First World War in Headington & Marston
Roll of Honour of St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington

Harry SMITH (1898–1916)

Harry Smith was born in Old Headington in 1898, the son of Thomas James Smith (born in Beckley and baptised there on 18 March 1851) and Jane Martha Jacobs (born in Barton and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 25 March 1860).

His parents were married at St Andrew’s Church on 16 December 1876 and had seventeen children, of whom only eleven were still alive in 1911:

• Harriet Annie Smith (born in Barton and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 26 January 1879)
• Edwin William Smith (born in Barton on 8 February 1880 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 28 March 1880; died aged 11 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 1 February 1881)
• William Smith (born on 5 June 1881 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 31 July 1881; died aged 17 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 14 October 1882)
• Thomas Smith (born in Headington in 1882/3, registered first quarter of 1883; present in 1891 census)
• Henry Smith (born on 30 October 1884 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 30 November 1884; died aged 20 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 12 September 1896)
• [Probably]: Harry Smith, born in Headington in 1885; died aged 4 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 2 January 1886)
• Louisa Princess Smith (born in New Headington on 31 July 1887 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 11 September 1887)
• [Probably born prematurely]: Ann Smith, died aged 12 hours, buried at Headington Cemetery on 10 March 1888)
• Mary Elizabeth Smith (born in New Headington and privately baptised via St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 12 April 1889)
• Dorothy Emily Smith (born in Old Headington on 10 August 1891 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 6 September 1891)
• James Smith (“Jim”) (born in Old Headington on 9 February 1893 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 2 April 1893)
• Harry or Henry Smith (born in Old Headington on 19 December 1894 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 10 February 1895; died aged 20 months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 12 September 1896)
• Jessie Beatrice Smith (born in Church Street, Old Headington on 2 December 1896 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 7 February 1897)
• Harry Smith (born in Old Headington on 22 August 1898 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 23 October 1898)
• Margaret Lilian Smith (“Maggie”) (born in Old Headington on 29 October 1900 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 29 October 1900)
• William Smith (born in Church Street, Old Headington on 28 January 1902 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 5 April 1903)
• Florence Mary Smith (born in Church Street, Old Headington on 4 March 1905 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington on 7 May 1905).

Harry’s father was a general/mason’s labourer. His mother, who was illiterate, was only 16 at the time of their wedding, and as the couple started off their married life in Barton, it is likely that they were living with her parents.

By 1881 they had a home of their own in New Headington. Harry’s mother Jane (21) was working as a laundress as well as looking after her first child; her second child had already died, and her third was on its way. Jane’s widowed mother Elizabeth (51, and also a laundress) and her brother Thomas (15) were also living with them.

By 1891 the family had moved to St Andrew’s Road, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Of their nine children, five were already dead; those still alive were Harriet (13), Tom (8), Louisa (4), and Mary (2).

Their house only had four rooms (including the kitchen), and was probably one of the old thatched cottages that used to stand to the west of St Andrew’s Church (below):

The eldest daughter, Harriet, was married by the time of the 1901 census and Tom appears to have gone, leaving Louisa (13) and Mary (12) still at home; but in the intervening ten years six more children had been born, of whom five had survived: Dorothy (9), James (8), Jessie (5), Harry (2), and Margaret (5 months).

By 1911 Jane had given birth to two more children, making a total of eighteen live births, and she had continued to work as a laundress throughout. Only the seven youngest surviving children were still at home, namely Dorothy (19), who was engaged in domestic service; Jim (18), who was a farm labourer; and Jessie (14), who had no occupation listed but doubtless helped with the housework and laundry; and finally Harry himself (12) and his younger siblings Maggie (10), William (8), and Florence (6), who were all still at school.

 

In the First World War Harry Smith served as a Private in the 8th Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Service No. 16287).

He was wounded in action in France on 8 December 1915, and died there on 4 March 1916. He is buried in the Lapugnoy Military Cemetery (I.E.27). He is listed on the Roll of Honour of St Andrew’s Church, Old Headington.

Harry Smith was six months short of his eighteenth birthday when he died, so it appears he was a volunteer who like many boys lied about his age in order to enlist.

 

 

Left: Photograph of Harry Smith’s grave in Corbie, France, kindly supplied by British War Graves. The text reads:

[Emblem of the
Royal Berkshire Regiment]

16287 PRIVATE
H. SMITH
ROYAL BERKSHIRE REGIMENT
4TH MARCH 1916

†