James Henry Tearle 1891 Willesden
Here is his service record from the CWGC
Name: TEARLE Initials: J H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Rifleman
Regiment/Service: Rifle Brigade Unit Text: 12th Bn.
Age: 26 Date of Death: 16/03/1917 Service No: S/21464
Additional information: Son of John and Alice Tearle, of Willesden, London; husband of Dorothy Amelia Tearle, of 123, Malvern Rd., West Kilburn, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: V. A. 2.
Cemetery: SAILLY-SAILLISEL BRITISH CEMETERY
James was born in Paddington, says SDGW. The CWGC adds that he was 26 when he died, hence b1891.
It took me a while to find out the story of this family, but Barbara Tearle of Oxford reminded us that John and Alice are actually Jonathan and Alice, and that Jonathan 1862 Stbg was a son of William 1832 Stbg and Catharine nee Fountain. Here are two brothers, members of my own family, who have gone to Willesden. So I have a common ancestor for them. The third family, below, is proving more difficult; and Elizabeth, the mother of Rowland, is quite problematical.
I have solved the mystery of the Willesden Tearles and you can read how the cell formed and how it operated here; the families involved knew each other and they were aware of their relationships. There are four of them who I shall discuss here: John 1856 of Stanbridge, Thomas 1859 Stanbridge, Jonathon 1862 Stbg and Alice. And Elizabeth, the mother of Rowland Grigg Tearle. Firstly, Thomas:
Introduction
Brian Tearle has asked me to see if I can find his Willesden ancestors. This is what I have found out so far:
Brian's father is Charles Walter Yule Tearle, b1919 in Harlesden, Willesden, Mdx.
Brian has sent me Charle's birth certificate and his parents are George Tearle and Emma nee Rodgers. George was a "Private Royal Army Medical Corps, General Carman." They were living in Carlyle Ave, Harlesden. Charles joined the army, too and was a sapper in the Royal Engineers.
I am very certain that this George is the 12-yr old in Willesden in the 1901 census. His parents are John 45 (hence b1856) Stbg and Elizabeth of Northall. John is a Foreman Platelayer on the railway. His eldest son, John 22, is a Stoker. George is said to have been born in Stonebridge, Mdx.
1901 John 1856 Stbg Elizabeth 45 John 22 Louisa 18 George 12 Horace 5 Freda 4 Herbert C 1 in Willesden Mdx
In 1891, John and Elizabeth are living in 5 Melville Rd, Willesden and he calls himself a General Labourer.
1891 John 1856 Stbg Elizabeth 35 John 12 Laura 8 Arthur 4 George 2 Ethel 4m in Willisden Mdx
Now, this is the interesting bit:
In 1881, John and his new wife are in Northall, but they have with them their new son, who was born in Middlesex. I found their marriage:
Name: John Tearle
Year of Registration: 1877
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Leighton Buzzard
County: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire
Volume: 3b
Page: 895
and she is Elizabeth Tompkins of Eaton Bray. The certificate says John’s residence at the time of marriage was Northall and his father was John Tearle, Labourer. Also interestingly, they are living in a house immediately next door to John and Charlotte Irons.
1881 John 1857 Stbg Elizabeth 24 Northall John 2 Mdx in Northall
In 1871, John is 15ys and living with John and Charlotte Irons - he is John's nephew. I cannot find the relationship.
1871 John 1856 Stbg neph John Irons 56 Charlotte 53 in Northall
In 1861, John is 5yrs old, living in the household of his uncle John and Charlotte Irons. He is their nephew.
1861 John 1856 Stbg nephew of John Irons 41 Charlotte 1818 Edels in Northall
I simply cannot find the link that makes John Tearle a nephew of John Irons.
Richard Tearle has pointed out the following:
“As I'm sure you're aware, Willesden, Harlesden and Stonebridge are very close together in London and, all of these places tie in with Watford and Leighton Buzzard as being important places on the (then) fairly new LNWR line from Euston to Scotland (via Preston!!)”
Sydney Thomas Tearle 1895 Hammersmith
Here is his service record from the CWGC:
Name: TEARLE, SYDNEY THOMAS Initials: S T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lance Serjeant Regiment/Service: Royal Scots
Unit Text: 1st/9th Bn.
