Name
Harry Marriott (poss Mariott) Smith
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/10/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
7534
Northumberland Fusiliers
1st/6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DERNANCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
III. D. 41.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, Hertford Town Memorial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Research is hampered by the fact that his initials and surname are quite common but several researchers believe that this is the right man.
Harry Marriott Smith (possibly Harry Arthur Marriot Smith) was born in Hertford 1895, son of Samuel John West Smith and his wife Kate Marriot Smith. 6th of 8 children.
In 1901 the family lived at 3 Church Street Hertford. His father died in 1905, and in 1911 he was living with his mother, brother Leonard John and sister Sylvia at 20 Oak Street, Ware Road, Hertford. He was recorded as an out of work clerk.
In the Spring of 1914, he married Elizabeth Lilian Emma Dedman, who was pregnant . in Hertford. She was from Sawbridgeworth and they moved to Sawbridgeworth in June 1914. Two children are recorded: Kathleen Norah Marriott Smith, born 25th Oct 1914 and Margery Nina Marriott Smith, born 30th Mar 1916. Both were christened in Sawbridgeworth and both list their parents as Harry Marriott Smith and Elizabeth Lilian Emma Marriott Smith.
In 1901 Elizabeth was living with her grandparents at 74 Bull (Cambridge) Road, and in 1911, she was a domestic servant at Ware.
Enlisted in Hertford and was formerly 1615, in Hertfordshire Territorial Regt. the number suggest that he enlisted between 13th January 1911 and 26th January 1912. Presuming that he was still in the territorials he would have been mobilised for Home service - Territorials could not be required to serve overseas, but could volunteer and many did. As is wife was pregnant perhaps this was not the case for Harry and in this case he may have been conscripted, or even volunteered later.
Wartime Service
Formerly 1615, Hertfordshire Regiment.
Harry served in 1st/6th Northumberland Fusiliers with the service number 7534. That Battalion went to France in April 1915, but it is not clear if Harry was with them.
He was killed in action at “High Wood” on the Somme 1/10/1916 and is interred at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery
Pension records state that he died from wound received
Additional Information
His widow re-married Edmund Sarsfield Roche Roche on 4th October 1920 at Great St Mary’s, Sawbridgeworth. His effects were returned to his widow, as you know he had 2 daughters. There is no connection to Major Harry R W Smith who died without issue in 1955.
Acknowledgments
Graham Parish, Jonty Wild, Douglas Coe, Marilyn Taylor
