Little History of Cherington and Stourton: WW1

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A Little History of Cherington and Stourton, Warwickshire

World War One


*For a photograph of a group of local volunteers, click here*

The Village War Memorial

Stourton had been part of the neighbouring parish of Whichford until the two villages of Cherington and Stourton were united in 1910. Cherington and Stourton still retain their own identities, the War Memorial standing on the boundary between them, at the top of Featherbed Lane. The inscription gives the list of those who were killed or who died of wounds: "..." for the rank means "ditto", Rfln=Rifleman, Gnr= Gunner, Tpr=Trooper.




	Memorial in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Cherington, to Trooper William James Compton and Lieutenant Francis Howard Savory.

Notes on the above WW1 soldiers, two WW2 casualties, and an Indian Mutiny death.

Details in italics are from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, and those in black, from the Roll of Honour site (for both, see Links to Associated sites); other information is from local informants, the 1891 & 1901 censuses, the above church memorial, and a further church memorial, not shown here.

The printed source of items in black, including former regiment, birthplace, place of enlistment, and residency when enlisting, is Soldiers Died in the Great War, published in eighty volumes in 1921 by H.M.S.O. (and now on CD); over 700 thousand individuals are identified. The primary documentary source in this case was the recruits' attestation papers.

This information, mainly that regarding "residence", sometimes conflicts with known facts; where this is so, it is indicated thus (x), and where an item seems questionable, thus (*). As regards residence so marked, it should be taken, unless stated otherwise, that the soldier was known to have lived, before enlisting, at his parents' home (x) or that known facts make this seem likely (*). For comments on how the attestation data was collected, click here.

Soldier

Notes

Harry Bailey

1893-1916

Son of John & Mary Elizabeth (née Allen) of Stourton. Sergeant 12425 11th Bn., Hampshire Regt. Died Mon. 8 May aged 22 of wounds sustained when wire-cutting; bur. Abbeville Communal Cemetery, the Somme, France. Formerly 6680, Royal Warwickshire Regt.

Born Stourton, enlisted Warwick, resident (x) Shipston-on-Stour, Worcestershire (now Warwickshire).

James Bailey

1895 -1916

Son of David & "Bess" (née Elizabeth Hunt) of Stourton and first cousin of Harry Bailey. Private 23663 10th (Service) Bn., Gloucestershire Regiment, killed in action Tues. 27 Jun, aged 21, bur. Loos British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France.

Born Stourton, enlisted Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.

William James Compton

1920/1-1944

("Jim"). Son of Harry (Henry) and Nell(ie) Compton. Nephew of James Bailey above. Trooper, Warwickshire Regiment, killed in action in Italy Sun. 18 Jun., aged 23, bur. Orvieto Cemetery, Perugia, Italy. [Memorial in the Parish Church].

Thomas Dickins

1831/2-1857

Son of William and Lucy Dickins. Lieutenant, Bengal Artillery. Died in the Indian Mutiny, Mon. 27 July, aged 25, bur. Delhi, India.

Percy Dyer

1891 -1917

Son of Walter and Julia Anna Dyer, of Stourton: probably the "Infant, 12 hours [old]" recorded on the Cherington census of Apr. 5 1891. Lance Corporal 57214 51st Coy., Machine Gun Corps (Inf), killed in action Sat. 14 July, aged 26, bur. Sunken Road Cemetery, Fampoux, Pas de Calais, France. Formerly R/28442. King's Royal Rifle Corps.

Born Cherington, enlisted Battersea, Surrey.

Allen Fletcher

1891/2-1915

Son of Frank [1901: painter, glazier & paper hanger] & Annie Julia Fletcher, of Cherington. Rifleman S/6039 8th Bn., Rifle Brigade killed in action Fri. 3 Dec., aged 23 , bur. La Brique Military Cemetery No.2, Ieper (Ypres), West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Brother of Francis and Louis below.

Born Cherington, enlisted St Paul's Churchyard, London, resident (*) Clapham, Surrey.

Francis William Fletcher

1890/1-1915

Brother of Allen Fletcher above. Private 13006 9th Bn., Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regt.), killed in action Mon. 9 Aug. aged 24. Bur. Gallipoli, Turkey: No known grave. Commemorated on the Helles Memorial, on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula..

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

Louis Charles Fletcher

1893/4 -1917

Brother of Allen Fletcher above. Gunner 301538 Ross Mountain Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery, d. of heart failure Sat. 31 March, in the Balkans, aged 23. Bur. Sarigol Military Cemetery, Kriston, Thessalonika, Greece

Born Cherington, enlisted Lochcarron, Ross-shire.

Albert Godson

d. 1917

Private 10026 11th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt ., killed in action Tues. 9 Oct. in 3rd battle of Ypres. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

Joseph Godson

d. 1917

Private 10025 11th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt ., killed in action with his brother Albert on Tues. 9 Oct. in 3rd battle of Ypres. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

Born Snowshill, Gloucestershire, resident Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire.

Arthur William Ivens

1892/3 -1917

Son of Josiah [1901: a shepherd] and Helen Ivens [1901 census "Jane E."], of Stourton Hill. Private 12410 "D" Coy. 14th Bn., Hampshire Regt. Killed in action Mon. 17 Sept. aged 24. No known grave. Commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Formerly 6177, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Born Stourton, enlisted Warwick, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour.
1901 census, Stourton: born Long Compton, Warwickshire.

