Which William Langridge?

 Documented background

 My 3xgreat-grandfather, William Langridge, married Ann Sansom on 13th October 1834 in St Nicholas’ Church, Brighton.¹ In the 1841 Census, He and Ann are living in Paradise Street in the Kemp Town area of Brighton.² William is stated to be of age 35 and born in Sussex. When filling in the 1841 census, residents were supposed to round their age down to the nearest multiple of 5. This implies that William was born between 1801 and 1806.

 Unfortunately he died before the 1851 census on 26th July 1850, his age being given as 46 years.³ This implies he was born between 1803 and 1804. This is supported by his burial record, his age also being given as 46 years.⁴ Thus we should be looking between 1801 and 1806 for a William Langridge who is not otherwise accounted for, hopefully one in the 1803-1804 range. (Note that the surname ‘Langridge’ and its variants are locally common in Sussex.)

St Nicholas Brighton, photographed by the author, 11 Jul 2016.

Elimination of Candidates

 Seven William Langridges were found with baptisms between 1801 and 1806 in the SFHG Baptism Index.⁵ These are listed in the table below with (where found) later records which account for them.^6-8

Baptism/Parents	Marriage/Spouse	Censuses	Burials
25 Jan 1801, Uckfield Joseph & Alinah		Bexley, Kent 1841: b 1801 Not KEN 1851: b 1800 SSX 1861: b 1799, Fletching
15 Feb 1801, Horsted Keynes David & Sarah	19 Jun 1825, Fletching Caroline Wood	Horsted Keynes 1841: b 1801 SSX, (spouse = Caroline) West Hoathly 1851: b 1802 Horsted Keynes (widowed)
8 Aug 1801, Fletching William & Elizabeth	N/A	N/A	7 Apr 1802, Fletching, ‘infant’
27 Sep 1801, East Grinstead Thomas & Philadelphia	2 Nov 1823, West Hoathly Ann Lampton William bach of East Grinstead
10 Apr 1803, Burwash John & Ruth			None
22 Jul 1804, Fletching Henry & Elizabeth	?N/A	?N/A	24 Oct 1809, Fletching, ‘infant’ (unusual, but not unknown)
28 Jul 1805, Uckfield John & Hannah	6 Jul 1835, Frant Sarah Harris	Westerham Kent 1841: b 1806 not KEN 1851: b 1806, Uckfield

By matching the baptisms to marriages and censuses, we can eliminate all but the ‘1803 Burwash’ and ‘1804 Fletching’ William Langridges. There is, however, a burial for a William Langridge in Fletching in 1809 which is labelled as ‘infant’. There are no other baptisms following the 1804 Fletching baptism to account for this burial, and it is certainly possible that it is of the 1804 William Langridge. It was therefore concluded that the William Langridge baptised in Burwash in 1803 is the most probable candidate.

St Bartholomew Burwash, photographed by the author, 13 Jul 2016.

DNA Matches

Using the 1803 William Langridge in my family tree, William, via his mother Ruth Wickham, becomes a descendent of the Langridges of Burwash and the Wickhams of Wadhurst. In 2019 my father (2xgreat-grandson of William Langridge) took an Ancestry DNA test. In his results there are six DNA matches with a Most Recent Common Ancestor couple (MRCA) of John Wickham and Mary Baldwyn (the parents of Ruth Wickham).⁹ There is also a match where the MRCA is Stephen Langridge and Elizabeth Fuller, great-grandparents of William Langridge (1803, Burwash).¹⁰ This is strong support for the William Langridge who married Ann Sansom in Brighton in 1834 being the son of John and Ruth Langridge baptised in Burwash in 1803.

Sources

1. Marriage of William Langridge & Ann Sansom, married 13 Oct 1834, St Nicholas Church Parish Register, Brighton, Sussex, England, page 204, no. 614, FHL microfilm 1067118, item 3, accessed 17 Mar 2006.
2. Census record for William Langridge, aged 35, Paradise Street, Brighton, Sussex, 1841 England and Wales Census, The National Archives, HO1071123/5/13/18-19, UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com.au, accessed 19 Aug 2006.
3. Death certificate of William Langridge, died 26 Jul 1850 registered September quarter 1850, Brighthelmston registration district, General Registry Office, England, vol. 7, p. 204, no. 407.
4. Burial of William Langridge, buried 31 Jul 1850, St Nicholas Church Parish Register, Brighton, Sussex, England, page 297, no. 2375, FHL digitised microfilm 1067133, item 3, accessed 3 Mar 2016.
5. Sussex Family History Group, ‘Data Archive on Frontis, Baptism Data’, http://sfhg.frontis.co/bin/index.php, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
6. Sussex Family History Group, ‘SFHG Marriage Index to 1837 (CD)’, Sussex Family History Group, 2005.
7. Sussex Family History Group, ‘Data Archive on Frontis, Burial Data’, http://sfhg.frontis.co/bin/index.php, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
8. UK Census Collection, Ancestry.com, accessed 18 Feb 2020.
9. Ancestry Australia, ‘Alfred Commons DNA Test: Thru-Lines for John Wickham’, https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-geneticfamily/thrulines/tree/1808521227:9009:66/for/5C9DF31B-1477-4562-84BC-ED25F3066CCC, accessed 22 Feb 2022 (not accessible without login).
10. Ancestry Australia, ‘Alfred Commons DNA Test: Thru-Lines for Stephen Langridge’, https://www.ancestry.com.au/discoveryui-geneticfamily/thrulines/tree/20074458:9009:66/for/5C9DF31B-1477-4562-84BC-ED25F3066CCC, accessed 22 Feb 2022 (not accessible without login).

