William Alfred Kerridge
- Family History
- Military History
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William Alfred was the eldest son of the Reverend Albert Alfred Kerridge and his wife Evangeline (née Limmer). Both his parents were born in Dicklebrough (also Dickleburgh), Norwich, Norfolk. His father Albert Alfred was the son of James Kerridge, a butcher, and his wife Anna. Albert was born on 22 March 1863 and baptised in Dickleburgh parish church on 19 April 1863. His mother Evangeline was the daughter of William Limmer. Albert and Evangeline were married at Dickleburgh with Langmere parish church on 12 August 1885 and had eight children: Frances Evangeline b. 15 August 1886 (J/A/S Hartismere Suffolk), William Alfred birth registered 1888 (J/F/M Hartismere), Mary Belinda b. 14 February 1889 (J/F/M Hartismere), Katharine Yelverton b. 20 June 1891 (J/A/S Hartismere) and Laura Marie b. 1894 (J/A/S Hartismere) who were all born in Palgrave, Suffolk, Albert Roland b. 16 December 1896 (1897 J/F/M Alresford Hants) and Ethel Sybil b. 28 January 1898 (J/F/M Alresford) who were born in Brown Candover, Hampshire, and Alexander Yelverton b. 19 January 1900 (J/F/M Bromyard Herefordshire) who was born in Much Cowarne, Herefordshire. Albert Kerridge was a schoolmaster before his ordination in 1908. In 1891 he was teaching at the Palgrave Church of England School, Suffolk, and living with his wife Evangeline (29) and children Frances (4), William (3) and Mary (2) at Rose Villa, Palgrave. He employed a housemaid, Eliza Smith (13). By 1901 he was school master and his wife sewing mistress at the Much Cowarne National School in Herefordshire and living at the School House, 'on the road to Worcester', Much Cowarne, Bromyard, Herefordshire. They now had eight children, all of whom were in the home on the night of the census: Frances (14) who was a monitress at the school, William (13), Mary (12), Katherine (9), Laura (6), Albert (4), Ethel (3) and Alexander (1). Albert was ordained deacon in 1907 in the diocese of Llandaff and was accepted into Holy Orders in 1908 although he remained in Llandaff until 1910 when he came to the diocese of Southwell as assistant curate at Arnold St Mary and Nottingham St Nicholas. In 1911 the familiy was living at Derry Mount House, Arnold. With the exception of William all the children were living at home: Albert (14), Ethel (13) and Alexander (11) were of school age; the four eldest daughters, Frances (24), Mary (22), Katherine (19) and Laura (16) were not following any occupation. William (23), a mining student (Cambrian Collieries Glamorgan), was living in the Rhondda Valley as a boarder in the household of a widow, Elvina Croome. The fourth daughter, Laura Marie, died aged 19 in April 1914 (A/M/J Nottingham) and was buried on 11 April 1914. When William attested in September 1914 he gave his next of kin as his father of Rock House, Castle Road, Nottngham, later amended to Hawksworth Rectory. Reverend Kerridge had the benefice of Hawksworth (St Mary and All Saints) as rector from 1916 and following the death of the vicar of Scarrington and the two ecclesiastical parishes becoming one in 1919, he served both churches. He and his wife then moved from Hawksworth rectory to Scarrington vicarage. In October 1919 his father completed a form for the army in October 1919 listing William's surviving blood relatives: Albert Alfred and Evangeline Kerridge, and the five surviving siblings Florence (30), Mary (26), Katharine (24) and Ethel (21) and Alexander (19), all living at The Vicarage, Scarrington. The second son, Albert Roland, had died in March 1919 as a result of ill treatment received while a prisoner of war. Alfred and his wife retired to Dickleborough, Norfolk, in October 1934. In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled they were living on Harvey Lane, Depwade, Norfolk, with their unmarried daughters Frances and Ethel who were described as cook/housekeeper and maid/chauffeuse respectively. Evangeline died in 1947 (J/F/M Depwade Norfolk) and Albert on 2 March 1954. The probate record gave Albert's address as Oak Cottage, Dickleburgh, Norfolk. Their daughters Frances and Ethel continued to live at Oak Cottage until their deaths on 4 March 1977 (J/F/M Depwade) and 12 March 1980 respectively. Mary Belinda probably married Alfred E Kirby in 1920 (J/A/S Bingham) and died in 1925 (O/N/D Nottingham). Katherine Yelverton was a school teacher and living in Aslockton, Nottinghamshire, in 1939; the register shows subsequent surnames Kirby and Allan. Katharine married Alfred E Kirkby in 1943 (A/M/J Bingham) who died in 1956 (A/M/J Nottingham). She married secondly Robert Allan in 1977 (A/M/J Norwich Outer). She died agede 98 in 1990 (Feb. Sedgemoor Somerset). Alexander Yelverton married Fanny Gadsby ('or Richardson') in 1922 (O/N/D Bingham). In 1939 he was an advertising representative (tobacco) and living on Scalford Drive, Nottingham, in the home of William and Doris Pegg. There is a record of a second marriage to Florence M Morgan in 1958 (O/N/D West Glamorgan). Alexander was living in Penmaen, Glamorgan, when he died on 20 November 1967.
