Name
Henry Gordon Marchant
23 June 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/10/1917
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
769
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
NINE ELMS BRITISH CEMETERY
VIII. B. 14.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Northchurch memorials, Not on the Berkhamsted memorials
Pre War
Henry Gordon Marchant was born on 23 June 1889 at Toys Hill, Brasted, Kent, the son of Henry and Emily Marchant. He was one of nine children but his brother John died in infancy. His elder sister Alice was a half sister, being from his father's first marriage.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at the Tally Ho Beerhouse, Brasted, Kent, where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained there in 1901 and 1911, at which time his father was described as the innkeeper, although by the 1911 Census Henry had emigrated to Canada on the 'Lake Manitoba', having arrived on 27 March 1911 at St John, New Brunswick.
On 9 February 1917 he married Emily Curl, a native of Northchurch, Herts, at St Martin's Registry Office, London, and they had a daughter Joan Margaret later the same year.
Wartime Service
Henry attested on 20 August 1914 in Ottawa, Ontario. His unit, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, sailed from Quebec aboard ‘Royal George’ on 3 October 1914 for England and went on to France, arriving on 20 December 1914. Henry was wounded in March 1915 at Ypres with a grenade wound to the side, and was promoted to Lance Corporal on 13 March 1915 and Corporal on 29 March 1915.
In June 1915 he sustained a bullet wound to his right shoulder which took him to Hospital at Rouen, France and eventual evacuation to Newcastle, England. By September he had been was transferred to the Canadian Convalescent Hospital and returned to his unit.
In 1917 he fought in the Battle of Passchendaele and on 30 October 1917 was again wounded, this time in the head and chest. Having been taken to the 44th Casualty Clearing Station, he died from his wounds on 31 October 1917 and is buried in Nine Elms British Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
His widow Emily received a gratuity of $180 and a pension. One of the Emilys, probably his wife, ordered his headstone inscription while living at Orchard End, Northchurch, Berkhamsted, Herts., it reads "HIM THAT COMETH TO ME I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT".
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild,
