Henry Cawley was born in September 1871, one of eight children to John and Ann Cawley. John worked as a blacksmith in the village of Corfe, near Taunton, Somerset, but when Henry left school, he found work as a butcher’s assistant in Bristol.
Henry disappears from the radar for a while. John died in 1884, but the next information available for his son comes in the form of his war medals. This confirms that he enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry in the summer of 1915, and that he was assigned to the depots as a Private. He was awarded the Victory and British Medals, as well as the 1915 Star, but then fell ill early in 1916.
Private Cawley was medically evacuated back to England, and was admitted to a sanatorium in Taunton. Sadly, whatever illness he contracted, he succumbed to, and he passed away on 21st February 1916, at the age of 45 years old.
Henry Cawley was laid to rest in St James’ Cemetery in Taunton.
Henry’s war pension was given to his mother, Ann. After her husband’s death, she continued to live in Corfe and, based on the available information, lived into her 80s.
Ernest John Sedgbeer was born in Taunton in the summer of 1891, the second of seven children to Henry and Alice Sedgbeer. Henry worked in a foundry, and his son joined him as a labourer.
By the time of the 1911 census, most of the nine members of the family disappear from the records – it is likely that these were lost – but both father and son are to be found living in South Wales – Henry working as a furnace stoker in the Rhondda, Ernest as a labourer below ground in Llanwonno, near Pontypridd.
Ernest seems to have had an opportunity to find other employment, and started work for Great Western Railways in February 1914. War was imminent, however, and a little over a year later, he had enlisted.
Ernest first joined the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry as a Private, but transferred over to the Dorsetshire Regiment. He was certainly involved in fighting on the Western Front, although full details of his military service are not documented.
His records show that he was awarded the Victory and British Medals and the 1915 Star. Private Sedgbeer was wounded in July 1916 and medically evacuated back to England, where he was admitted to King’s Hospital in Lambeth. Sadly, he was to die of his injuries on 7th July 1916, aged just 25 years old.
Ernest John Sedgbeer lies at rest in the St James’ Cemetery in his home town of Taunton, Somerset.
The local newspaper reported on Private Sedgbeer’s funeral, although it seems to have attributed it to the wrong brother.
The death took place… on Friday last, of Private Charles Sedgebeer of the Dorset Regiment, who was severely wounded in the recent heavy fighting on the Western Front. Deceased was the second son of Mr and Mrs Henry Sedgebeer… and was employed on the railway before the war. His father and three brothers are on active service in France, and one brother in the Navy. The eldest brother has won the DCM.
Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser: Wednesday 19th July 1916
Ernest was indeed the second son of the family, but Charles was the oldest, and survived the war.
Arthur Henry Reed Batten was born in the spring of 1900, the only child to Henry and Alice. Henry was a gardener, and the young family lived in the Somerset town of Taunton.
There is little documentation about Arthur’s short life. When war broke out, he enlisted in the 1st Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. While there is nothing to confirm the date he joined up, it may well have been a reaction to the passing of his mother, who died on 1st September 1914, at the age of 47 years old.
Private Batten’s battalion initially fought on the Western Front during the war, before moving to Italy in November 1917, then back to France the following April. It seems likely that it was during this second stint in France at some point late in 1918 that Arthur was caught up in the fighting.
He received a gunshot wound, and was shipped back to England for treatment. Admitted to the Military Hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester, he seems to have suffered for a long time, passing away from his injuries on 12th March 1919, three months after the Armistice was signed. He was just 19 years of age.
Arthur Henry Reed Batten was brought back to Taunton burial, and lies in the family grave in St James’ Cemetery, alongside his mother.
Joscelin William Currey was born in the summer of 1897, one of six children to Job Arthur Currey and his wife, Eliza Jane. Job was a shoesmith, and brought his young family up in his home town of Taunton, Somerset.
When Joscelin left school, he worked as an errand boy, before becoming an apprentice with local foundry of Messrs. Rudman, Lancey and Co. But with war on the horizon, things were about to change.
Along with his older brothers, Joscelin enlisted in the army, joining the 3/5th Reserve Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry in August 1914. Initially based on Salisbury Plain, he was soon transferred to Bath, and attained the position of Lance Corporal.
It was in Bath that he fell ill, and was admitted to hospital with cerebrospinal meningitis. Sadly, Joscelin was to succumb to this condition, and he passed away on 28th June 1915. He was just 18 years of age.
Joscelin William Currey was laid to rest in the St James Cemetery of his home town of Taunton.
The newspaper report of Lance Corporal Currey’s funeral confirmed that one of his brothers was a prisoner of war in Germany, while another was in the Royal Field Artillery. Joscelin was the only one of the three to die during the conflict.
