Frederick John Marchant

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Surname: Marchant
Other names: Frederick John
Other people in this story:
Henry Thomas Marchant
Elizabeth Marchant née Burt
Edith Marchant née King
Locations in this story:
St. Leonard's Church, Semley, Wiltshire
Wimborne, Dorset
Cranbourne, Dorset
Poole, Dorset
Egypt
The Glebe, Semley

Story:
Frederick John Marchant was born in Semley, Wiltshire, on 3rd November 1881 and baptised at St. Leonard's Church on 6th January 1882, the son of Henry Thomas Marchant and Elizabeth Marchant (née Burt).  His early life was spent with his family at the The Glebe, Semley, Wiltshire.   He married Edith King on 9th April 1913 in Holt, Wimborne, Dorset and they went on to have one child. 

Frederick enlisted on 27th June 1916 as a Private with the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 18657) and attached to the Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire) Regiment on 28 Jun 1916. He reverted back to the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 27863) on 22 Aug 1916 and on 29 Jan 1917 he was transferred to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders as a Lance Corporal. His moves continued with one to the 1st (Reserve Battalion) of the Worcestershire Regiment on 27 Jul 1917 (Service No. 48995) then to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Service No. 37618) on 17 Oct 1917 at which time he was posted to Egypt.  He was assessed with poor eye sight and finally transferred, on 12th March 1918, to the 36th Battery Hospital of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Service No. 145481).  He was discharged on 4th March 1919 and awarded the Victory and British War medals.  The 1921 Census shows him living at The Shop, Witchampton, Wimborne, Dorset, working as a Draper and Grocer and by the 1939 Register at The Stores, Cranbourne, Dorset, now described as a Master Grocer as well as being an ARP Warden.  He died in the Jan/Mar Quarter of 1961 in the Poole, Dorset, Registration District.

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
The National Archives
Fontmell Magna Church

Harry Dennis

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Surname: Dennis
Other names: Harry
Other people in this story:
John Dennis
Ellen Dennis née Jeffrey
Helen Dennis née Dunbar
Locations in this story:
Church Street, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset
France & Flanders
Nairn, Scotland
Merryton, Morayshire, Scotland

Story:
Harry Dennis was born on 11th November 1884 in Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset, and baptised there on 28th December 1884, the son of John Dennis and Ellen Dennis (née Jeffrey).  He lived with his family in Church Street, Fontmell Magna, until he enlisted on 6th May 1902 and joined the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment (Service No. 4696).  He transferred to the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders on 10th April 1907 and later the 6th Battalion (Service No. 8920).  On the 2nd December 1910 he transferred yet again to the 4th Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders (Service No. 899).  During this time he had progressed from the rank of Private to Sergeant.  He was posted to France at the outbreak of war and on 19th March 1915 was wounded in action and was posted back to the UK with yet another Service No. 200050.  On his recovery he joined the 7th Division (Salvage Company) of the Labour Corps as he was considered unfit for field duty (Service No. 222325).  He was discharged on 22nd February 1919 and a few days later, on 26th February 1919, married Helen Dunbar in Nairn, Scotland.   He was awarded the Victory and British War medals, the 1914/15 Star and the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.  He re-enlisted with the Labour Corps on 9th April 1920 until finally discharged on 8th April 1923.    The 1939 Register shows him living at Denson Villa, Merryton, Morayshire, Scotland, described as Laundry Manager (Proprietor).  He died in Nairn, Scotland, in 1953.

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
The National Archives
PN42

John Proudley

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Surname: Proudley
Other names: John
Other people in this story:
Joseph Proudley
Mary Jane Proudley née Bown
Bessie Maud Proudley née Phillips
Locations in this story:
Enmore Green, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Poole, Dorset
Old Wareham Road, Newton, Parkstone, Dorset
Salisbury, Wiltshire
Tout Hill, Shaftesbury
Peasemarsh, Gillingham, Dorset
Sedgehill, Wiltshire

Story:
John Proudley was born in Enmore Green, Motcombe, Shaftesbury, in 1877, the son of Joseph Proudley and Mary Jane Proudley (née Bown).  He lived his early life on Tout Hill, Shaftesbury, until the family had moved to Poole, Dorset, by 1901.   He married Maud Phillips (born Bessie Maud Phillips) at Kingstone, Poole, Dorset, on 19th May 1902 and they went on to have five children.  John enlisted on 11th December 1915 and was placed on reserve.  He was embodied on 14th June 1916 and joined the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment as a Private (Service No. 18228).  He transferred to the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders on 29th January 1917 (Service No. 28048).  He was transferred then to the Royal Defence Corps (20th Protection Company) on 27th November 1917 (Service No. 48485).  On the 28th June 1918 he was yet again transferred to the 13th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers (Service No. 61567).  Finally, on the 4th October 1918 he ended up with the 609th Agricultural Company of the Labour Corps (Final Service No. 670018).   Having served his whole time in the UK he was demobilized on 19th March 1919 and went to live at Old Wareham Road, Newton, Parkstone, Dorset.  No Medal records have been found though his Active Service form is clearly stamped 'Medal' which indicates he was entitled.  The 1921 Census shows he had moved to Dewdrop Cottage, Sedgehill, Wiltshire, working as a Bacon Curer for C & G Prideaux at Motcombe, Dorset. He had later moved to Peasemarsh, Gillingham, Dorset, at the time of his death on 1st May 1938 in the Infirmary at Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Images:

Links to related web content / sources:
The National Archives