Fred[erick] Stephen Jarrett

1898/1899 - 1918

"Son of the late Thomas Jarrett of Stourton" [1901, haulier, wife Elizabeth],. Private 51014 12th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Bn, Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's). Died of wounds, Thurs. 24 Oct. 1918, aged 18, bur. Estaires Communal Cemetery Extension, nr. Armentieres, France [1901, aged "2".]

Born Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, resident (*) Shipston on-Stour.

Thomas Jarrett

?1879/80 - ?1916

Possibly brother of Frederick Stephen, above. Private 10018 14th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt. Died of wounds, Sun. 3 Sept., in the Battle of the Somme (July to Nov. 1916). Unknown grave. Commemorated with more than 72,000 others on the Thiepval Memorial.

Born Cherington, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour.

Harold Ernest Joyner

d. 1917

Son of Harry, who lived in Steele's Lane, Cherington. Private 242095 1st/6th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt d. Sun. 1st April, bur. Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery, Epehy, the Somme, France. The surname appears in records as Joiner or Joyner.

Born St George's, Birmingham, resident Handsworth, Staffordshire, enlisted Birmingham.

Walter Randall

1896/7 - 1918

[1901:Son of John (cattleman) & Sarah J. Randall of Stourton.] Private 33181 15th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt., killed in action Sun. 20 Oct. 1918. Unknown grave. Commemorated on the Vis-En-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Born Stourton, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon.

Francis Howard Savory

1918/9-1944

("Frank"). Son of Rev. Gerald Savory, M.A., and Ruth Margaret Savory, of Cambridge. Grandson of William Park Dickins. Lieutenant, 24th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, d. Anzio Bay, Italy, Tuesday 8 Feb. [Memorial in the Parish Church]. Not a parishioner.

Arthur Simkins

1892/3-1918

Fifth son of Richard (d. 23 May 1913 aged 63) & Harriet (d. 13 Feb. 1959 aged 102). Sgt 242474 Royal Warwickshire Regiment died of wounds Friday 19 July 1918 aged 25, bur. Cherington (St. John the Baptist).

Born and resident Cherington, enlisted Warwick.

George Aubrey Southam

1898/9-1918

Son of Richard Southam, of Stourton. Private 131897, 40th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry). Died Friday 29 November 1918, aged 19. Buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Koln (Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Plot XII. Row G. Grave 25.

Born Stretton-on-Fosse Warwickshire, resident (*) Shipston-on-Stour, enlisted Stratford-on-Avon.

John Edward Thornett

1874/5-1916

("Jack"), son of Alfred Henry and Sarah Ann (nee Bailey) and first cousin of Sgt. Harry Bailey above. Private 12415 11th (Pioneer/Service) Bn., Hampshire Regt d. Mon. 1st May, aged 41, bur. Mazingarbe Communal Cem. Extension, Pas De Calais, France.

Born and resident Mount Sorrell, Leicestershire, enlisted Warwick. Formerly 6671, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He is also commemorated on the Mount Sorrell war memorial.

Percy Woolliams

1889 -1917

Born Cherington. Son of Frederick [1901:Ag Lab] and Louisa Woolliams. Private 45813 20th Bn., Durham Light Infantry killed in action Mon. 23 July aged 28, bur. Hedge Row Trench Cemetery, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

Resident (*) Staindrop, Co. Durham, enlisted Darlington, Co. Durham.

Names of those who served and survived, from the Memorial
in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Cherington

1898-1918	James Simms	William Holtom
Frederick Mace	Alfred Simms	Bernard Ivins
Francis Southam	Samson Smith	Albert Joiner
Jacob Southam	Herbert Taylor	Thomas Lewingdon
	Walter Walker	Ernest Simms
1914-18	Albert Woolliams	Herbert Simms
Fred Bailey	Frank Woolliams	Albert Taylor
Frank Bailey		Frank Taylor
George Bailey	1915-18	Arthur Taylor
Riley Brewer	Godfrey Dickins	Eli Wells
Anthony Dickins	Walter Dyer	Frank Clark
Sidney Gardner	Thomas Greenway	Ernest Simons
Frank Gillett	Joseph Holtom	Leslie Taylor
Harry Godson	Norman Southam
Ernest Ivins	Alexander Taylor	1917-18
Herbert Jarrett		Harold Bartlett
Alfred Joiner	George Bryan
Alfred Simkins	William Castle	1918
Harry Simkins	Charles Godson	David Bailey
Fred Simkins	Percy Godson

Casualties appear separately on the church memorial, the names being the same as on the outdoor memorial, except for these differences in spelling:
Spellings on the church memorial: Alan Fletcher, Arthur Ivins, Harold Joiner. The first named appears on his parents' gravestone as "Allen". In all, sixty-three soldiers are named, of whom seventeen (27%) gave their lives for their country.

Five more names appear on a newspaper Roll of Honour, now online, of those who had enlisted by the date of publication of the Cherington and Stourton list on 26 Sep. 1914. However, for unknown reasons, these five names are not on any of the memorials. They are:
Pte H. Canning, Pte J. Horn, Pte W. Joyner (should be H.?), Pte J. Thornill, Pte E. Webb.
See Malcolm Farmer's indexed transcription of over 3,000 names from this Evesham Journal and Four Shires Advertiser Roll of Honour 1914-15, via the Links page.