartime Service
Charles enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment in Bedford and given the date of his death, it is likely that Charles was involved in the offensive to capture the town of Thiepval from the German Army. He was originally reported missing and later assumed to have been killed on that date.
Additional Information
The Colney Heath Admissions Register shows that Charles’ nieces and nephews attended the school (his brother Samuel’s children): Caroline Mardel (pupil no 113) attended the school from 5th April 1910 until 19th December 1919 (B 22/10/05), Frederick Mardel (pupil no 164) attended the school from 10th June 1912 until 20th July 1921 (B 03/08/07). Francis Hilda Mardel (pupil no 338) attended the school from 2nd May 1916 until 31st July 1925 (B 07/06/11)
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
