William Sydney Denyard Christopher

Story:
William Sydney Denyard Christopher was born with the surname Foot at Thornford, Dorset, on 4 Apr 1899 and baptised there on 7 May 1899 the son of Phyllis Louise Foot.   She married a James William Christopher in Thornford on 6 Aug 1905 and William adopted the surname of his step-father.    By 1911 the family had moved to Crockers Farm, Ashmore, Shaftesbury, Dorset.  William had enlisted and joined the 6th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps as a Private (Service No. 137344).  It is not known in which theatre of war he served but on his discharge on 5 Feb 1919 he was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.  His residence was recorded at Ashmore up until 1920.  He married Edith May Bessant on 5 May 1926 at the Parish Church, Bramshaw, Hampshire.   By the time of the 1939 Register he was living at Brook Bushes, New Forest, Hampshire, working as a Farm Labourer.   He died at Fenwick Hospital, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, on 26 May 1982.