Much of William Woodgate’s life seems destined to remain a mystery. He was born in Dunsford, Devon, in around 1877, and was the son of Lewis Woodgate.
By the age of 14, he was living on a farm on Bovey Tracey, working as an agricultural labourer for the farm owners, Thomas and Betsy Dayment. Ten years later, William had made the move to Wellington in Somerset, where he was lodging with the Denner family, and working as a carter.
On 20th June 1903, William married Mary Jane Grinter, a signalman’s daughter from Wellington; the couple went on to have three children, Lewis, Leonard and Francis. The young family set up home in North Street, near the centre of the town. By the 1911 census, William had changed profession, and was working as a fish salesman.
War was about to descend on Europe, and, in May 1916, William signed up to play his part. He was enlisted as a Private in the North Somerset Yeomanry, and was assigned to the 2nd/1st Battalion. His service record shows that he was 5ft 2.5ins (1.59m) tall, and weighed 117lbs (53kg), and had a fair physical development.
Private Woodgate did not see any service abroad: his battalion became part of the 6th Cyclist Brigade, and he was based in East Anglia and, for a short while, in Northumberland.
There is little further detail about Private Woodgate’s life. He survived the war, and was transferred to the Army Reserve on 9th February 1919, having served for just under three years.
At this point, William’s trail goes cold. He returned home to Somerset, and passed away nine months later, on 11th November 1919. He was 42 years of age.
William Woodgate was laid to rest in Wellington Cemetery, not far from where Mary and their children lived.
William Robert John Edwards was born on 10th July 1899, one of fourteen children to engine fitter William Edwards and his wife Bertha. Both of William Jr’s parents had been born in Devon, but, by the time of his birth, they had moved to the Somerset town of Wellington.
William followed in his father’s footsteps when he left school, but with war raging across Europe, he was keen to play his part as soon as he was able to do so. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 7th September 1917, his engineering background making him perfect for a member of the Armourer’s Crew.
William’s service record show that he was 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, had brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. He was initially sent to HMS Vivid – the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport – for training, and was given a posting on board HMS Gorgon, a coastal defence ship on 1st May 1918.
Tragically, this first assignment was to be Armourer’s Crew Edwards’ last. Within a matter of weeks, he was taken back to HMS Vivid, suffering from tubercular meningitis. Back at base, the condition proved too much for the young man: he passed away on 30th May 1918, days shy of his 19th birthday.
Brought back to Somerset for burial, William Robert John Edwards was laid to rest in the cemetery of his home town, Wellington.
Wilson John Woodbury was born on 8th December 1888, and was the third of seven children to Daniel and Elizabeth Woodbury. Daniel was a chair maker from Wellington, Somerset, and this is where the family – including six boys and one girl – were raised.
By the time of the 1901 census, Daniel had had a change of career – he was now working as an oil presser. His and Elizabeth’s oldest three boys, Wilson included, had also found work, and were employed as wool spinners.
Elizabeth passed away in 1906, when Wilson was just seventeen years old. This may have pushed him to bigger and better things, and a career. On 13th August 1908, at the age of 19, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service record shows that he was 5ft 7.5ins (1.71m) tall, had light brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. It also noted that he had a tattoo of a cross on his right forearm.
Stoker Woodbury was initially trained at HMS Vivid – the naval dockyard at Devonport. On 9th February 1909, however, he was given his first posting, on board HMS Defence. He spent two years on board the armoured cruiser, and, gained a promotion to Stoker 1st Class.
During the remainder of his initial service, Wilson served on two further ships – HMS Sentinel and HMS Bellona – returning to Devonport between each posting. When he completed his five-year contract, Wilson voluntarily signed up for a further seven years with the Royal Navy.
As war came to Europe, Stoker Woodbury was given a number of assignments, on the battleships HMS Caesar and Lord Nelson, the cruisers HMS Blake and Apollo, and the depot ship HMS Blenheim. Further promotions followed – Leading Stoker in 1915 and Stoker Petty Officer two years later.
Wilson’s oldest brother, James, was serving in the Labour Corps during the conflict. Based in Northern France, he was assigned to the 720th Company, although further details are unclear. He almost survived the war unscathed, but contracted an illness of some description and died on 3rd November 1918, aged 34 years old. He was laid to rest in the Terlincthun British Cemetery in Wimille, France.
