Frank Mead
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
There is a birth registration for a Frank Mead, 1885 (J/A/S Nottingham), mother's surname Bridden. Other birth registrations Mead/Bridden (or Briddon): registered Nottingham: Alice Maud b. 1884, Mary Amelia b. 1888 and registered Ecclesall Bierlow Yorkshire: Beatrice Anne b. Sheffield 1890. No record has yet been traced of a marriage Meads/Bridden/Briddon but there is a record of the marriage of Louis Mead and Amelia Elizabeth Taylor in 1881 (Northampton). 1891 Census: Little London Road, Norton, Derbyshire: George (sic) Mead (36) married bricklayer's labourer, Lewis (10) b. Nottingham (no birth registration traced Taylor or Mead), Alice (7), Frank (6), Amelia (3) and Beatrice (4m). 1901 Census: Lewis Mead (46) b. Nottingham, bricklayer's labourer recorded in prison (Nottingham). Frank's brother, Lewis Mead (20), was working in Chatham as a labourer when he attested in the Militia and joined the 3rd Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment (2816 Louis Mead) but was discharged when he attested in the RFA as a Driver on 13 January 1902 (discharged 1 July 1902 having absconded on 13 January, absent without leave April and imprisoned by civil power June). When he joined the RFA, Lewis named his parents Lewis and Amelia Mead and siblings Alice and Frank, all of White (-) Yard, Carter Gate, Nottingham, as his next of kin. A Lewis Taylor alias Mead aged 32 and living on Water Street, Sneinton, was charged in Nottingham in August 1912 with the attempted murder of the former partner of his sister, Beatrice Mead (22), of Sheffield. The information about the alias was only mentioned in one newspaper report, otherwise he was referred to as Lewis Mead. A notice of Frank's death in 1916 was placed in the local newspaper by his mother, brother and sisters and may refer to the above family. Frank Mead married Mary Tymon in 1906 (O/N/D Nottingham). The WW1 Pension Ledger gives Mary's date of birth as 26 July 1886 although no corresponding birth registration has yet been traced. There are records of the births of seven children including the eldest, Mary, who was born before their marrage and one, Charles, who died in infancy. The children's births were registered in Nottingham: Mary Tymon b. 5 February 1906, James b. 25 March 1907, Frank b. 5 March 1909, Arthur b. 9 June 1911, Elizabeth b. 28 January 1913 (J/F/M), Charles b. 1915 (J/F/M) d. June 1915 and Florence A b. 29 July 1916 (J/A/S). (Frank served in France from 11 November 1914 but was posted to the UK on 25 September 1915 and did not return to France until March the following year.) Frank and Mary had had three children by 1911 - Mary, James and Frank - but the only record on the 1911 Census that might match the family is that of Frank Mead (28) b. Nottingham, bricklayer's labourer, Mary (26) and their daughter Mary Mead (4) who were living at 2 Henry Place, Henry Street, Nottingham. They had been married for five years and had one child. However, the form had been completed on behalf of Frank who signed the form with a cross, 'his mark'. Their two sons, James and Frank, have not yet been traced on the census. Frank named his wife Mary of 9 Union Square, Pierrepont Street, Nottingham, as his next of kin when he attested, but the names of five of their children Mary, James, Frank, Charles and Lizzie [Elizabeth] were also added. His service documents also include the death certificate of his son Charles, who died at their home in Union Square, which was provided by the Coroner for Nottingham, Charles Rothera. The death was registered on 24 June 1915; the cause of death was 'suffocation but no evidence as to how the condition was (-)'. Mary was awarded a pension of 33/9d (33 shilling and 9 pence) wth effect from 23 April 1917 for herself and her six children. A memo dated February 1917 in the service record shows that Frank's possessions were to be returned to his widow at 7 Castle Street, off Newbridge Street, Nottingham. However, by 1920 she was living at 6 Pierrepont Place, Pierrepont Street, Nottingham. The widowed Mary (b. 26 July 1886), was recorded on the 1939 Register of England & Wales living at 14 Pierrepont Street, Nottingham. The record of one other member of the household remains closed. Mary probably died in 1957.
2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) Frank attested in Nottingham on 26 August 1914, was posted on 3 September and served in France from 11 November 1914. The time scale suggests that Frank had previous military service and there are two earlier army service records for a Frank Mead. (See 'Extra information') After joining the Battalion in France on 11 November 1914, Frank was tried by Field General Court Martial on 4 January 1915 and sentenced to be imprisoned with hard labour for two years 'for drunkeness'. The sentence was commuted to two months Field Imp. (By OC 11th Inf. Bde, 5 January). Frank served at home from 25 September 1915 and was declared a deserter on 12 November 1915 but rejoined from desertion on 16 December. He served in the UK until 8 March 1916, returning to his battalion in France on 9 March. On 27 June 1916 he was charged and found guilty of being drunk in a working party on 25 June and was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No. 1. Frank was killed in action on 16 September 1916. He is buried in Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery, near Albert, France (grave ref. II.B.22). Frank had served for 2 years 22 days including two separate periods with the BEF France. He qualified for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery (extract): 'Cerisy-Gailly French National Cemetery was begun by a clearing hospital of the French Tenth Army in February 1916. The Commonwealth plots are on the western side of it, and were made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme and from Buire Communal Cemetery Extension. The great majority of these soldiers died in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.' (www.cwgc.org)
Other army service records for a Frank Mead. Note age discrepancies (1) Attestation for the Militia (4th Bn. Notts & Derby Regiment), 7 March 1901. Frank Mead age 17y 8m (b. abt 1883) b. Old Radford, residence 22 Camden Street, Sneinton, occupation labourer for a brickmaker. Registered at Normanton Barracks, Derby, on 1901 Census (Private Frank Mead, 17, 4th Bn N&D). Discharged from the Militia on enlisting in the Royal Marine Light Infantry (Portsmouth Division) on 28 June 1901. Full record not sighted, but DOB 1 April 1884 - no registration of birth Frank Mead for this year/quarter (see Frank Mead 1885 J/A/S Nottingham, mother's maiden name Bridden). (2) Attestation for the Militia or Reserve Division of the Militia (4th Bn. Notts & Derby Regiment), 3 April 1907. Frank Mead age 20y 8m (abt. 1886) b. Radford, occupation general labourer, residence 92 Kings Meadow Road, Meadows, Nottingham. Next of kin: parents Lewis and Amelia Mead [not traced] of 6 Kings Meadow Road and brother Lewis address not known [not traced]. Joined Special Reserve 14 June 1908. Present for annual camp 1907 and 1908. CWGC: 'Husband of Mary Mead, of 6, Pierrepont Place, Pierrepont St., Nottingham.' Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Roll of Honour’, 29 September 1916: ‘Mead. Killed in action, September 13th (sic), 1916, Private Frank Mead, Sherwood Foresters. He fought ‘midst the thunder of guns, when the earth seemed turned into hell; he received his last blow from the Huns, and fell, poor lad, hit by a shell. Mother, brother and sisters.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his widow Mary was his sole legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers index card: name his wife, Mary Mead (b. 26 July 1886) and children Mary Tymon (b. 5 February 1906), James (b. 25 March 1907), Frank (b. 5 March 1909) and Arthur (b. 9 June 1911), Elizabeth (b. 28 January 1913) and Florence Annie (b. 29 July 1916). Mary was awarded a pension of 33/9d (33 shilling and 9 pence) wth effect from 23 April 1917 for herself and six children.
