Name
Thomas Sears
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
18/09/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
G/30035
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Panel 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial in France to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, St. Clements Church Memorial, Turnford, Not on the Buntingford Memorials, Not on any Great Hormead Memorials, Not aware of any Little Hormead Memorials
Pre War
Thomas Sears was born in 1887, in Little/Great Hormead, (depending on the document), Hertfordshire, son of Harry Sears a Gardener and Harriet Sears (nee Law). One of four children.
He was Baptised on the 6th March 1887, in the Parish of Great Hormead, Herts, at the time the family were living in Little Hormead, Herts.
1891 Census records Thomas aged 5, at school, living with his parents, sister Mary (9), brothers William (7) and Frederick (1) in Great Hormead, Herts.
1901 Census, Thomas (14) had left school and was working as a Farm Labourer, living with his mother, brother Frederick (11), in Great Hormead, Herts. His father and brother William (16), are working away from home, as General Market Gardeners and are recorded as boarders with Charles and Elizabeth Varney and their family in High Road, Wormley, Herts.
Thomas married Mary Ann Cole, of Enfield, Middx, the daughter of William Cole, a Chimney Sweep, on 25th December 1907, at St James’s Church, Hertford Road, Enfield Highway, Middx. They went on to have six children, twins Thomas William and Selina Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Harry Joseph, Florence Gertrude and Elizabeth Maud.
1911 Census records Thomas, married to Mary Ann, and they have three children only two children are recorded, Thomas William (3) and Mary Ann (1), and they are living at 157 Crossbrook Street, Cheshunt, Herts, Thomas is working as a Nursery Carman.
Wartime Service
Thomas enlisted at Cheshunt, Herts, posted to “The Queens” (Royal West Surrey Regiment) with the service number G/30035.
Seeing action on the Western Front he was killed in Action on 18th September 1918, aged 31, he has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas-de-Calais, France, to the missing, Panel 3.
Additional Information
Mary received a grant of £11, on 21st October 1918, a widow’s pension of 13/9 a week and 28/4 a week for the six children from 14th April 1919, and his effects of £1-19s-3d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £3-00s-9d. Her pension record card records her address as 2 High street, Turnford, Herts.
“Soldiers Died in the Great War” record his service number as G/30935, all other records have it as G/30035.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
