Ashby, T
THOMAS ASHBY
Remembered with honour City of Paris Cemetery: Plot 19, Row 1B, Grave 1.
He originally enlisted in Hounslow, Middx, 27 March 1900, a gardener aged 18, 5’4″ tall, a Baptist of Abbot’s Langley, Herts, as RF/7959 Royal Fusiliers. He was transferred to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 16 November 1903, and transferred to the Army Reserve 26 March 1908. During his first ‘tours of duty’ he was posted to Gibraltar, Egypt, Malta and Cyprus. He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 13 August 1914, and died at the Auxiliary Hospital, Paris, 24 September 1914 or 5 October* 1914. Unfortunately, Thomas’ W.W.1 Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There are articles about Thomas in the Watford Illustrated, and the West Herts and Watford Observer both dated 10 October 1914, and the St Michael’s Parish Magazine dated November 1914.
Son of Walter Henry and Sarah Ann (nee VINE) ASHBY; husband of Clara (formerly SPARKS, nee WATSON) ASHBY of Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
His parents married 10 August 1872 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. Sarah died 1920 in the Watford district aged 70; Walter died 1923 in the Winchester, Hants, district aged 73.
Thomas was born 1882 in Abbot’s Langley or Bedmond, Herts, and baptised 5 March 1882 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. He married 25 April 1910 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. Clara possibly remarried 1928 in the Rochford, Essex, district to Thomas H HODGSON and, if so, died 1933 in the Rochford district aged 53.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 9 he lived in Abbot’s Langley, with his parents and six siblings. On the 1901 Census, he was serving with the Army, somewhere. On the 1911 Census, a laundryman aged 29 he lived in Watford, with his wife and no children.
Service number
5636Rank
Lance-CorporalUnit
2nd BattalionRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
24/09/1914Age at death
32Place of death
Memorial(s)
Notes
The date of Thomas' death is given as 24 September in two sources, 5 October in two other sources!- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)