William Arthur Higton

  General Notes:

W.A. Higton
Age at death:20
Born: Dulwich
Full name:William Arthur Higton
Service, Regiment, Corps, etc:East Surrey Regiment
Unit, ship, etc:7th Battalion
Enlisted:Kingston upon Thames
Rank:Private S/7203
Decorations:
War (and theatre):WW1
Date of death:30 July 1917
Manner of death:DOW
Family details:Son of Frederick P and Emily Higton, 65 Trigon Road, Clapham, London
Residence:
Home department:Board of Trade - Bankruptcy Department (High Court)
Civilian rank:Personal Clerk
Cemetery or memorial:Tottenham & Wood Green Cemetery (Gen.7304 Screen Wall)

Additional information and photographs William Higton is noted on a Board of Trade list of April 1918 as having been in the 4th Battalion (Extra Reserve) of the East Surrey Regiment. The following information has been supplied by Mark Higton, his great-nephew, and we are grateful for his assistance. William Arthur Higton was the second son of Frederick Percival Higton, HD Clerk/Law Attendant at the High Court, late of the Blues and Royals, and Emily Alice Higton, nee Webb, a Curator at the National Portrait Gallery. He was wounded in action during the 3rd Battle of Arras but succumbed to wounds received, dying on the Monday 30th July 1917. The family have his British War Medal and his Medal Index Card states he was also entitled to the Victory Medal but it is believed that this was returned by his mother. It was at her insistence that all her sons should serve if they were able and, although his loss was felt most keenly, she wished his death to be recognised only by that award which was granted to all serving members of His Majesty's Armed Forces. His brother Walter Edmund Higton was a Col. Sgt. Maj. in the 1st Imperial Australian Infantry, serving in Gallipoli and France, where he won the Military Medal during the Battle of Hargicourt between 18-21 September 1918. Sadly, Walter died in the 1930s from the effects of the wounds he had received during the Great War. His cousin, William Albert Evans, RFA, had served at Mons and had been killed in action some three months before William during the 2nd Battle of Arras. William Arthur Higton was survived by his parents, five brothers and two sisters. He was greatly missed. William's great, great grandfather was John Higton, an artist who exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1795 - 1815, originally born in Virginia. The family had been Loyalists and returned with Cornwallis. William's great grandfather John Higton was a civil servant, being an Officer of Excise, as was his grandfather, Frederick William Higton. As mentioned above, William's father was HD Clerk/Law Court Attendant at the High Court and probably helped secure William's position. William therefore came from a long line of civil servants, of which he was the last.

  Burial Notes:

Gen. 7304 (Screen Wall).

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 1901, 18 Crogsland Rd., St Pancras, London. Age 4 years, living at 18 Crogsland Rd, St Pancras with parents
Frederick P. (36) and Emily (35) and siblings Violet V. (13),
Frederick P. (12), Walter E. (10), Bella F. (5), Albert (1) and
Stanley (2 months).