Stoker Petty Officer Woodbury returned home on leave in July 1919. The plan was to meet up with his fiancée who lived in Rockwell Green, near Wellington, but he instead turned up unexpectedly at his brother Fred’s home instead. Wilson said he had returned to Somerset because his girlfriend had broken off the engagement the previous week: the couple had been due to marry when he next came home on leave.
Fred told Wilson that she was not worth it, and they had gone drinking with a friend. Fred later said that on his previous leaves his brother had taken to drinking more than was good for him, but on that evening – Saturday 2nd August 1919 – he did not get drunk.
The following Monday, Stoker Petty Office Woodbury had taken himself down to the railway at Wellington, and been hit by a train. The action was deliberate, as, about his person were three letters. The first was to Daniel.
To My Dear Father,
Sorry to cause you any inconvenience or trouble, and please don’t worry about me, as I’m not fit to worry about. I have had this in mind for about a week. I can’t sleep and can’t eat, as I am broken-hearted, but not insane. This is through love. Now I must exit myself, and I am in great pain. Written at 4:15pm Sunday afternoon…
This is all I have to say in this world. Hoping you and my dear sister will soon forget their broken-hearted
Wilson John Woodbury.
Wilson’s second letter was to his only sister, Ivy. This included details of a parcel left on board his ship, in which was the ring he had given to his fiancée, which he asked that Ivy wear as a memory of him.
Knowing the implications of what he was doing, the third letter was addressed to the jury of the inquest.
My leave expires at 1pm, and my life expires just before by my own hand. I wait to get the chance to put a stop to my life. This would not have happened to bring disgrace on my relations. I am quite sane. Written at 2pm.
On the afternoon of Monday 4th August 1919, Wilson made his way to the Woodford crossing, a short distance from Wellington Railway Station.
…he waited by the side of the line at the crossing for a train, and as the Northern express approached he laid down with his head on the metals, being practically decapitated.
Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser: Wednesday 13th August 1919
The fiancée in question did attend Wilson’s inquest, although the Coroner did not think it was necessary to call her. The newspaper report referred to her, but not by name. She will remain a mystery.
Despite the evidence of his own hand, the inquest found that Stoker Petty Officer Woodbury had committed suicide while temporarily insane. He was just 30 years of age.
Wilson John Woodbury was laid to rest in the cemetery of his home town, Wellington.
Alfred Beake was born in December 1898 and was one of nine children to Alfred and Charlotte Beake. Alfred Sr was a baker from Westonzoyland in Somerset, but it was in Chard that he and Charlotte had set up home and raised their family.
There is little documented about Alfred’s life. He played his part in the First World War, and had joined the Worcestershire Regiment by November 1918. His troop – the 5th (Reserve) Battalion – was a territorial force, and he would have split his time between Harwich, Essex, and Plymouth, Devon.
Private Beake survived the war and, by the spring of 1919 had been moved to Dublin. It was here on 18th May that he met with colleagues Private Simpson and Swindlehurst in the centre of the city. The trio caught a tram to the coastal town of Howth for a day out, where tragedy struck.
The Dublin Evening Telegraph reported on what happened next:
Private Sydney Simpson, Royal Engineers, stated… when they got to Howth, they walked along the Cliff Walk for about a mile, when they saw some seagulls down the cliff. [Beake and Swindlehurst] went out of witness’s sight for a while, when he heard a shout from Swindlehurst for help. On hurrying back, he saw Swindlehurst looking towards the sea, and he said the deceased had slipped down. The cliff was so steep that, although they tried to get down, they could not do so. Witness sent for help. None of the party had taken any drink.
Private Swindlehurst… said that he and deceased climbed down the grassy slope to get some seagulls’ eggs, but that the deceased suddenly slipped down. There was no horseplay going on at the time when the accident took place.
Captain Wynne, Royal Army Medical Corps, who made a post mortem examination, described the terrible injuries which the deceased had sustained. Death must have been instantaneous.
Dublin Evening Telegraph: Wednesday 21st May 1919
Private Beake had suffered a fractured skull from the fall. He was just 20 years of age.
Alfred Beake’s body was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in the family plot in Chard Cemetery.
Alfred’s oldest brother, Walter George Beake, had also served in the First World War.
Private Beake fought with the 7th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, and was involved in some of the key skirmishes of the Somme. But it was at Ypres that he was buried alive during an attack, and the resulting shell shock left him totally incapacitated.
Walter was discharged from the army on medical grounds in September 1916. He returned home to try and piece his life together again. He never married, and passed away in December 1978, at the age of 87 years old.
