Name
Alfred William Isted
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
7881
Bedfordshire Regiment
8th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Biography
Alfred Isted was born at Greenwich on 17th May 1872. He was one of nine children and step-children born to John and Mary Ann Isted. Mary Ann had been previously married and when she married John Isted she had already had two children. John worked as a General Labourer, and in the 1881 Census the family was recorded living at 39 Thames Street, Greenwich.
In the 1911 Census Alfred was recorded as being employed by the Metropolitan Asylum Board, and working as an Attendant at Leavesden Asylum, and it is presumed that he would have come to the area earlier, as he was married at Leavesden on 22nd December 1904. At that point the family lived at 25 Asylum Cottages, Abbots Langley.
By the time that Alfred attested in London, on 9th September 1914, the couple had had four children, all born at Abbots Langley between 1907 and 1914. Alfred was first recorded serving, in the Hertfordshire Advertiser of 17th October 1914, when the newspaper printed a Roll of Honour for those working at the Leavesden Asylum. The Abbots Langley Parish Magazine first recorded Alfred Isted from November 1914, serving with the 8th Bedfordshire’s. He was not recorded in the December 1914 Rill of Honour, or in fact ever again through to the end of the War.
More recently Alfred’s Pension Record has been located, and this explained the reasons for his disappearance from the Parish Roll of Honour.
Alfred had travelled to London on 9th September 1914 and attested. He joined the Bedfordshire Regiment. When he attested he indicated that he had previously served, and immediately was promoted to the rank of Sergeant when he was posted to the 8th Battalion on 10th September. He also gave his occupation as “Musician”. When he attested he was nearly 42 years old, and after 67 days spent training with the 8th Bedford’s at Brighton and Woking he was Discharged as Medically Unfit on 14th November 1914. This accounted for him not being recorded in the Abbots Langley Roll of Honour after December 1914.
Alfred Isted survived the War.
Additional Information
Discharged Medically Unfit
Acknowledgments
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
