First World War in Headington & Marston
Roll of Honour of Holy Trinity Church, Headington Quarry

Charles Frederick Ward (1868–1915)

Charles Frederick Ward was born in Headington Quarry in 1868, the son of James Ward (born in Headington on 24 October 1812 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 27 December 1812) and Louisa Foster (born in Headington in c.1828).

His parents were married at St Andrew’s Church on 13 September 1847 and had the following children:

• Elizabeth Ann Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 10 June 1849, buried there as Elizabeth Jane Ward on 25 November 1849)
• William Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 26 November 1851)
• John Thomas Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 6 August 1854)
• James Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 27 January 1856)
• Elizabeth Louisa Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 1 August 1858)
• Mark Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 6 July 1862)
• Sarah Anne Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 18 June 1865, died aged two, buried in the churchyard on 20 October 1867)
• Charles Frederick Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 29 November 1868)
• George William Ward (born in Headington Quarry and baptised at Holy Trinity Church on 30 April 1874, died age nine months, buried in the churchyard on 13 January 1875).

Charles’s parents, James and “Luezer” Ward can be seen in the 1851 census living in Quarry: James was a brick labourer and Louisa a laundress, and there were no children, as their firstborn had died in 1849. By the time of the 1861 census they had four children, all at school.

By the time of the 1871 census there were six surviving children at home: William (19), John (16), and James (14) were all working as labourers, Elizabeth (12) was doubtless helping her mother, Mark (9) was at school, and the youngest was Charles himself, aged two.

In the 1881 census their address in Quarry is specified as The Hammel, and the household comprised Charles’s parents, their children John (26), who was still a general labourer, Mark (19), and Charles (12), who was still at school, their granddaughter Florence Trafford (1), and also Charles’s unmarried uncle Charles Foster and a lodger. Three children were not at home: James (24) had joined the army in 1878 and it is likely that William (29) had too; and Elizabeth (22) was married.

In early April 1881 Charles’s father James Ward was still working as a general labourer at the age of 67, but within a month he was dead. He was buried in Holy Trinity churchyard on 4 May 1881.

On 24 October 1888, at the age of 19, Charles Ward joined the Oxfordshire Light Infantry (Service No. 3171), where he served for thirteen years. His records state that he was fresh complexioned with grey eyes and brown hair, was 5′ 8½″ tall, weighed 141 lb, and had a chest measurement of 35½″. He first served in India for over six years from September 1890 to November 1896 and then at home from 1896 to 1899. From 22 December 1800 to 14 October 1900 he was in South Africa, fighting in the Boer War.

Hence at the time of the 1891 census Charles was away in India, while back in Quarry his widowed mother was working as at home as a self-employed laundress. Three of her sons were living with her, all working as general labourers: John (36), James (34) and Mark (30). Her granddaughter Florence Trafford (11) was also still living with her. (It is unclear whose child Florence was: she may have been the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth.)

In 1893 Charles’s mother Louisa Ward died at the age of about 66. She was buried at Holy Trinity churchyard on 8 March 1893.

Charles was discharged on 15 March 1902 as unfit for military service.

At the time of the 1911 census, when he was a bachelor of 42, he was working as a bricklayer’s labourer and lodging with the Smith family in Green Edge Lane, Headington Quarry.

By the time of the war he lived in Chapel Terrace in Quarry, which is the row of houses near the Methodist Chapel in Quarry High Street. He was probably living with his brother John, who (as his parents were dead) was his next of kin.

On 17 October 1914, soon after the start of the First World War, Charles Frederick Ward, aged 45, signed up for one year with the 4th (Home Service Battalion) of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Reserve (Service No. 3822).

On 19 October 1914 he was passed fit for service as a local guard in the Territorial Force, but in the event it transpired that he was suffering from valvular heart disease, and 117 days after commencing service he died. The Medical Officer said that the patient was on duty as a Bridge-Guard in November 1914, and suffered frequent colds and then shortness of breath from Christmas. He believed that the conditions to which he was exposed during the performance of his military duties caused a bronchial catarrh which materially affected the pre-existing condition of his heart. He was discharged as permanently unfit for war service on 2 February 1915.

 

Ward died at the Third Southern General Hospital in Oxford (the Examination Schools) at the age of 46 on 10 February 1915.

He was buried with full military honours in Holy Trinity churchyard three days later. In the burial register he is described as “Private, National Reserve”. He is also listed on the stone plaque in the porch of the church.

 

Left: Photograph of Charles Ward’s grave in Holy Trinity churchyard, taken in 2009. The text gives the same wrong initial for his middle name as his army record, and reads:

[Emblem of the Oxfordshire &
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry]

3822 PRIVATE
C. T. WARD
OXFORD & BUCKS. LIGHT INF.
18TH FEBRUARY 1915

†

 

Below: The 3rd Southern General Hospital where Ward died was in the Examination Schools in the High Street. (There were also annexes of the hospital in Somerville College and in the Cowley Road, but those were both in the Headington registration district, and as Ward’s death was registered in the Oxford registration district, he must have been a patient here.)