Saddingtons who died in World War One

Hopefully, this is a forerunner of more detailed posts in honour of the 21 Saddington men who fought and died in World War One.

The information given here is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and "Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919". This latter was an 80 volume set of books published in 1921 by HM Stationery Office, which recorded details of all the soldiers who died in World War One. Each regiment had its own volume. Officers who died in World War One were listed in a separate volume.

So, in alphabetical order by name:

Ben Saddington - Private 50630 - 10th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment - formerly Private 3448 of the Northamptonshire Regiment - died of wounds on Thursday 14th June 1917 in France - aged 23 years - buried in Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

Claridge Saddington - Private 18845 - 3rd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment - died on Tuesday 14 March 1916 in England - aged 24 years - buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard, Denford, Northamptonshire

Charles William Saddington - Private 30618 - 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment - killed in action on Thursday 3 May 1917 in France - remembered on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

Charles William Saddington - Private 202906 - A Company, 1st/4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment - formerly Private 3639, Leicestershire Yeomanry - killed in action on Sunday 22 April 1917 in France - aged 29 years - buried in Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France

David Thomas Saddington - Lance Corporal G/14206 - 19th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) - killed in action on Thursday 3rd October 1918 in Belgium - aged 39 years - buried in Bedford House Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium

Frederick Saddington - Sapper 256465 - 260th Railway Construction Company, Corps of Royal Engineers - killed in action on Monday 10th December 1917 in Belgium - aged 26 years - buried in Oxford Road Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium

Frederick William Saddington - Private G/62045 - 20th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) - formerly Private 25573, East Kent Regiment - killed in action on Saturday 28th September 1918 in Belgium - aged 18 - buried in Voormezeele Enclosure No. 3, Ypres, Belgium

George Frederick Saddington - Corporal 283 - 21st Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force - killed in action on Monday 24th April 1916 in France - aged 22 years - buried in Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, Nord, France

George Herbert Saddington - Serjeant 240289 - 2nd/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment - died of wounds on Friday 28th September 1917 in Belgium - buried in Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium

George Henry Saddington - Serjeant G/1435 - 7th Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) - awarded the Military Medal - killed in action on Friday 12th October 1917 in Belgium - aged 24 years - remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, Belgium

George Henry Saddington - Private 24954 - 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment - killed in action on Friday 15th September 1916 in France - remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

Harold James Saddington - Private 495595 - 13th (County of London) Battalion (Princess Louise's Kensington Battalion),London Regiment - killed in action on Wednesday 28th August 1918 in France - aged 19 years - buried in Queant Road Cemetery, Buissy, Pas de Calais, France

James Saddington - Corporal 587 - 40th Battalion, Australian Infantry, Australian Imperial Force - awarded the Military Medal - killed in action on Thursday 21st February 1918 in Belgium - aged 24 years - buried in Berks Cemetery Extension, Comines-Warneton, Belgium

Joe Saddington - Private 1319 - 1st/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment - died of wounds on Monday 31st May 1915 in France - buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension (Nord), Nord, France

Joseph Robert Saddington - Private 8971 - 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment - kiled in action on Thursday 27th July 1916 in France - remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France

John Thomas Saddington - Lance Corporal 11255 - 6th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry - killed in action on Monday 9th April 1917 in France - buried in Beaurains Road Cemetery, Beaurains, Pas de Calais, France

John William Saddington - Gunner 74541 - 114th Battery, 25th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery - killed in action on Sunday 20th September 1914 in France - remembered on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France

Nathan Saddington - Private 7583 - 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales'Own) - killed in action on Saturday 31st October 1914 in Belgium - remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ypres, Belgium

Thomas Saddington - Private 16/1498 - 24th Battalion (Tyneside Irish), Northumberland Fusiliers - killed in action on Monday 9th April 1917 in France - remembered on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

William Henry Saddington - Private 306959 - 2nd/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - killed in action on Thursday 3rd May 1917 in France - aged 20 years - remembered on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

William James Saddington - Private 265241 - 2nd/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - died of wounds on Saturday 12th May 1917 in France - aged 25 years - buried in Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France. For further information, please see the Craven's Part in the Great War website.

"And at the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We shall remember them."

From "For the Fallen" by Lawrence Binyon (1869-1943)

If any of these brave young men belong to your family, I would be delighted to hear more about them from you.

Queries about Obed and Eunice Saddington of Denford, Northamptonshire

Eunice is not a common forename, especially not in the Saddington family. The only Eunice that I know of so far is the Eunice Marriott, born 1828 in Tilbrook, Bedfordshire (daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth), who married Obed Saddington (son of John and Anne) on 13 September 1847 in Denford, Northamptonshire.

