Percy Jeffs
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Percy was born in Nottingham in 1897 and was the son of the late Luther Edwin a lithographic printer and Ellen Jeffs. His siblings were Ernest, Ethel and Cyril.
In the 1911 census Ellen is 44 years of age and a widow, living on her own means at 123 Logan Street, Bulwell, with her four children; Percy is 14 years of age and at school.
Private Percy Jeffs, enlisted in Nottingham and served with 2/7th Battalion (Robin Hood Rifles) Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby).
He was killed in Dublin on 26 April 1916 and buried in Nottingham General Cemetery.
Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 9 May 1916 (abridged): 'Private Percy Jeffs, Sherwood Foresters, 64 Clarges Street, Bulwell. Killed in action Dublin April 27th aged 19.'
Hucknall Dispatch, 25 May 1916: A friend, Pte. Lawrence Cole, recalled the circumstances of his [Jeff's] death: 'We had just reached the outskirts of Dublin when the trouble began. We were marching in fours, when shots were fired from all sides. Instantly we received orders from the officers to split up on both sides of the road, and then the firing began. The rebels had secured possession of a house at the corner of four crossroads and this is where we lost two of our brave officers: Lieutenant Percy Perry of Nottingham [buried Nottingham General Cemetery], and another while several others were wounded, and about a dozen men killed and wounded. It was here that my poor chum from Bulwell, Pte. P. Jeffs, was killed. I saw him fall but he was dead when I got to his side.'
Courtesy Jim Grundy and facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.
Percy Jeffs
Grave/CWGC headstone, Nottingham General Cemetery. Photograph Peter Gillings.
Percy Jeffs
Nottingham Evening Post, 9 May 1916. Jim Grundy facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
Photo of Percy Jeffs
Grave, Nottingham General Cemetery. Photograph Rachel Farrand (30 Jan. 2026)