Frederick William Drew
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Frederick William was the son of William and Elizabeth Ann Drew (née Greenaway).His father William Drew was born in Bristol in 1853 and his mother Elizabeth Ann Greenaway in New Swindon, Wiltshire, also in 1853. They were married at Bristol St Peter in September 1880 and had five children, the youngest of whom, Charles, died in infancy. The children were born in Bristol: Frederick William b. 1883 bap. Bristol SS Philip & Jacob 5 December 1883 and Walter Henry b. 1886, Elizabeth b. 1889 and Rose b. 1892 who were all baptised at Bristol St Matthias and Charles birth registered 1894 (J/F/M) bap. St Matthias March 1894 d. 1896. In 1891 William, a mattress maker, his wife and their three children, Frederick (7), Walter (5) and Elizabeth (2) were living on Tucker Street, Bristol. Rose was born the following year and Charles in 1894.Their father William died aged 40 in 1894 (reg. J/F/M), the same quarter as the registration of the birth of his youngest child, Charles, who died two years later.In 1901, the widowed Elizabeth and three of her four surviving children, Frederick, a pupil teacher (board school), Elizabeth and Rose (9), were living on Viacoff Parade, Bristol, while Walter was a student at the Queen Elizabeth's Hospital endowed school, Clifton, Bristol.By 1911 the family had moved to Banner Road, Ashley Road, Bristol, where the second son, Walter, an accountant's clerk (wholesale grocery) was recorded on the census as head of household. Also in the home on the night of the census were his mother and two sisters Elizabeth, who worked for a wholesale tobacconist, and Rose who worked for a wholesale stationers. Also in the home was a boarder, Henry Thomas Chidgey (24), a carpenter, who married Elizabeth jnr. in 1913. Frederick was one of nine tutors (eight male) at Borough Road Training College, Isleworth, Middlesex; a college which had 132 (male) students and employed 15 servants (1 male, 14 female). (See 'Extra information') Frederick married Isabel Dale in 1912 (reg. J/A/S Bristol). The probate record gave his address as Sandford Road, Porchester Estate, Carlton, Nottingham. There were probably no children of the marriage.Elizabeth snr. probably died in 1916.
9th Bn attd. 7th Bn East Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of York's Own).The East Yorkshire Regiment's 9th (Reserve) Battalion was raised in York on 9 November 1914, as a service battalion, one of the battalions of Kitchener's New Army. It became a reserve battalion in April 1915 then converted to the 7th Training Reserve Bn in September 1916. Frederick was attached to the 7th (Service) Battalion, another New Army battalion, which was formed in September 1914 and served in France from July 1915.Frederick William Drew was killed in action on 5 November 1916. A 7th Battalion website describes the two days leading up to 5 November: '3 November under shell fire, 4 November heavy bombardment, 5 November in action.'Frederick has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 2 C).
CWGC - 'Son of Mrs. Elizabeth Drew, of Bristol; husband of Isabel Drew, of "Idene", Sandford Rd., Mapperley, Nottingham. An Old Colstonian [Colston's School, Bristol].' Probate: Drew Frederick William of Sandford-road Porchester Estate Carlton Nottinghamshire second-lieutenant in HM Army died 5 November 1916 in France. Administration Nottingham 6 February to Isabel Drew widow. Effects £658 9s. 10d.1911 Census: Frederick was a tutor at the Borough Road Training College, Isleworth, Middlesex, which was described on the census form as 'training of teachers (primary) British & Foreign School Society.' The educational charity was set up in the late 18th century by Joseph Lancaster, a Quaker, who devised a method of teaching a large class in one room with one schoolmaster supported by older pupils ('monitors') giving basic teaching to younger children. The charity was renamed BFSS in 1814 and still exists. The college was later the West London Institute of Higher Education then Brunel University College (1995) and in 1997 integrated into Brunel University. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki, www.bfss.org.uk)'College Borough Road College. Job: Old Custodian & former teacher at Borough Road College. Entry on p.88 [Roll of Honour page], Mentioned on Framed Borough Road College Roll of Honour, BFSS/2/9/14/5' (www.brunel.ac.uk/about/Archives/world-war-profiles/Frederick-William-Drew)'University of London Student Records, Student Military Record: Frederick William Drew BSc (Econ); 2nd Lt, 1914-1916 (Killed in action, 5 Nov. 1916)'Potential memorials, Bristol:Bristol St Matthias on the Weir - demolished 1920s, no record of war memorial.WMR 56844: SS Philip and Jacob, Rope Walk/Stratton Street Bristol. 100 names by surname-initial. No names on record and names on photograph of memorial out of focus.
