Name
Christopher Claude Hedley Rawlinson
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/08/1916
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/2447
Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 12D and 13B.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St Peter’s Church Memorial, Bushey Heath
Pre War
Born in the third quarter of 1883 at Inworth in Essex, Christopher Claude Hedley Rawlinson was the son of Christopher Charles and Jane Kezia (nee Partington) Rawlinson. His parents were married in the first quarter of 1882 in the registration district of St George Hanover Square, which spanned the boundary of London and Middlesex. As a young man, his father worked as a barman at the King’s Arms, Buckingham Palace Road in London.
At the 1891 Census, Christopher was seven years old and living with his mother and two siblings, Florence and Henry, at 46 Ireton Street in Bromley. Jane, Florence and Henry were 30, 5 and 3 years old respectively and their birthplaces are given as St Pancras for Jane, Marylebone for Florence and Inworth for Henry. Al three children are at school.
Christopher was educated at South Grove school from 9 March 1891, but it is not clear how long he was there. His father died in the last quarter of 1900 in the registration district of Lexden, which included the parish of Inworth.
At the 1901 Census, Christopher was aged 17 and living at 13 Holmby Street in Camberwell with his widowed mother and five siblings; Florence, Jane Kezer, Dorothy, Percy and Frederick. Their ages were 15, 9, 7, 4 and 9mths old respectively and their birthplaces were Bow for Jane, Peckham for Dorothy and Camberwell for Percy and Frederick.
Christopher married Winifred Mabel Whorlow on 31 January 1905 at All Saints Church, Walworth in Southwark. They were both living at 22 Beresford Street and Christopher was working as a milkman.
At the 1911 Census, 27-year-old Christopher, a milk carrier for a dairy, and 26-year-old Winifred were living at 47 Graham Road, Wealdstone in Middlesex with three children: 3-year-old Christopher (Jnr.), 2-year-old Evelyn and 5-month-old Dorothy. A fourth child, Rhoda Winifred, had been born in 1906 in Kennington, whilst Christopher and Winifred were living at 6 Langton Terrace, but had died in infancy. Winifred’s birthplace was recorded as Whitstable and that of the children was Camberwell for Christopher (Jnr.), Harpenden in Hertfordshire for Evelyn and Wealdstone in Harrow for Dorothy. Also present were a 17-year-old boarder called William Eyre, a fishmonger, and 18-year-old visitor Walter Thompson who was a brass finisher with a firm of engineers.
Wartime Service
Christopher attested for Short Service (for the duration of the war) on 16 June 1915 and served as Private G/2447 in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment. He gave his address as 1 Tilletts Cottages, Kenton Lane in Harrow Weald, his age as 31 years 10 months and his trade as a milkman. He was recorded as 5 feet 8 inches tall, a 34-inch chest with a 2 inch range of expansion and had hammer toes.
He also requested “……to allot ½ of my pay for the support of my wife and family”, which included four children: Christopher Montague, Evelyn May, Dorothy Jane and Lennie May. Their dates of birth are given as 19/04/07, 18/11/08, 01/11/10 and 15/12/12 respectively.
He served at home until 15 July 1916 before being sent to France, arriving on 16 July 1916, where he was posted on 26 July 1916 to 1st Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment. He was killed in action on 15 August 1916. His son, Christopher Montague, also died later that year on 14 December 1916.
Christopher is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme and also on the Bushey Memorial and at St Peter’s Church in Bushey Heath.
Winifred was awarded a pension of 26 shillings and 3 pence per week with effect from 23 April 1917, her address at that time being 1 Tilletts Cottages. A subsequent record, dated 18 September 1919, gave Winifred’s address as 193 Sparrow Herne, High Road in Bushey.
Additional Information
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