Previously Army Service Corps. William Alfred attested on 7 September 1914 in the Army Service Corps (2820 Private). He joined at Aldershot on 8 September 1914 and was initially posted to the 11th Divisional Train, 114 Coy. He embarked Southampton on 8 January 1916 and disembarked Le Havre the following day. He had been appointed acting corporal on 11 December 1915 but was deprived of his acting rank on 13 February 1916 for misconduct ('being in an estaminet during prohibited hours and drinking rum'). On 5 June the same year he was awarded 5 days CC (Confined Camp) for 'irregular conduct leaving the lines when line orderly without permission' while two months later on 11 August he was awarded 7 days CC for 'neglect of duty whilst line orderly'. On 14 March 1917 he was awarded 10 days CC for 'double banking contrary to 3rd Army Traffic Orders Para 19.' William was compulsory transferred to the Durham Light Infantry on 20 April 1918 for posting to 1/8th Bn in the rank of private but retaining his ASC rate of pay. On 12 June 1918 he was admitted to 57 Field Ambulance suffering from gun shot wounds to the face. He was transferred to 32 Casualty Clearing Station the same day and then to Remy on 15 June. This was followed by his admission to 11 SH Rouen on 27 June, to 2CD Rouen on 3 July and 11 CD Bucky 9 July 1918. He arrive in Etaples on 25 August and posted to the 15th DLI on 29 August 1918. William Alfred was posted missing in action on 9/10 September 1918 and his name struck off the regimental roll. It was not until October 1919 that his death was presumed by the War Office 'on lapse of time as having occurred on or since 9/10 September 1918'. William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Vis En Artois Memorial. He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His brother Albert Roland served with the Norfolk Regiment (24264 Private). He was taken prisoner in March 1918 and as a result of the ill treatment he received while a prisoner died in hospital in England on 18 March 1919. Buried Hawksworth (St Mary & All Saints) churchyard. (See record on this ROH) Nottingham Evening Post, 12 August 1935: ‘Ex-Vicar’s Golden Wedding. Rev. AA Kerridge’s Work in Nottingham. A former vicar of Scarrington, Notts, in the Rev. Albert Alfred Kerridge, celebrates his golden wedding to-day. He resides in retirement with his wife, Mrs Evangeline Kerridge, at Dickleborough, Norfolk, within a stone’s throw of Mrs Kerridge’s old home. The marriage took place at Dickelborough on August 12th 1885, and at that time Mr Kerridge was headmaster of Palgrave National School, Suffolk. He continued as a school teacher until early in 1907, at the end of which year he was ordained deacon by the Lord Bishop of Llandaff. Receiving his priest’s orders in 1908, he continued in that diocese till 1910, in that year coming to Arnold, in the Southwell diocese. After being assistant curate there and at St Nicholas, Nottingham, be became beneficed to the rectory of Hawksworth in 1916. On the death of the then vicar of Scarrington in 1918, the two places became one ecclesiastical parish by an Order in council early in 1920. He continued to serve the two churches until September 30th, 1934 when he retired to his native parish of Dickleborough.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Nottingham Evening Post, 10 August 1945: report of the Rev AA and Mrs Kerridge’s Diamond Wedding