Joscelin’s name is spelt variously as Jocelyn and Joslin across the documents relating to him, and his surname is also spelt Curry. For the purposes of this post, I have chosen to use the spelling cited on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.
William Phillips was born in 1895, the youngest of seven children to Frank and Emily Phillips. Frank was a joiner and carpenter and, while his young family initially grew up in his home village of Thurloxton, Somerset, he and Emily soon moved them to nearby Taunton, where there would be more work and more opportunities.
By the time of the 1911 census, the young family were all tied up with different jobs. While William had become an office boy for an accountant when he left school, his siblings all had varying different roles: one was a boiler cleaner, another a mason, a third a cellarman and the fourth a shop assistant. With Frank’s own work, this meant that there were five wages coming into the home, albeit on a much smaller scale that we are used to these days.
War was coming, however, and, at the beginning of 1915, William enlisted in the West Somerset Yeomanry. Little information remains of his military service, but it is known that Private Phillips’ experience as a clerk was made use of, and he worked in admin at the reserve depot in Minehead.
William had, by this time, got himself a lady friend, who worked at the hospital in Taunton, and, while they did not see each other a lot, they corresponded regularly.
His new-found freedom from the family home seemed to have led to William being a bit freer with his money than his parents would like, and it appears that he may have run up a few debts He reassured his mother that he did not want to worry them with any business that he had. However, financial matters may well have played on his mind more than he would have liked to admit.
On Saturday 20th February 1915, Private Phillips travelled to Taunton to see his girlfriend; she was working, but he caught up with his sister instead, before returning to the base in Minehead that evening.
The following Tuesday morning, he received a letter from his girl and was last seen heading to breakfast in the hotel digs where he was billeted.
That afternoon, a local engineer was walking along the seafront, when he saw a body lying on the foreshore, about four feet (1.21m) from the high-water mark. The body – which was later identified as William – was wearing some clothing, but other bits were scattered around him. The police were called and Private Phillips’ body was taken to nearby Dunster.
The coroner confirmed William had drowned; the letter he had received was amongst his clothing, but there was nothing in it to suggest that anything was amiss. At the inquest, he suggested that “he could hardly suppose at this time of year that the deceased had taken off his clothing in order to bathe. [His conclusion was that William] got into the water with intent to drown himself.” [Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser: Wednesday 3rd March 1915]
The jury at the inquest returned the verdict of ‘found drowned’. Private Phillips was just 20 years old.
William’s body was brought back to Taunton for burial. He lies at rest in the St James Cemetery there.
William Phillips (from britishnewspaperarchives.com)
Percy George Westcott was born at the end of 1877, the eldest of six children to George and Elizabeth Wescott. George was a police constable, and brought the family up in the Somerset town of Frome.
After leaving school, Percy sought a trade and, by 1901, was living in the East End of London, working as a wheelwright, work he continued with until the start of the war.
In November 1911, Percy married Annie Maria Meineke, a widow with a young son. The couple set up home in Clapton, East London.
War was on the horizon, however, and Percy was keen to enlist. He volunteered for the Army Service Corps at the beginning of June 1915. His application was turned down, however, and the reason for his discharge given was “Not being likely to become an efficient soldier”.
Percy appears to have been undeterred, however, and by September 1915 had enlisted successfully. He joined the London Regiment as a Private, but this is as much as is documented about his military service.
Private Westcott’s next appearance in records is on the Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects. This confirms that he had served in the 3rd/10th Battalion, which was a territorial force. The document also identifies that he passed away on 20th March 1916, at the age of 38.
While a cause of death is not noted, the location given – the London Asylum, Colney Hatch – is perhaps more significant. As the name suggests, this was a mental health facility; which gives an indication as to the Private Westcott’s state at the time of his passing.
While Percy’s widow was still living in London, his body was taken back to Somerset to be laid to rest. Percy George Westcott is buried in St James’ Cemetery in Taunton, where his parents lived.
Charles Pretoria Criddle was born on 18th June 1900, the second of five children to Charles and Mary Criddle. Charles Sr was an army reservist, who worked as a labourer for the local council, and the family lived in Taunton, Somerset.
Sadly, little detail of Charles Jr’s life is documented. The Great War broke out when he was only 14, so was too young to enlist at the beginning of the conflict. However, he did volunteer, albeit later on, and joined the 15th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment at some point in 1918.
Private Criddle’s was one of those lives to be cut tragically short, not by conflict, but by illness. He survived the war, but was subsequently admitted to a military hospital in Brighton, Sussex, where he passed away ‘from disease’ on 7th November 1919. He was just 19 years of age.
