Fredric Percy Loverseed Piggin
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Frederic Percy Loverseed was the son of John and Fanny Piggin (née Loverseed).His father John was born in Stapleford in about 1849, the son of Frederick, a butcher and farmer, and his wife Ann Piggin. In 1881 the family was living on Nottingham Road, Stapleford, John was working as a butcher, presumably in his father's business. His mother Fanny was born in Nottingham in about 1863, the daughter of Edwin G and Sarah Loverseed. John and Fanny were married in 1882 and had ten children, three of had died by the time of the 1911 Census: Edwin b. Nottingham birth registered 1883 (J/F/M) d. 1901, Eleanor Fanny b. Nottingham 1884 and John Loverseed b. 1885, Frederic Percy Loverseed b. 1887, Henry Arthur Loverseed b. 1889 d. 1902, Sara Irene b. 1891, Dorothy Gladsy birth registered 1893 (J/F/M) d. 1893 who were all born in Stapleford and Edith Margaret b. 1895, Emily Kathleen b. 1897 and Florence Joan b. 1900 who were born in Nottingham.In 1891 John, a butcher and farmer, and Fanny were living on Nottingham Road, Stapleford. Only four of their five children, Edwin, Eleanor, Frederic and Henry, were in the home on the night of the census; John was recorded on the census with his maternal grandparents, Edwin and Sarah Loverseed, at their home on Western Terrace, Derby Road, Nottingham.The couple's seventh child, Dorothy, who was born in 1893, died the same year and their eldest son Edwin died aged 18 in 1901, shortly before the census was compiled.The family had moved to Nottingham by 1901 and living at 'Forest Dene', Gregory Boulevard, John snr. was now a brick manufacturer. Only the four oldest children, Eleanor, John, Frederic and Henry and the youngest child, Florence (under 1 year) were in the home on the night of the census. Sara was with her maternal uncle and aunt, Edwin and Emma Loverseed, at 2 Western Terrace, Nottingham, while her younger sisters, Edith and Emily, were with their widowed maternal grandmother at 1 Western Terrace. It is possible that these visits were prompted by the recent death of their brother, Edwin.Henry Arthur Loverseed died in 1902 aged 13.John, now retired, and Fanny were still at 'Forest Dene' in 1911 with four of their five surviving daughters, Sara, Edith, Emily and Florence. Eleanor was visiting a family in Ripon, Yorkshire, while John was living in Coventry, one of two boarders, both automobile engineers (motor works), in the home of another automobile engineer and his family. Frederic was in South Africa having joined the British South African Police in 1910.John and Fanny were living at Beaconsfield House, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, when their son Frederic was killed in 1916 but later moved to 208 Mansfield Road, Nottingham.John died at his home, 208 Mansfield Road, in April 1935. His widow Fanny died at their home on 20 June the following year.His elder brother, John Loverseed Piggin, served initially with the Frontiersmen in German East Africa but was later commissioned lieutenant with the Machine Gun Corps and served on the Western Front.Their sister Sara Irene served overseas during the war as a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment, 4901.11067).
Lieutenant Frederic Percy Loverseed Piggin was the Officer Training Corps' sergeant-bugler in 1901. He served with the British South African Police (Cape Mounted Police) from March 1910 and with the Rhodesia Native Regiment in the war.He was killed in action in German East Africa on 20th December 1916 and is buried in Dar es Salaam War Cemetery, Bagamoyo Road, Tanzania (Plot 5, row D, grave 7). Frederic's grave was probably brought into the cemetery from another burial ground in Tanzania in the early 1970s. (See below)CWGC - History of Dar es Salaam War Cemetery (extract): 'At the outbreak of the First World War Tanzania was the core of German East Africa. From the invasion of April 1915, Commonwealth forces fought a protracted and difficult campaign against a relatively small but highly skilled German force under the command of General von Lettow-Vorbeck. When the Germans finally surrendered on 23 November 1918, twelve days after the European armistice, their numbers had been reduced to 155 European and 1,168 African troops. Dar es Salaam was the capital of German East Africa. On 8 August 1914, the first recorded British action of the war took place here, when HMS Astraea shelled the German wireless station and boarded and disabled two merchant ships - the "Konig" and the "Feldmarschall". The Royal Navy systematically shelled the city from mid August 1916, and at 8 am on 4 September the deputy burgomaster was received aboard H.M.S. "Echo" to accept the terms of surrender. Troops, headed by the 129th Baluchis, then entered the city. On 12 September 1916, Divisional GHQ moved to Dar es Salaam, and later No.3 East African Stationary Hospital was stationed there. The town became the chief sea base for movement of supplies and for the evacuation of the sick and wounded ... DAR ES SALAAM WAR CEMETERY was created in 1968 when the 660 First World War graves at Dar es Salaam (Ocean Road) Cemetery had to be moved to facilitate the construction of a new road. As the burials in the three former plots had not been marked individually, they were reburied in collective graves, each marked by a screen wall memorial. (Memorial Gardens "B", "C" and "D"). During the early 1970s, a further 1,000 graves were brought into this site from cemeteries all over Tanzania, where maintenance could no longer be assured ... Dar es Salaam War Cemetery now contains 1,764 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.' (www.cwgc.org)
