
Henry was born to William and Francis on 7th November 1886 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, their fourth of five children listed on the 1891 census when Henry was aged four. The family lived at Speldhurst, Kent.
He worked as a house boy before he joined the Navy for twelve years service on 3rd November 1902, noted as being 5’3” tall when fully grown at eighteen, having brown hair and grey eyes. His service record followed:-
HMS IMPREGNABLE - 03/11/1902 - 27/04/1904, entered as a Boy 2nd Class, rising to Boy 1st Class on 20/08/1903
HMS BOSCAWEN III - 28/04/1904 - 14/06/1904
HMS JUPITER - 15/06/1904 - 26/01/1905, rising to Ordinary Seaman on 07/11/1904
HMS PEMBROKE - 27/01/1905 - 28/06/1905
HMS ARGONAUT - 29/09/1905 - 04/04/1907, rising in rank to Able Seaman on 09/10/1906
HMS NATAL - 05/04/1907 - 21/06/1907
HMS BERWICK - 22/06/1907 - 11/07/1907
HMS NATAL - 12/07/1907 - 06/04/1908
HMS LANCASTER - 07/04/1908 - 30/05/1910
HMS PEMBROKE - 31/05/1910 - 06/01/1911
HMS ANTRIM - 07/01/1911 - 04/03/1912
HMS SHANNON - 08/03/1912 - 09/03/1912
HMS PEMBROKE I - 10/03/1912 - 30/03/1914
HMS VANGUARD - 31/03/1914 - 09/07/1917
Henry served on the dreadnought Vanguard during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and was awarded the war medals Star, Victory and British following his death, with all being issued to his father. His pension was awarded to his mother. He is remembered in perpetuity on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
#317 - 287/843
Sources:
1891 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free BMD
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 008 (1914 - 1919)
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 393
CWGC Register
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 102
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/8; Scan Number: 0359
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Naval Pensions Ledger; Reference: 542931
United Kingdom, Battle of Jutland Crew Lists, 1916
Photo courtesy of Sue Mcleod
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