Charles Pretoria Criddle lies at rest in the St James Cemetery in his home town of Taunton, Somerset.
Tragedy was to strike again for Charles Criddle Sr. Less than a week after his son had passed, he was called upon to identify the body of his sister, Emma Cable. She had taken her own life after suffering an increasing number of fits over the previous few years.
Emma was a widow, and, since the previous winter, had become increasingly depressed and less physically able, having suffered a debilitating bout of influenza. Early on the morning of Sunday 16th November 1919, she took herself out, dressed in only her nightgown and a pair of boots, and had drowned herself in the River Tone.
At the inquest into her passing, her doctor noted that he had seen her on the previous Thursday “but her condition was not such that he could certify her as insane, but she had been violently hysterical.” [Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser: Wednesday 19th November 1919]
The Coroner recorded a verdict that the deceased drowned herself while of unsound mind.
Herbert George Spiller was born in 1881, the second of four children to George and Emily Spiller. George was a timber merchant and ironmonger, born in Taunton, Somerset, who raised his family in his home town.
When Herbert left school, he found work as a clerk in a solicitor’s office, and this was the trade he followed, eventually becoming a solicitor in his own right.
In March 1907, he married Winifred Lewis, an outfitter’s daughter, and the couple soon emigrated, arriving in Perth, Australia, later that year. They had two children in Australia; a son, who sadly passed as a babe in arms, and a daughter. Within three years, however, the Spillers were back living in England again and went on to have four further children, three of whom survived infancy.
War had arrived, and Herbert enlisted on 11th December 1915, but was initially placed as a reserve. He was finally called to do his duty for King and country on 6th September 1917 and joined the 28th Battalion of the London Regiment. After initial training, Private Spiller was sent out to the Front, arriving in France in April 1918.
Herbert was back on home soil after three months, suffering from albuminaria (a disease of the kidneys) and served in territorial depots until he was demobbed in December 1918.
At this point, Herbert disappears from the records. It seems likely that his illness was the cause of his passing, but this cannot be confirmed. Either way, Herbert George Spiller died on 7th May 1920, at the age of 39 years old. He lies at rest in the St James Cemetery in his home town of Taunton, Somerset.
Please note: While Private Spiller was afforded a Commonwealth War Grave, his exact burial location is not identifiable. The image at the top of this post, therefore, is of the other family graves in the cemetery.
Charles Doble – also known as Charlie – was born 12th September 1884, the second of seven children to James and Mary Ann Doble from Dunkeswell in Devon. James was a carpenter, but on leaving school, Charles initially found work as an errand boy, before becoming employed as a porter at the Taunton and Somerset Hospital.
The 1911 census found Charles in the village of Cotford St Luke, working as an attendant at the Somerset and Bath Asylum. Housing more than 800 patients at the time, it is reasonable to assume that his duties would have been wide and varied.
Details of Charles’ military service are scarce. He enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment as a Private in April 1916, but soon transferred over to the 13th Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment.
In the spring of that year, Charles married Ethel Willmott; presumably this was before he was sent abroad, because he soon found himself on the Western Front.
His battalion was caught up in the Battle of the Boar’s Head, during with the Royal Sussex Regiment succeeded in capturing a section of the German front line trench and second line trench, before being pushed back because of mounting casualties and a lack of ammunition.
It seems likely that Private Doble was one of those injured on what became known as The Day Sussex Died, as he was evacuated back to England for treatment. Admitted to a military hospital in Stourbridge, sadly his wounds proved too much for Charles to bear; he passed away on 13th December 1916, at the age of 32 years old.
Charles Doble’s body was brought back to Taunton, and he was buried in the St James’ Cemetery in the town.
William Herbert Baber was born in May 1895, the oldest of six children to Henry and Alma Baber. By the time of William’s birth, Henry was an insurance agent for the Prudential insurance company and brought his family up in the Somerset village of Yatton. William’s father had been widowed early on, and so, in addition to his five younger siblings, he also had an older half-brother, also called Henry.
By the time of the 1911 census, William was working as a clerk in a coal office, and the family were living in a five room house not far from the village centre.
Little remains documented about William’s military service. He enlisted in the Somerset Light Infantry, but transferred to the 24th Battalion of the London Regiment. He was involved in the Battle of High Wood – part of the Somme offensive – and was wounded during the skirmish.
Evacuated back to home soil, Private Baber was treated in one of the military hospitals in Cardiff. Sadly, he was to succumb to his wounds, and passed away on 16th October 1916. He was just 21 years old.
William Herbert Baber lies at rest in the family grave in the churchyard of St Mary’s in Yatton.
William’s father Henry was also called up for war duty. You can read more about his story here.
Death and Service 