Frederic's cousin, Frederic Williams Piggin, son of his father's older brother, Richard Salt Piggin, served in the Boer War with Brabant's Horse and then with the South Notts Hussars (Captain). He died on 27 May 1918 when the troopship Leasowe Castle was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean by a German submarine. (See record on this Roll of Honour)CWGC additional information: 'Son of John and Fanny Piggin of Beaconsfield House, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Notts.'Nottingham Evening Post, 29th December 1916:- “LOCAL OFFICER KILLED. “LIEUT. F. P. L. PIGGIN. “News has been received that Lieut. Frederic Percy L. Piggin, Rhodesian Native Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Piggin, Beaconsfield House, West Bridgford, was killed in action on the 21st December. “The deceased officer, who was 27 years of age, was born at Stapleford, and was educated at Nottingham High School. Seven or eight years ago he went to South Africa, and joined the Cape Mounted Police. On the outbreak of the war he was anxious to return England to enlist, but his services were deemed more valuable where he was, and he was retained in the Rhodesian native regiment, being granted a commission. “As a consequence of his knowledge of local dialects he was one of those selected to organise the native volunteers. He was well-known in local hockey circles, and he was fine rider and a good shot. His elder brother, J. L. Piggin, [2] is serving with the Frontiersmen in German East Africa.” [2] Pte. John Loverseed Piggin, 25th (Legion of Frontiersmen) Battalion Royal Fusiliers, had taken part in the raid on Bukoba, 22nd June 1915. Commissioned 1st December 1916, he served as a lieutenant with the Machine Gun Corps on the Western Front. Mentioned in despatches, 6th August 1918.Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 29th December 1916: “PIGGIN. – Killed in action December 21st, Lieut. Frederic Percy Loverseed (Snip) Piggin, of the Rhodesian Native Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Piggin, Beaconsfield House, West Bridgford.” Above courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918Nottingham Journal, 27 October 1910: ‘Frontiersmen. Nottingham Sub-Unit Entertained by Captain Morrison. Captain Morrison MP, the new honorary Commander of the Nottingham Sub-Unit of the Legion of Frontiersmen, secured an effective introduction to his command last night, when twenty men who have taken an active interest in the movement met him at dinner at Park House. Captain proposed the health of the Legion and the Acting Sub-Unit Leader, responding, gave a short account of the last ten months’ work and arrangements for the coming winter months … There were present ... Rough Rider Piggin.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Nottingham Evening Post, 15 April 1935 (photograph): ‘Death of Mr J Piggin. Lived Twenty Years After Breaking Neck. Hunting Mishap Recalled. For many years a prominent figure in the hunting field, Mr John Piggin, a member of an old Stapleford family, died at his residence, 208 Mansfield-road, Nottingham, on Saturday. Mr Piggin, who was 86 years of age, had been in failing health for the past few months. A native of Stapleford, he was the son of the late Mr and Mrs Frederick Piggin and a brother of the late Mr RS Piggin [d. December 1931] of Beeston. For nearly 25 years he carried on business as a brick manufacturer at Stapleford, retiring some 20 years ago … Mr Piggin was a very keen horseman, and until he met with a serious accident in the hunting field more than 20 years ago was a regular follower of the Earl of Harrington’s Hounds … In his fall in the field he sustained a broken neck and was one of the few men who have survived such an injury … In May 1932, Mr and Mrs Piggin celebrated their golden wedding. Mrs Piggin who survives her husband is a daughter of the late Mr and Mrs EG Loveseed, of Gladstone-house, The Park. There are two (sic) surviving sons and five daughters. One son is in Tanganykia.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Nottingham Evening Post, 7 September 1935: ‘Will of Mr John Piggin’. Details of Probate granted to his widow, son-in-law Douglas Priddy Law [husband of Eleanor Fanny] and nephew Ernest Loverseed Hadfield. Beneficiaries were his widow and his children Eleanor Fanny Law (m. 1911 J/A/S), John Loverseed Piggin, Sara Irene Howitt (m. Claude E Howitt, 1918), Edith Margaret Borthwick (m. John H Borthwick, 1919), Emily Kathleen Thompson and Florence Joan Piggin.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 22 & 23 June 1936: Piggin. On June 20th, at ‘Cavehurst, 208 Mansfield-road, suddenly, Fanny, aged 73, widow of the late John Piggin. Funeral at Stapleford, 3.30pm, Tuesday.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Probate was awarded to her married daughters Eleanor Fanny Law and Sara Irene Howitt and her daughter Edith Margaret Borthwick. 'single woman.'
