Albert Edgar NEVILLE (1893–1918)
Albert Edgar Neville was born in New Headington on 1 December 1893, the son of James Frederick Neville, known as Frederick (born in Headington in 1855 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 20 May) and Mary Webb (born in Stanton St John in 1855/6 and baptised there on 3 February 1856).
At the time of the 1881 census Albert’s father Frederick Neville (25) was working as a general labourer and living with his parents and siblings in New Headington, while his mother Mary Webb (26) was living in Stanton St John village with her widowed father Thomas (75) and her brother Thomas junior (26), who were both agricultural labourers.
Albert's father was a gardener of New Headington and his mother was living at 26 Winchester Road (probably in service) when they were married at Ss Philip & James's Church in north Oxford on 28 March 1888. They had four sons, but only two survived infancy:
- Frederick James Neville (born in Headington on 8 November 1889 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 5 January 1890);
died aged 4 and buried at Headington Cemetery on 12 July 1894 - Thomas Edward Neville (born in Headington on 16 September 1891 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 29 November)
- Albert Edgar Neville (born in Headington on 1 December 1893 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 25 February 1894)
- Ernest Neville (born in Headington on 10 April 1896 and baptised at St Andrew’s Church on 21 June);
died aged ten months and buried at Headington Cemetery on 20 February 1897.
Albert's parents settled in Headington after their marriage. At the time of the 1891 census shows them living with their firstborn son Frederick at 11 Windsor Street (then numbered 5). Albert was born there in 1893.
At the time of the 1901 census Albert (7) was living at 11 Windsor Street with his father James (46), who was still a gardener, his mother Mary (43), and his only surviving brother Thomas (9).
Albert’s father James Frederick Neville died in 1909 at the age of 56 and was buried at Headington Cemetery on 27 May.
In 1910 New Headington village, including Windsor Street, was taken into the new parish of Highfield.
At the time of the 1911 census Albert (17) was working as a nurseryman (possibly at the nearby Mattock's nurseries) and was living with his widowed mother Mary (55) and his brother Thomas (19), who was a house painter.
In the First World War Albert Edgar Neville served as a Private in 4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Service No. 202069). He died in France at the age of 24 on 30 June 1918, probably as a German prisoner-of-war.
He is buried at the Sarralbe Military Cemetery (A. 9), and his war grave there has the added words “REST IN PEACE”. (Only 40% of war headstones bear an inscription such as this near their base: the main inscription was free, but families had to pay 3½d per letter for a personal message.)
He is remembered on the roll of honour of All Saints’ Church, Highfield.
Postscript
Albert’s mother
- Mrs Mary Neville was still living at 11 Windsor Street at the time of the 1921 census with her married son Thomas and his wife. She died in Oxford at the age of 77 in 1933.
Albert’s only surviving brother
- Thomas Edward Neville (born 1891) married Elsie King at Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwick on 2 August 1919. They moved into 11 Windsor Street in Headington with his widowed mother, and remained there after her death. Thomas can be seen there in the 1939 Register, when he was still working as a house painter with his wife. He remained there until the late 1960s, and died in the Bullingdon registration district near the beginning of 1974. He does not appear to have had any children.