Samuel Troake was born in Wellington, Somerset, on 24th August 1890. His parents were Samuel and Mary Troake and he was one of seven children to the couple. Mary had been married before, and had a daughter of her own. Samuel Sr was a shepherd turned labourer: when Mary died in around 1894, he married again, to widow Sarah Carter. She also had children of her own, something that is noted in the 1901 census, which records husband and wife sharing the house (from his perspective) with six of his children and five step-children.

By the time of the next census, ten years later, the Troake family home was a lot less crowded. Road contractor Samuel Sr and Sarah were recorded living with Samuel Jr and his younger brother, Charlie – both of whom were wool spinners , and the couple’s grandson, Percy.

Working at the wool factory came with benefits for Samuel Jr. It was there that he met Alice Slade, and the couple married on 10th December 1914, at the local parish church. The couple set up home not far from his parents, but war was soon to take him away from his new bride.

Full details of Samuel’s military service are not available: he enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry, and was assigned to the 8th (Service) Battalion. He served on the Western Front, and remained there until almost the end of of the conflict.

Private Troake was recorded as being caught up in the conflict, and was medically evacuated to England for treatment to a bullet wound. Sadly, the injuries to his abdomen and bladder were to prove too severe – he passed away in a Portsmouth hospital on 30th October 1918. He was 28 years of age.

Samuel Troake was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in Wellington Cemetery, not far from where his widow and father still lived.

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