War Memorial – Hadleigh, Essex
The St James The Less church WWI plaque lists S C Allen as having died in 1918, and J E Allen in 1919. The memorial plaque names them as Sidney C Allen and James E Allen. Sidney and James were brothers.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission states:
- Acting Bombardier SIDNEY CHARLES ALLEN
- Service Number: 59529
- Regiment & Unit/Ship: Royal Garrison Artillery, Anti-Aircraft Depot (Parkhurst)
- Date of Death: 25 April 1918
- Age: 24 years old
- Buried or commemorated at HADLEIGH (ST. JAMES THE LESS) CHURCHYARD, North-West of Church.
- Country of Service: United Kingdom
- Additional Info: Son of James Edward and Sarah Allen, of Myrtle Villa, Lynton Rd., Hadleigh. His brother James Edward Allen also died in service.
- Corporal JAMES EDWARD ALLEN
- Service Number: 12071
- Regiment & Unit/Ship: Essex Regiment, 1st Bn.
- Date of Death: 08 April 1919
- Age: 22 years old
- Buried or commemorated at HADLEIGH (ST. JAMES THE LESS) CHURCHYARD, North-West of Church.
- Country of Service: United Kingdom
- Additional Info: Son of James Edward and Sarah Allen, of Myrtle Villa, Lynton Rd., Hadleigh. His brother Sidney Charles Allen also died in service.
The headstone dedicated to Sidney and James in St James The Less churchyard gives some more information (including parents and another brother):
- Bomdr. Sidney Charles Allen, who died 24th April 1918 in Carisbrook Military Hospital I. of Wight. Aged 24 years.
- Also Corpl. James Edward Allen, who died 8th April 1919 aged 22 years.
- The dearly beloved sons of James and Sarah Allen.
- Also Alfred John Allen who died 16th Sept 1974 aged 85 years.
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- St James The Less Churchyard
Sidney James ALLEN and James Edward ALLEN
Sidney James ALLEN and his younger brother James Edward ALLEN were from a family of seven children, all boys. Their father, James Edward ALLEN, was a journeyman bricklayer from Gosfield, Essex, and their mother, Sarah Allen GREEN was born in Hadleigh and the daughter of an agricultural labourer.
James snr. and Sarah married on 22nd Dec 1886 at St James The Less, Hadleigh. Their first son was born almost exactly one year later and by 1891 the family (now four) was living on High Street, Hadleigh. When the 1901 census was taken, the family was living at Myrtle Villa, Lynton Road, Hadleigh. They now had six sons (Sidney in 1894 and James jnr. in 1896), and their seventh and final son was born in Oct later that year.
- Ernest James Allen (17 Dec 1887 – 15 Nov 1953) m.1909 to Emily Rose Hammerton ~ Bricklayer
- Alfred John Allen (12 Sep 1889 – 16 Sep 1974) Unmarried ~ Bricklayer
- Bertie William Allen (9 Mar 1892 – 1966) m.1919 (1) to Matilda Louise Thorington, m.1946 (2) to Amy Wallis Greenfield Worrell Taskere~ Bricklayer
- Sidney Charles Allen (1894 – 25 Apr 1918) Unmarried
- James Edward Allen (1896 – 8 Apr 1919) Unmarried
- Percy Richard Allen – 14 Feb 1899 (d.1983) m.1922 to Agnes Miriam Howard ~ Bricklayer
- Myrtle Archibald Stanley Allen (5 Oct 1901 – 30 May 1966) m.1923 (1) to Annie Louise Evans, m.1931 (2) to Beatrice Florence Byford ~ Bricklayer
Eldest son Ernest enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery on 21st Aug 1906 when he was 18 and by 1911 had been promoted to Bombardier in the 35 Heavy Battery and was married with twins. His wife Emily and their children were living in Hadleigh when the census was taken, whilst Ernest was stationed at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich. The rest of the Allen family were still living at Myrtle Cottage. Sidney (17) was working as a carman and his brother James (14) was working as a farm labourer. Their father and two elder brothers were working as bricklayers.
Just before war broke out, Ernest was promoted to Corporal and disembarked in France on 16th Aug 1914. Ten days later, 17-year-old James enlisted as a Private into the Essex Regiment, serving in both the 1st and 9th Battalions. By November Ernest had been promoted to Sergeant, then in mid-January 1915 he was admitted to hospital with a fractured and dislocated ankle, returning home to the University College Hospital, London on the 21st, remaining there until 2nd Feb. On 30th May, James was sent to France with the Essex Regiment.
Sidney enlisted into the Royal Garrison Artillery (Anti-Aircraft Depot) in Oct 1915 (age 21). Initial training took place at East Ham before moving to Charlton Park, Woolwich in Mar 1916. On the 19th Apr they were sent to Larkhill for firing practice and ten days later travelled to Southampton via Amesbury ready for the Western Front. He was promoted from Private to Gunner, and was Acting Bombardier in the 141 Heavy Battery (under the command of various Heavy Artillery Groups) in 1917 and stationed near Ypres.
