Name
William Henry Liddon Parry
1890
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/11/1916
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Fusiliers *1
24th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TREPORT MILITARY CEMETERY
Plot 2. Row O. Grave 8.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
We are not aware of any memorial in Colney Hatch
Pre War
William Henry Liddon Parry was born in 1890 in Nottingham and his parents were Rev. Arthur Lancelot Parry, from Wales, and later Chaplain of Friern Hospital, also known as Colney Hatch Asylum, and Margaret Hall. They married on 23 April 1889.
In 1891 the family were living at 51 St Matthias Road, Sneinton, Notts. Present were both parents: Arthur (28) and Margaret (36), with Arthur listed as a clerk in Holy Order. Their only child was William at just 7 months old. A domestic servant, Hannah M Davies, was present.
Another child, Frances Margaret Gertrude Parry, was found who was baptised on 3 July 1892.
Intriguingly the family has not been found in the 1901 census. They were not living at the the above address, nor at the later one for 1911. A clue may be that their daughter, Margaret Elaine Parry, was born around 1900 in Aylesbury, Bucks., and she was found in the 1901 census aged just 1, listed as a boarder at 43 Belle Vue Road, Friern Barnet.
By 1911 the family were living at 25 Woodland Rd, Colney Hatch (sometimes listed as )New Southgate, Friern Barnet. Present were both parents, with Arthur now a clerk in Holy Orders. The census recorded they had been married for 21 years with 6 children of whom 1 had died. The children now present were: William Henry Liddon, now 20 and a solicitor’s articled clerk, twins Winifred Mary and Enid Gwenhwyar (16) and born in Denton, Bucks., and Margaret Elaine (11). Also present was visitor Olive Mary Sleigh (28) and a servant Elizabeth Cumming (22),
In 1912 William’s father was listed as the Chaplain at Colney Hatch Asylum and living at the above address and was still there in 1919.
Wartime Service
William was originally Private PS/3128 in the 21st Royal Fusiliers, and went overseas on 14 November 1915. He was later promoted to Second Lieutenant on 4 August 1916 and served in the 24th Royal Fusiliers. He was died of wounds on 29 November 1916
The Battalion took part in an attack on the German trenches between Serre and Beaumont Hamel on 13 November 1916 and it does seem that some ground was taken in the fighting between the 13th and 15th. William was recorded as wounded on the 13th along with 3 Officers killed and another 9 wounded, although 3 remained on duty. Approximately another 250 Other Ranks became casualties (killed wounded or missing) during the actions in November and, very unusually, all are named in the Appendix to the War Diary.
Additional Information
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (The Queens's).
After his death, official Effect records show that £46 2s 6d was owed and then later another sum of £3 14s 11d.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