Harry Ashford was born in Sidford, Devon, on 2nd June 1880, the oldest of seven children to Samuel and Fanny Ashford. Samuel was a mason and Fanny worked as a lace worker managing this at the same time as raising her children. The family left Devon in the late 1880s, settling instead in Chard, Somerset.
After initially working as an errand boy, when Harry finished school he found employment as a house painter. He had met lace worker Ada Hancock by this point, and the couple married in Chard’s Methodist Church on 4th May 1901. The couple set up home in the same road as Harry’s parents, and went on to have a daughter, Nora, the following year.
By this point, storm clouds were brewing over Europe, however, and Harry felt the need to play his part. On 22nd September 1915, at the age of 35, he enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps. His service record shows that he stood 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall and was of good physical development.
Private Ashford served on the Home Front, and was based at the Tweseldown Camp near Farnham, Surrey. He served there for a little over a year before he contracted nephritis – inflamed kidneys – and was admitted to hospital. Sadly, the condition proved too severe, and he died on 31st October 1916 from a cerebral haemorrhage. He was 37 years of age.
Harry Ashford’s body was brought back to Somerset for burial. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of his adopted home town, Chard.
Both of Harry’s parents passed away not long after he died – Samuel in 1919 and Fanny in 1920. Ada never remarried, and lived a reasonable life, passing away in Nottinghamshire in the autumn of 1932, at the age of 53 years old.
Sidney John Budd was born in the spring of 1888, the middle of three children to Abel and Mary Budd. Abel was a gardener from Tiverton, Devon, and this is where the family were born and raised. In the late 1890s, the family moved to West Monkton, near Taunton in Somerset.
When he finished school, Sidney found work as a house painter, and, by the time of the 1911 census, was boarding in a house near Minehead. Within a few years, he had moved again, this time to Chard, and had met Florence Moulding, the daughter of a shepherd from the town. The couple married on 1st August 1914, just days before the outbreak of war.
There is little information available relating to Sidney’s military service. He enlisted before the end of 1917, joining the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry as a Private. This was a wholly territorial troop, and Private Budd would have served in Somerset and Devon.
One of the downsides to being in close proximity to servicemen from other parts of the country in tightly-packed barracks was the ease with which disease could spread. Sadly, Private Budd was not immune from this and, in the spring of 1917, he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. He was admitted to the Ford House Hospital in Plymouth, but his condition deteriorated and he passed away on 31st May 1917. He was just 29 years of age.
Sidney John Budd’s body was brought back to Chard for burial: he lies at rest in the town’s cemetery.
Florence went on to marry again, wedding Harry Golesworthy in the spring of 1918. Sadly, her happiness was to be short-lived: she passed away just two years later, at the age of 28 years old.
Sidney’s older brother, named Abel after his father, was an interesting character. When he left school, he found work as an apprentice to a photographer.
In July 1909, though, he was brought to court for stealing a bicycle. It seems that he had rented one from a dealer in West Monkton in order to visit friends in Cullompton, but not returned it at the end of the day, as expected.
The dealer contacted Abel’s parents, and he was found to have stayed over in Cullompton. It seems that while there, he had run low on funds, and had sold the bicycle to a dealer in the town. A week later, he returned to the Cullompton dealer, asking to buy the bike back, but hadn’t brought any money with him.
Eventually, Abel’s father went to Cullompton, bought the bicycle, then took it to the original dealer in West Monkton. By this point, however, Abel had been charged with theft, and pled guilty. His father stood witness, and, according to the Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser [Wednesday 14th July 1909], admitted that Abel “was rather weak of mind” and had not intended to steal the bicycle.
Abel was bound over for twelve months, with his father standing surety of five pounds.
The later parts of Abel’s life seem a mystery. There is a record of him travelling to Brisbane, Australia, in the spring of 1914, where he was to work as a farm labourer. He must have returned home, possibly as part of the war effort, and five years later he married Annie Talbot in Taunton, Somerset.
At this point, however, he falls off the radar, and there is no further information about him.
Joseph William Soper was born at the start of 1876, the third of eleven children to John and Elizabeth Soper. Both of his parents had been born in Dorset but it was in the Devon town of Axminster that their children were raised. John was a labourer, but, when he finished school, Joseph found work as an ostler or groom.
John passed away at the end of 1894, just months after his youngest son, Arthur, was born. Joseph, by this point, had found work as a postman, and, in the spring of 1897, he married Charlotte Annie Lee in his home town. The couple moved across the border to Somerset and settled in Chard. They went on to have a son, Arthur, who was born in the summer of 1900.
