Albert Joseph KISLINGBURY (1894–1918)
Albert Joseph Kislingbury (who was originally named Joseph Albert) was born in Headington Quarry in 1894, the son of William Henry Kislingbury (born at Ipsden in Berkshire and baptised there on 31 August 1856) and Lucy Hockin or Hawkins (born in Jericho, Oxford in 1861).
Albert’s mother Lucy gave birth to her first child just before her wedding. His parents were married in the Headington registration district in the fourth quarter of 1880, and had eleven children in all:
- Lucy Kislingbury Hawkins (born in Headington Quarry in about October 1880, and although described at her baptism at Holy Trinity church on 28 November 1880 as the daughter of Lucy Hawkins, single woman, she was registered as Lucy Kislingbury after the wedding). She appears to have died between 1881 and 1891
- Eliza Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1883, registered second quarter)
- Matilda Ann Kislingbury, known as Tilly (born in Headington Quarry in 1885, registered third quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 27 September 1885)
- Edith Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1887, registered second quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 June 1887)
- Ernest Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 28 July 1889)
- William Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 20 May 1891)
- Albert Joseph Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1894, registered second quarter and baptised as “Joseph Albert” at Holy Trinity Church on 24 June 1894)
- Edward George Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1896, registered third quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 9 August 1896)
- Leslie Arthur Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1898, registered third quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 31 July 1898)
- Henry Kislingbury (born in about February 1901 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry on 7 April 1901, died age 21 months, buried in the churchyard on 8 December 1902)
- Hannah Mary Kislingbury (born in Headington Quarry in 1903/4, registered first quarter and baptised at Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry on 31 January 1904).
Albert’s father was a bricklayer. At the time of the 1881 census he was living at The Pitts in Headington Quarry with his wife and their first child Lucy, who was six months old.
At the time of the 1891 census Albert’s parents were living at Quarry High Street (then called Main Road) with their first four legitimate children: Eliza (8), Matilda (6), Edith (3), and Ernest (1).
They were still at Quarry High Street in 1901, with eight of their children: Matilda (15), Edith (13), Ernest (11), William (9), Joseph Albert himself (6), Edward (4), Leslie (2), and Henry (1 month). Their eldest child Eliza (19) was now working as a between-maid at Stamford House in Radcliffe Square, Oxford.
In 1911, seven children were still living at Quarry High Street with their parents: Matilda (25), Ernest (21) and William (19) who were carters, Joseph Albert himself (16), who was a brickyard labourer, Edward (14), who was a printer’s labourer, Leslie (12), and Hannah (7). Eliza (29) was now married, and Edith (23) was the general servant of the grocer & wine merchant Ernest Underhill of 15 St Clement’s.
By 1915 the Kislingbury family had moved to the part of Old Road that lies in Quarry parish, probably the present No. 97 (where they were living in the 1920s).
In the First World War Albert Kislingbury volunteered to served in 1915, along with his brothers Ernest, William and Edward. He was a Private in the 2nd/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 200927), and was killed in action in France aged 24 on 21 March 1918.
He was buried at the Chapelle British Cemetery, Holnon (V. E. 10), and is listed on the stone plaque in the porch of Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry.
Four Kislingbury brothers who all served in the same battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Albert (on the left) died; Ernest, Edward, and William survived
About twenty years after his death, the following words were added to his parents’ grave (shown below), with Albert Joseph Kislingbury’s age wrongly given as 23 instead of 24:
ALSO OF ALBERT JOSEPH,
SON OF THE ABOVE,
KILLED AT ST. QUINTON MARCH 21ST 1918
AGED 23 YEARS
Postscript
Albert’s parents
- William Kislingbury died at the age of 72 and was buried at Holy Trinity churchyard on 11 February 1929.
- Lucy Kislingbury died at the age of 76 and was buried with him on 5 May 1938. They lived at the house now numbered 97 Old Road (on the eastern corner of York Road).
Albert’s siblings
- Eliza Kislingbury (born 1883) married the carriage proprietor Edward George Green in the Headington registration district in the third quarter of 1909. They initially lived in Pubrook, Hampshire, but had moved back to Titup by 1919. They had five children: Edith Mary Green (born in Pubrook on 8 October 1909 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church in Quarry on 31 October 1909; Renee L. Green (born 1912/13), Florence F. Green (born 1914), Edward L. J. Green (born 1915); and Albert Joseph William Green (evidently named after her dead brother, born in Titup on 26 January 1919 and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 23 March 1919).
- Matilda Ann Kislingbury (born 1885) never married, and ran a shop at 123 Old Road (formerly numbered 35 Old Road. She died at 123 Old Road the age of 88 on 26 April 1975 and was buried in the same grave as Harry Bedoes Lambert, who had died at 123 Old Road at the age of 46 on 11 March 1929. He was the illegitimate son of Mary Anne Lambert, baptised at Holy Trinity on 24 September 1882 and adopted by Richard & Jane Kimber of Titup.
- Edith Kislingbury (born 1887) married William F. Cooper in the Headington registration district in the second quarter of 1913. They had two sons whose births were registered in the Headington district: William F. Cooper (1913) and Reginald C. Cooper (1914).
- Ernest Kislingbury (born 1889) married Mary Kerry in the Banbury registration district in the second quarter of 1917. The births of their two children were registered in the Oxford district: Louisa L. Kislingbury (first quarter of 1936) and Lorna L. L. Kislingbury (third quarter of 1938). Ernest died on 2 May 1950 at the age of 50 and was buried in Holy Trinity churchyard and his wife Mary died at the age of 86 on 17 August 1979 and was buried with him.
- William Kislingbury (born 1891) married Laura A. Surman in the Headington registration district in the third quarter of 1919. They lived in Titup and had two children baptised at Holy Trinity Church: Joseph Alfred William Kislingbury (baptised on 25 April 1920) and Doris May Kislingbury (born on 25 February 1921 and baptised on 9 March 1921).
- Edward George Kislingbury (born 1896) worked as a monotype attendant. He married Rose Poole at Holy Trinity Church on 21 April 1924, and the birth of their daughter Eileen R. K. Poole was registered in the Leighton Buzzard district in the fourth quarter of 1924.
- Leslie Arthur Kislingbury (born 1898) does not appear to have married. He continued to live in the family house at 97 Old Road until at least 1973.
See also
- CWGC: A. J. Kislingbury (age given as 24 here, 23 on his gravestone)
- Oxford Journal Illustrated, 21 April 1915 , “Four ‘Headingtonians’ ready for the front”: photograph of Arthur Kislingbury and his three brothers (shown above with kind permission of Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre)
- G. K. Rose, The story of the 2/4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (1920) Online here
- Wikipedia: Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Back to Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry roll of honour