Name
Edward Pritchard
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/09/1914
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7776
Royal Scots Fusiliers
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LA FERTE-SOUS-JOUARRE MEMORIAL
France
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford,
Not on the Bushey memorials
Pre War
Born in Bushey on 31 December 1884 and baptised on 26 July 1888 at St James’ Church in Bushey, Edward Pritchard was the son of Edward (Snr.) and Mary (nee Tarry) Pritchard. His parents were married on 14 April 1873 at St John the Evangelist in the Parish of Willesden in Westminster. The address given for both at the time was 3 Malvern Road and Edward is employed as a labourer.
The couple moved to Bushey in the 1870s, living on Clay Hill, and Edward (Snr.) was working as a hay binder. There is an entry for an Edward Pritchard in the 1886 Kelly’s Directory for Hertfordshire, as a cow-keeper in Merry Hill Lane.
By the time of the 1891 Census, Edward (Snr.) had become the ‘Beer House Keeper for The Royal Oak at 42 Sparrows Herne. Edward, aged 51, and Mary, aged 40, had nine children; William, Henry, Annie, James, Edward, John, Mary, George and Ellen, whose ages were 17, 15, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 2 and 6mths respectively. William and Henry were general labourers and Annie, James, Edward, John and Mary were at school. The birthplaces for Edward (Snr.) and Mary were Sarratt, Near Rickmansworth and Northampton respectively, whilst all of the children were born in Bushey.
At the 1901 Census, Edward is still living with his parents and five of his siblings. William, Henry, Annie and Ellen are no longer present, but Edward now has another sister named Helen. Edward is now aged 16 and is working as a cowman.
At the 1911 Census, Edward was still living at home with two of his brothers, John and George. They were all employed as General Labourers and his father was still a Beer House Keeper, working on his ‘own account’, at the Royal Oak. The record indicates that Edward (Snr.) and Mary had 12 children, 3 of whom had died in infancy.
Edward married Emma Louise Bailey on 17 April 1911 at St Peter’s Church in Bushey Heath and they had two children. Emma never remarried and died, aged 76, in 1964 in the Watford registration district. George also married in 1911 to Beatrice E Rolfe.
Wartime Service
Edward enlisted in London and served on the western front as Private 7776 with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He died of wounds on 15 September 1914 received in action at Vailly. He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 14 August 1914.
He is remembered with honour on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial. His name is not included on any Bushey memorial. The name of a George Pritchard is recorded on the Bushey Memorial and at St Peter’s Church in Bushey Heath. It is possible that he was Edward’s younger brother, but there are a number of possible alternative with this name on the CWGC database and his identity is currently unconfirmed.
Edward (Snr.) possibly died in 1926 in the Watford district, aged 93, and Mary died in 1931 in the Hendon, Middx, district aged 82.
Additional Information
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
Is featured in the De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