Obed and Eunice produced eight children, the eldest of whom was Selina Augusta, baptised in 1849 in Tilbrook, BDF - it not being unusual for young wives to go home to Mum when giving birth for the first time.

So, when I was pottering through the 1851 census on Ancestry and spotted a reference to Uness Saddington, my immediate thought was of Obed and Eunice. When I viewed the record, I was most surprised to see reference made to Frances, Uness and Deliner Saddington. On viewing the image (HO107/2095, Folio 33, Page 34), my confusion increased. Lodging with Thomas Blake and family at Blakes Lodge in the parish of Creeton in South Lincolnshire were the following:

Frances Saddington Lodger Mar 26 Rail Lab Northampton Denford
Uness Do Do Mar 24 Do Do Wife Bedford Tilbrook
Seliner Do Do - 2 - Northampton Denford

This had to be Obed, Eunice and little Selina Augusta, but why was he calling himself Frances? If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

My second query is as follows:

In the 1881 census, Obed (or Abed as he is enumerated) is living in the Sevenoaks Union Workhouse at Sundridge in Kent. He describes himself as a Railway Labourer, which fits in with other information known about him, and as a widower! See RG11/0909, Folio 119 Page 4.

Funny that! In 1881, Eunice Saddington is living at 58 Benwell Road, London, keeping house for her elder brother, Ambrose, and a young niece, Eunice H Bawn. And she is describing herself as a widow! See RG11/0268, Folio 49, Page 30.

Just what is going on? If you are descended from Obed and Eunice, and know what happened or have additional information on this family, please enlighten me!

John and Susannah Saddington of Hull, Yorkshire

Many thanks to Ann Bore (nee Saddington) for the additional information that she has given me, relating to the descendants of John and Susannah Saddington of Hull, Yorkshire.

According to the censuses, John was born in Market Overton, LEI circa 1840. His wife, Susannah, probably nee Medd, was born in Fimber, YKS circa 1844. They are believed to have married circa 1864, and raised 9 children in the Hull area, with the last being born in 1889. The children were John William, Joseph, George Richard, Fanny Louisa, Charles Ernest, Jane Ann, Amos, Tom and Elizabeth.

So far, I have information relating to the descendants of 4 of these children. If there are any other descendants of John and Susannah out there, I would be delighted to hear from them.

William Edward Saddington of London, England and Banff, Alberta, Canada 1870-1950

Just a quick snapshot of a life.

William Edward Saddington was born in Marylebone, London on 4 March 1870, the second of 4 known sons of George Saddington and Harriett Blond (nee Fear). In 1881, he was a scholar, living with his parents and siblings in Kensington, London.

However, in the late 1880s, he and his brother, Arthur Nathaniel, emigrated to Canada, specifically to Banff, Alberta. According to the book 'Pioneer Families of Southern Alberta', William arrived in Banff in 1888.

However, by 1901, he was back in England for a short time, having travelled home via South Africa and the Boer War. In the 1901 census for Great Britain, William and his father, George, are visiting William's aunt, Emma Fear, in St Albans, Hertfordshire. His occupation is given as 'Trooper - Strathcona Horse'. This is a shortened title for Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians).

Lord Strathcona's Horse had been the Third Contingent of Canadian forces to sail for South Africa, leaving Halifax on 11 March 1900 on the SS Monterey, and arriving in Cape Town on 11 April 1900. William was in "B Squadron".

The 1901 census for Canada took place on 31 March 1901, the same day as the census for Great Britain. Somehow, William managed the amazing feat of being on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time. As you will see from this transcription, William was also lodging with his brother, Arthur, in the home of George M Fear, who was probably an uncle or cousin on his mother's side.

In 1903, again according to 'Pioneer Families of Alberta', William married Emily Mary Burton in Ottawa, Ontario, and eventually became the father of three children, George, Marion and Elsie.

However, William's military days were not over yet. With World War One well under way, on 24 March 1916, William signed up for the Canadian Over-seas Expeditionary Force. His Attestation Form can be seen at the head of this post and can be accessed via the Soldiers of the First World War section of Library and Archives Canada. The form states that he fought in South Africa with the Strathcona Horse.

We know that William came home safely, as 'Pioneer Families of Alberta' states that he died in Banff in 1950, his wife, Emily, having predeceased him by two years. But does anybody know any more about William Edward Saddington? Any information gratefully received.