Very few records survive specifically related to Sidney’s service or activities. On the 2nd Sep he was transferred via the sick convoy to the 4th Stationary Hospital in Arques. He spent two days there with diarrhoea before being discharged back to duty on the 4th Sep and sent to the No. 7 Convalescent Camp in Boulogne, France (about 35 miles west). Sidney had been with the field force seventeen months by this time and in service for nearly two years. Presumably, he returned to service with the 141 Heavy Battery, which was stationed near Ypres, Belgium at the time. Six weeks later on 18th Oct, Sidney was admitted to the 2nd General Hospital in Le Havre suffering from “chronic otitis media” (a persistent inflammation of the middle ear due to a perforated eardrum). He was transferred to the sick convoy after 18 days of treatment, leaving on 4th Nov for the hospital ship HS Carisbrook Castle. Sidney finally ended up at the Parkhurst Military Hospital, Isle of Wight, where he died of pneumonia on 25th April 1918 aged 24. His body was transported home and buried in the churchyard of St James The Less, Hadleigh.
Five months later, on 17th Sep 1918, James was discharged with the rank of Acting Corporal as he was no longer physically fit for war service having been wounded and exposed to gas. He died a few months later on 8th Apr 1919 aged 22. He was also the last soldier to die from Hadleigh and was buried with his brother at St James the Less. Sidney was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal, and James the Victory Medal, British Medal, 1915 Star and Silver War Badge.
After returning home with a fractured ankle in 1915, Ernest served at home until 5th Jan 1918 when he was sent to Egypt. His wife gave birth to their third child two months later, and Ernest was demobilised on 20th Apr 1919 with the rank of Battery Sergeant Major. He was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914 Star (he was one of the old contemptibles). Ernest worked as a bricklayer after the war and died in 1953 at age 65, and his wife Emily Rose (nee HAMMERTON) died in 1966 at age 77.
The youngest brother, Archibald (he didn’t use his first name, Myrtle), enlisted into the Royal Marine Light Infantry: Chatham Division in Dec 1918 at age 17.
Their father died on 11th Jun 1928 aged 69, and their mother the following year on 19th Nov 1929 aged 67. They were both buried in St James The Less churchyard, Hadleigh.
What of the other brothers?
Alfred never married, and no military records have been identified. He worked as a bricklayer and died in 1974 at age 85.
Bertie married in 1919 at the age of 27 to a 43-year-old widow called Matilda FRANKLIN (nee THORINGTON). They didn’t have any children of their own, but Matilda had three from her first marriage. She died in 1943 at age 67, and Bertie remarried three years later to Amy Wallis Greenfield Worrell WORDLY, formally BARRETT and nee TASKERE (she’d been married twice before and had three surnames as middle names). They were married nine years before her death in 1955, and Bertie died in 1966 at age 66. No military records have been identified.
Percy married Agnes Miriam HOWARD in 1922 and they had three children. He worked as a bricklayer and died in 1983 at age 84. No military records have been identified.
The youngest brother, Archibald, married Annie Louise EVANS in 1923 (possibly after being discharged from the Royal Marine Light Infantry) and they had three children before Annie’s untimely death in 1930 at age 27. They named their son Sydney James, presumably in honour of his two brothers who died. Archibald remarried the following year to Beatrice Florence BYFORD and had three more children. He worked as a bricklayer and died in 1966 at age 64.
Family Tree
The brothers’ father James Edward Allen was one of six children born between 1853 and 1864 to William ALLEN and his wife Jane Ann JARMAN. William was a wharf foreman and agricultural labourer. Their mother Sarah GREEN was the twelfth of thirteen children, all born in Hadleigh between 1840 and 1864 to parents William GREEN (an agricultural labourer) and his wife Anne HAINESWORTH. Their first child survived, but the next four died in infancy. They had two more, then lost another child, followed by five more who all survived.
The brothers’ paternal grandfather William ALLEN was one of ten children, all born in Pebmarsh, Essex, to parents John ALLEN and Ann JARMAN. John was a corn dealer. Their paternal grandmother Jane Ann JARMAN was the only child of parents Joseph JARMAN and Jane SMITH. Joseph was a farmer and land agent. It’s more than likely that their paternal grandparents were cousins of some degree via the Jarman side.
The brothers’ maternal grandfather William GREEN was one of five children born in Hadleigh to parents William GREEN and Mary Ann ROGERS. Their maternal grandmother Anne HAINESWORTH was born in Thundersley, Essex and baptised in Rayleigh. She was one of five children born to James HAINESWORTH of Rayleigh and his wife Sarah GILBERT who was born in Oadley, Leicestershire. James and Sarah met whilst he was serving as a Private with the West Essex Militia and later worked as a labourer.
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- Allen Family Tree
Link To Hadleigh
Sidney and James were both born and lived in Hadleigh, so their place on the war memorial is easy to understand.