Walter Fuguel
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Walter was born in Bishpthorpe in Yorkshire in 1880 his birth name was Mark but used the name Walter and was the son of James a farm labourer and Mary Fuguel, of Bishopthorpe, York. James and Mary lived all their lives in Bishopthorpe and had a total of nine children, however only seven survived until 1911. The first time we come across Mark is in the 1881 census as 1 year old and living with his family at Bishopthorpe. He later leaves the family home and goes into service until we find him in the 1911 census when we discover he has risen to become a butler and is a servant at West Retford Hall working for the Huntsman family. He is 31 years of age , single and one of five servants at the Hall. In his probate administration dated 15th June 1918 in London he is shown as being Mark Fuguel born at Bishopthorpe and a Private with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment who died on 20th September 1917 at Zillebeke near Ypres, Belgium . His estate of £145 was left to Rose Fuguel, Spinster.
Walter enlisted at Newark and originally served with service number 3400 in the 1/8th battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys ) Regiment. he was killed in action on the Western Front and he is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery,Belgium grave reference LXVII C 10 Pte Walter Fuguel Retford Times 5 Oct 1917 News has been received that Pte Fuguel, who previuos to joining the army was butler at West Retford Hall has been killed in action. The sad news was contained in a letter from Pte Holland of the Warwickshire Regiment to his mother Mrs G Holland of Water Lane, Retford . He says:- " I am sorry to say we have had another poor chap from Retford killed. I do not know if you know him or not - butler at West Retford Hall, Mrs Huntsman's and his name is Fugul. he had been there a good while .He joined the Notts and Derbys and came to us with the lot from Notts and Derbys . it is a bad job he got killed in the last push as he was a good chap in the trenches. There are only two of us left in the Warwicks from Retford" Mrs Holland conveyed the sad news to West Retford Hall and Mrs Grant, the housekeeper, wrote to Pte Fuguel’s mother at Middlesborough who replied on Monday. She received a field card from her son on Tuesday from the trenches but had not heard of his death and was hoping before many weeks to see him again as his leave would then be due.
Walter is also commemorated on the war memorial of his home village of Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire
