Edward Bambridge

Text of Headstone

In Loving Memory
of
EDWARD
Who Died April 5^th 1918
Aged 24 Years
Also HERBERT
Who died in Egypt March 27^th 1917
Aged 21 Years
Beloved Sons of Edward and
Mary Ann Bambridge
at Rest

Edward Bambridge was born in Lindsell on 22nd July 1893.

In 1911 Edward is recorded as being a Stockman on a Farm in East Hanningfield. At the time of his enlistment his occupation is given as Labourer.

His medical examination described him as being 5' 2" tall, weighing 100 lbs, Chest size 32", with brown eyes and brown hair. His religion was described as Wesleyan.

He was attested on 30th August 1914 and posted for training on 5th September 1914.

He enlisted as 3/2466 Private soldier with the 9th Battalion, the Essex Regiment on 7th November 1915. The service number indicates previous military service of some kind, possibly territorial)

His service records indicates he was sent to France on 30th May 1916.

He was invalided out of the army and sent home on 20th February 1918, and subsequently died on 5th April 1918, aged 24. His death certificate shows he died at an Isolation Hospital in Romford of Tuberculosis of Lungs, Cardiac Failure. His death was registered by his aunt W. Reely who lived at 30 Shrewsbury Road, Forest Gate.

Edward was buried at the Congregational Church Cemetery, in Chelmsford Road, Felsted. Edward is remembered on our village memorials and also on the memorial at East Hanningfield but having been invalided out of the army he is not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The memorial stone on his grave also commemorates his brother Herbert.

Herbert W. Bambridge

In 1911 Herbert is working as a General Farm Labourer.

Herbert served as a Private soldier with the 5th Battalion the Essex Regiment.

He was killed in action in Palestine at the First Battle of Gaza on 27th March 1917 aged 22. He is remembered on the Jerusalem Memorial with many others who have no known grave. As well as being recorded on our village memorials, Herbert like his brother Edward is also commemorated at East Hanningfield.

Both were the sons of Edward and Mary Ann Bambridge. The family came from Lindsell, where both Edward and Herbert were born.
The 1901 census records the family as living in Lindsell:
Edward Bambridge  age 37 Agricultural Labourer
Mary Ann Bambridge  age 32
Annie May Bambridge age 14
James Charles Bambridge  age 12
Edward Bambridge  age 7
Herbert William Bambridge  age 5
Wendy Ann Bambridge age 3

In 1911 the family is living at Lodge Cottages, East Hanningfield:
Edward Bambridge - age 47 - Horseman on Farm - born Lindsell
Mary Ann Bambridge - 42 - born Great Easton
James Charles Bambridge - 22 - Horseman On Farm - born Lindsell
Edward Bambridge - 17 - Stock Man on Farm - born Lindsell
Herbert William Bambridge - 15- General Labour on Farm - born Lindsell
Wendy Ann Bambridge - 13 - School - born Lindsell
Walter Richard Bambridge - 9 - School - born Lindsell
Doris May Bambridge - 7 - School - born Lindsell
Norman Bambridge - 1 - born, Little Totham

By the end of the war Edward and Mary Ann are living at Hartford End.

One has to feel a great deal of sympathy for Edward and Mary Ann. Not only did they loose two sons in the First World War, a search of the cemetery also shows that they had another son in 1902, Walter who died aged 28 in 1930. His grave also became the resting place for Edward and Mary Ann.