Age: 21 Date of Death: 09/04/1917
Service No: 350354
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Pamela Tearle, of
47 Goodhall St., Willesden, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: V. A. 6.
Cemetery: NINE ELMS MILITARY CEMETERY, THELUS
Almost all the British casualties died in April 1917, says the CWGC. Given the date and the place, it is likely that Sydney was fighting for Bapaume with the ANZACs and the Canadians, not far from Calais, in the area of the Somme. I think this is all about Wipers. He was in the Lothian Regiment (!) says SDGW (Soldiers Died in the Great War)
Given their address - Willesden - I have discovered and written up the story of the relationship of this couple with Elizabeth, the mother of Rowland Grigg Tearle, who was also a WW1 casualty and close in age to Sydney. Sydney’s parents were Thomas 1859 of Stanbridge and Pamela. nee Andrews 1860 Eggington. His grandparents were William 1832 of Stanbridge and Catherine nee Fountain. The parents of William 1832 were Thomas 1805 and Mary nee Garner, so you can see William is the brother of James (my ggg-father) and John the sexton, of the side-by-side headstones in Stanbridge. Thomas’ parents were Richard 1772 and Elizabeth nee Bodsworth and Richard’s parents were John 1741 and Martha nee Archer. Thus Sydney is of the branch John 1741. Here are the census summaries for Thomas. You can see that in 1871, at 13yrs he is a servant for John Olney, a farmer on the Tilsworth road very close to the intersection with the Eggington Rd, almost opposite the church, so he is not living on the farm itself, I shouldn’t think.
1871 = Thomas 1858 Stbg servant in Stbg
In 1881 we find out that the newly-married Thomas is a Railway Labourer and living in Linslade. This probably means he was working on the Leighton Buzzard railway, which goes to Euston Station in London. We see that Pamela is from Eggington; we can assume that he has met her while he worked for John Olney, living so close to Eggington.
1881 = Thomas 1859 Stbg Pamela 21 in Linslade
In 1891 Thomas and Pamela are in Letchfold Gardens, Hammersmith, London. They have had two children in Leighton Buzzard (Linslade is 200m from Market Sq, LB) and two children in Hammersmith. They are living next door to John Backhouse from Leighton Buzzard and they may have followed him down to London, because their youngest children are close in age, and all born in Hammersmith. Unfortunately, they are listed only as Labourers, so there is no telling if he is still working on the railways.
1891 Thomas 1859 Stbg Pamela 31 Maud 7 Dora 5 Emily 8m in Hammersmith LON
In 1901 we can see young Sydney. Thomas and Pamela are living in the Railway Cottages, Hammersmith, not far from Hythe Rd. Thomas is definitely working on the railways - he is a Railway Engine Driver.
1901 = Thomas 1860 Stbg Pamela 40 Maude 17 Dora 12 Emily 10 Horace 8 Sidney 5 Mabel 4 Harold 5m in Hammersmith.
This looks like his birth certificate:
Name: Sidney Thomas Tearle Year of Registration: 1895 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec District: Fulham County: Greater London, London, Middlesex Volume: 1a Page: 191
There is a memorial to Sydney on the World War 1 memorial to Caledonian Railway Employees at the Glasgow Central Station. Richard says the line ran from Glasgow to Carlisle. I’d still like to know how he came to be working for the Caledonian Railways...
Nine Elms cemetery near Thelus. Picture CWGC
This is George, who married Ellen nee Rogers. He was at this address for the birth of two of his children. I have their birth certificates. I think he is George 1883, son of Jonathon Tearle of Stanbridge, which would make him James’ brother.
Private, Royal Medical Army Corps. 77 Carlyle Avenue, Willesden, London NW10 .National Roll says that he joined in September 1916, but owing to the loss of an eye before enlistment was unfit for foreign service. “For three years he was engaged at various stations on special duties in connection with the wounded, carrying the injured men from the boats to the hospitals. He rendered valuable services before being demobilised in September 1919.”
QuickFind
When Arthur joined the army on 29 Oct 1914, he gave his address as 63 Hamilton Rd, Dollis Hill, Willesden. He was given the service number 3063 and enlisted for the 3rd (Reserve) Bn City of London Regt. (RF) and given the rank of private. In Dec 1915 he was fighting the Turks in Gallipoli where he caught typhus. He was invalided to the military hospital in Malta and then home to England. He was put in the care of Chelsea Hospital and discharged from the army on 27 Oct 1916 as permanently unfit for military service. He was given a small army pension, which was stopped on 11 Nov 1919. He received the British Star and Victory medals. Because of his association with the ANZACs I have written his story in much more detail and you are welcome to read it here.