Postal work seemed not to have suited Joseph, and he made the move to labouring for a mason. Money appears to have been tight: the 1911 census recorded Charlotte working as a charwoman, while her younger brother, Herbert, was also lodging with them, and working as a grocer’s porter.
War was coming to Europe, but much of Joseph’s military career is a mystery. He had joined up by the autumn of 1916, and was assigned to the 13th (Works) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. He was based in Saltash and Plymouth, and served as part of the territorial force.
The only other documents available are Private Soper’s pension ledger and his entry on the Register of Soldier’s Effects. Both confirm that he died on 12th April 1917, and that the cause was “accidental injury received on active service“. Sadly, there is no further information about this. He was 41 years of age when he passed.
Joseph William Soper’s body was brought back to Somerset for burial. He lies at rest in Chard Cemetery, walking distance from where his widow and son still lived.
William Brewer House was born in Chard, Somerset, in the spring of 1888, one of eleven children to William and Minna House. William Sr was a farm labourer, and it was dairy work that William went into when he left school.
Little of William Jr’s life is documented. When war broke out, he stepped forward to play his part, enlisting in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry at some point after October 1915. This particular troop was a territorial force, based primarily in Devon, and it is unlikely that Private House saw service overseas.
Sadly, the only other detail about his life is that relating to his passing. He was noted as having died on 8th April 1916 in the Military Hospital in Plymouth, although no cause is evident. He was just 28 years of age.
William Brewer House was brought back to Somerset for burial. He lies at rest in the Tatworth Cemetery near his home town of Chard.
William’s younger brother Frederick (known as Gordon) House also fought with the Somerset Light Infantry. He was killed in Mesopotamia in the spring of 1917.
Arthur William Young was born on 11th July 1900, in the Gloucestershire village of Charfield. His parents, James and Eliza, were both born in the area, and this is where they raised their nine children.
James worked as a bone turner and sawyer, working the material for things like buttons. This was a family trade, and something that Arthur followed his father and older siblings into when he finished school.
By this point, storm clouds were brewing over Europe. Arthur was too young to enlist when war first broke out, but when his older brother Francis died in Northern France in December 1917, this seemed to have driven him to play his part as well.
Arthur enlisted in the Royal Marine Artillery on 1st July 1918, a couple of weeks before his eighteenth birthday. Assigned the rank of Private, his records show that he was 5ft 9ins (1.65m) tall, had blue eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. It was also noted that he had a scar on his right wrist and another on his forehead.
After nine months’ service, Arthur was promoted to Gunner and, by the autumn of 1919, he was assigned to the dreadnought HMS Queen Elizabeth.
On 1st December 1920, while moored in Portland Harbour, Dorset, a concert was held on HMS Warspite. Gunner Young attended, but on the trip back to his own ship, the boat he was on collided with another, and he and three others were knocked overboard and drowned. He was just 20 years of age.
Arthur William Young was brought back to Gloucestershire for burial. He was laid to rest in the family plot in the Congregational Chapelyard in his home village of Charfield.
William Cecil Rowell was born on 29th November 1892 in Wolborough, Newton Abbot, Devon. He was the youngest of three children to architectural surveyor Spencer Rowell and his wife, Annie.
The 1911 census recorded that William had left the family home to study to be a civil servant, and was boarding with a family in Fulham, London. His studies complete, he was driven by a need to serve his country and, on 22nd January 1913, aged just 20 years old, he enlisted in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Full details of his service are not available, but it is clear that he was committed to his purpose. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant soon after enlisting, rose to full Lieutenant in November 1914, and Captain a year later. It’s not possible to pinpoint where he served, he was wounded twice and, after his second recovery, he made a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps (later moving to the new Royal Air Force when it was founded in 1918).
Captain Rowell was based at Bekesbourne Airfield in Kent. He qualified as a pilot with 50 Squadron in October 1918, but was injured when, on the 12th November, his Sopwith Camel collided with the hanger. William was admitted to the Military Hospital in nearby Canterbury, but the injuries to his leg proved too severe for it to be saved, and he underwent an amputation in January 1919.
Tragically, while the initial prognosis was good, within a few weeks sepsis set in; Captain Rowell passed away on 22nd May 1919, aged just 26 years old.
William Cecil Rowell’s body was brought back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the family plot in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church in Wolborough.
Death and Service 