War Memorial – Hadleigh, Essex
The St James The Less church WWI plaque lists C EADE as having died in 1915, and the memorial plaque names him as Charles EADE.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission states:
- Private CHARLES EADE
- Service Number: 18040
- Regiment & Unit/Ship: Bedfordshire Regiment, 2nd Bn.
- Date of Death: 16 June 1915
- Age 18 years old
- Buried or commemorated at LE TOURET MEMORIAL, France. Panel 10 and 11.
- Country of Service: United Kingdom
- Additional Info: Son of Simeon and Mary Ann Eade, of Dove Cottage, Weeley Heath, Essex.
Charles EADE
Charles EADE was born 5th May 1895 at Weeley Heath, Essex. He was the ninth of eleven children born to Simeon EADE, an agricultural labourer and local preacher, and Mary Ann STRUTT.
Simeon and Mary Ann married in 1879 in Weeley Heath where all their children were born. Of their eleven children, they lost the last two in infancy and two of their three sons during WWI.
- Arthur Edward Eade (7 Jan 1881 – 18 Feb 1969) – married Alice Emma Watcham in 1901; Bricklayer
- Alice Eade (1883 – 22 Jul 1934) – married George Piper in 1921
- Emily Eade (5 May 1885 – 1978) – married William Ebenezer Nevard in 1910
- Annie Beatrice Eade (1 Jun 1887 – 18 Feb 1985) – married Harry John Hume in 1914
- Ada Eade (20 Jan 1889 – 28 Oct 1973) – married Albert Watcham in 1920 (brother of Alice, above)
- Ethel Eade (1890 – ?) – married Harry Mills in 1924
- Frederick Eade ( 1892 – 24 Aug 1914, age 22) – unmarried
- Clara Eade (20 Sep 1893 – 10 Sep 1955) – married Reginald Steer in 1923
- Charles Eade (5th May 1895 – 16 Jun 1915, age 20) – unmarried
- Lydia Eade (1897-1897, age 0)
- Dorothy Eade (1899-1900, age 1)
When war broke out, Simeon and Mary Ann’s sons were aged 33 (Arthur), 22 (Frederick) and 19 (Charles). Frederick joined the army in mid 1900, serving with the 1st Norfolk Regiment. He disembarked at France on 16th Aug 1914 and was tragically killed in action just eight days later on 24th Aug 1914 with the rank of Lance Corporal, age 22. Frederick was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, Victory and British War Medals.
Charles enlisted as a Private into the 2nd Bedfordshire Regiment on 24th Aug 1914 at Southend-On-Sea, the same day his brother died (although he can’t have know this at the time). After ten months of training Charles disembarked at France on 8th Jun 1915 and was wounded on his first day. Then, in another terrible coincidence with his brother Frederick, died of wounds after just eight days on 16th Jun 1915. He had just turned 20. Charles was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star, Victory and British War Medals.
Almost exactly a year later, Simeon and Mary Ann’s eldest and only surviving son Arthur enlisted 5th Jun 1916. He was aged 35 with a wife and two year old daughter. Arthur served as a Private with the Northampton 8th, 3rd and 6th, and also the Bedford 4th, and served in France twice (24th Nov 1916 to 12th Dec 1917, then 14th May 1918 to 13th Sep 1918). He received a gunshot wound to his left back-side and a more severe GSW to his left hand on 30th Aug 1918, but continued to serve up until 19th Apr 1919 when he was finally discharged.
Original photographs thanks to John Birkett, great grandson of Simeon EADE.
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- Arthur Edward Eade
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- Frederick Eade
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- Charles Eade
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- Alice Eade
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- Emily Eade
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- Annie Beatrice Eade
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- Ada Eade
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- Ethel Eade
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- Clara Eade
Emily‘s husband William Ebenezer NEVARD served with the RAF, and prior to all their marriages, Annie‘s husband Harry John HUME served with the Norfolk Regiment, Ada‘s husband Albert WATCHMAN served with the Essex Regiment, and Clara‘s husband Reginald STEER served with the Machine Gun Corps. Alice’s husband was nearly twenty years older than her, so was about 50 when the war started (they were 38 and 57 when they married in 1921). I’ve not been able to trace Ethel or her husband Harry MILLS at all.
Simeon and Mary Ann lived in Weeley Heath until they died, Simeon on 13th Aug 1929 aged 71 and Mary Ann on 11th Dec 1943 aged 84.
EADE Family Tree
Like Charles’s father, his grandfathers and great grandfathers were all agricultural labourers. All his ancestors came from Essex.
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- Eade Family Tree
Link To Hadleigh
Charles enlisted at Southend-On-Sea (about 5 miles from Hadleigh) but the online transcription states he was living in Weeley. I believe this to be an error and he was actually living with his sister Emily and her husband William NEVARD at Hadleigh at this time (they lived on the High Street in 1912, and Woodfield Road from at least 1918 to 1929).