The Blackmore War Memorial has an entry for a survivor of the First World War. But what was his name?
Alfred Leslie Jasper, of Wenlocks, was fairly easily found in the records but C.V or G.V. Jasper proved more difficult until the 1911 census was consulted. Here we learn that Alfred Leslie and Charles Victor were brothers.
1911 Langenhoe
Alfred Jasper. Head. Married. [Age] 48. Farmer. [Born] Cornwall St Neots
Florence Helena Jasper. Wife. Married 19 years. [Age] 40. [Born] Cornwall St Neots
Charles Victor Jasper. Son. Single. [Age] 17. Farmer's Son Works On Farm. [Born] Essex Arkesden
Florence Harriet Jasper. Daughter. Single. [Age] 16. School. [Born] Essex Arkesden
Alfred Leslie Jasper. Son. [Age] 14. School. [Born] Essex Arkesden
Irene Grace Jasper. Daughter. [Age] 10. School. [Born] Essex Gt Waltham
Ellen Florence Taylor. Servant. Single [Age] 17. Servant Domestic. [Born] Essex Layer Breton
Emily Taylor. Servant. Single. [Age] 20. Servant Domestic. [Born] Essex Layer Breton
The Parish Register records the baptism of Irene Grace, daughter of Alfred and Florence Helena Jasper on 1st March 1923. The family lived at ‘Wenlocks, Blackmore’. Alfred’s profession given was ‘Farmer’. [ERO D/P 266/1/11].
3 comments:
Thank you so much for this information. Alfred leslie Jasper was my Grandfather. I shall have to visit the memorial.
Thank you so much for this information I am the Grandson of Alfred leslie Jasper and will now pay a visit to this unusual memorial.
Your family were involved in the project to raise money for the War Memorial. See below:
BLACKMORE WAR MEMORIAL
The Armistice on 11 November 1918 marked the end of hostilities with Germany, and plans to erect a war memorial began only 3 months later. A public subscription raised £106:15s:1d, against a final cost of £274. To help bridge the gap, it was decided to hold a hold a draw to raise funds. Mr Jasper promised a pig, Mr Hull promised a pig and a pair of fowls and Mr Marriage a pair of ducks and seven pounds of roasting beef. At the first service on Sunday 7th November 1920, the memorial was unveiled by Lt Col Gibbons DSC, of Dunmow. There was a prayer by the Baptist minister, Rev. L. Francis, and a dedication by the vicar, the Rev. W. Layton Petrie.
Even the bare statistics of the names on the memorial make sobering reading. The deaths in WW1 of 21 people who lived or worked in Blackmore are recorded. Two other known casualties are not recorded on the memorial, so the total casualties were 23 from a population of around 600. Very unusually, the memorial also lists the names of 80 of those who served, but survived. So we can confidently say that, of the men of. Blackmore who could serve in the forces, more than one in five died.
The memorial lists only the rank, name and regiment of those who died. Some of the names are now so worn that they could scarcely be read.
If anyone still has stories of these men, perhaps heard from their parents, we’d very much like to know. It would help preserve the memory of Blackmore men, who are much more worth remembering than the politicians and generals who sent them to their deaths.
The names on the memorial of those who died are:
Sec Lieut G.W.Pigott R.F.A.
Sec Lieut I. A. Miller M.M. R.I.R.
Stoker W Brazier R.N.
A/B E. Alexander R.N.
A/B W. Wash R.N.
A/mech W Scudder R.N.A.S.
Pte. G. White R.M.L.I.
Bomd A Godding R.F.A.
Gr. E. Sutton R.G.A.
Dr. C. Wash R.E.
Dr. A.J. Wheal R.E.
Pte. D. Sutton R.Fus.
Pte. H. Riglin Suffolk
Pte. W. Rudling Suffolk
Pte. H. Game E. Surrey
Pte. H. Miller E. Surrey
L/corp. E Maynard Essex
Pte. A. Barker Essex
Pte. E. Martin Essex
Pte. A. Nash Essex
Pte. J. Roast Essex
The two who are not recorded on the monument, but are listed on the church windows, are:
Pte. Alfred Ellis Essex
Lt. H.J. Brown Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Herbert Brown has a window to himself, given to the church by his widow Grace. After the war, Grace Brown married Stanley Layton Petrie, the son of the vicar of Blackmore, Walter Layton Petrie. Stanley Petrie followed his father’s calling, and became vicar of St. Barnabas, Sunderland.
All of those listed are known to have died in WW1, but we know much less about WW2 casualties. There is a list in the church of those on active service, but the only known death is of Aircraftwoman 1st Class Joy Kathleen Woollard, whose official Commonwealth memorial is in the churchyard. We are not sure, but believe that she died of an illness, aged only 18, and never saw active service.
But if anyone knows about any Blackmore people who served and died in WW2, please get in touch.
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