Emily Beckwith's Bible

Well it's not been a great year, but I have managed to complete six out of the seven remaining Units I need to complete my Diploma of Family History and I'm looking forward to having more time to spend on my blog. This post is from an assessment for one of the most recent Units "Place, Image, Object", part of which involved identification of inherited objects and placing them in context. I looked at the bible which originally belonged to my great-grandmother, Emily Beckwith.

Was Susannah Goddard really Thomas?

Thomas Goddard was the father of Frederick Goddard (baptised on 26th Janurary 1813 in Newtimber, see earlier post).¹ He married Emma Frankland in St Nicholas Brighton on 10th December 1809.² The couple baptised three children in Newtimber (Frederick plus Eliza 1810 and Michael 1815) before moving to Brighton where Thomas Goddard of Newtimber died, aged 30, and was buried in St Nicholas’ Churchyard on 23rd October 1817.³ A posthumous child, Thomas, was baptised on 21st June 1818 in St Nicholas Brighton, with the abode stated to be Richmond Row (later part of Albion Hill).⁴

St Nicholas of Myra, Brighton, photographed by the author 11th July 2016

Emma remarried (at St Nicholas, to Francis Buckle on 29th January 1822) one of the witnesses being Richard Goddard (son of William Goddard & Susannah Peacock baptised in Newtimber on 3rd April 1791).⁵ After initially living in Albourne, Richard Goddard and his wife Sarah baptised two children in St Nicholas Brighton in 1819 & 1822 while living in Richmond Row.⁶ Coincidence or a close family link?

William Goddard & Susannah did not baptise a child named Thomas though there is a baptism for Susanna in 1787. However William had an illegitimate nephew, Thomas son of his sister Sarah baptised 29 Jan 1769 in Newtimber.⁷ This Thomas would have been 48+ when Thomas Goddard of Newtimber was buried in Brighton. This is a big difference from the 30 years old of the burial register and considering that Emma Frankland was literate, signing her name in both marriage entries, it is hard to see how this big a mistake could be made.⁸

St John the Evangelist, Newtimber, photographed by the author 10th July 2016

I was able to track five of the six children to the grave, four of them through marriage(s) and children, but nothing for Susanna! (See Table.)⁹ All those who survived long enough can be found in all censuses up to their deaths.

The documented offspring of William and Susannah Goddard plus Thomas

Name	Baptism	Marriage	Children	Buried
Sarah	24 Jun 1783	5 Jul 1803	Frances (1803), William (1805), Thomas (1806), Susan (1808, Mary Anne (1810), James (1816), John (1821)	30 Mar 1860
William	7 Oct 1784	7 Apr 1817	William (1818), Thomas (1820), Henry (1822), George (1824), Ann (1826), Sarah (1828), Jane (1830), James (1831), Mary (1833), Hannah (1835), Eliza (1837), Frederick (1839)	26 Nov 1854
Susanna	4 Oct 1787
John	6 Sep 1789	6 Apr 1812; 11 Apr 1830	John (1812), William (1814), Walter (1820), Richard Henry (1830), Mary Jane (1832), Elizabeth (1838), James (1839), Sarah (1842)	3 Dec 1876
Richard	3 Apr 1791	22 Jun 1810	James (1810), Mary (1812), Fanny (1815), Thomas (1816), William (1819), John (1822), Elizabeth (1823), Ann (1827)	died 31 Aug 1870
James	11 Sep 1796			22 Aug 1815
Thomas		10 Dec 1809	Eliza (1810), Frederick (1813), Michael (1815), Thomas (1818)	23 Oct 1817

Did Susanna die during the period when the Newtimber registers were not properly kept (see earlier blog post)? Or was the name misinterpreted when transcribed into the register? In the baptism entry for Sarah her mother’s name was also given as “Sarah” (a not uncommon error in parish register entries). The error was repeated for William’s baptism but corrected (faintly).¹⁰ So whoever was keeping the register was not careful. In the notes used to initially record a baptism, given names were often abbreviated. Susannah was usually abbreviated Sh and Thomas was sometimes abbreviated Th. Cursive capital S’s and T’s can be misread (I’ve done it myself). So if the cleric knew the mother’s name was Susanna(h) and misread Th as Sh, he could easily mistranscribe the given name as “Susanna”.

Baptism entries of Sarah and William Goddard¹⁰

The only further supporting evidence I have for this is a DNA connection between my father and a descendent of Susannah Peacock’s great-grandparents at Thakefield (Thomas Peacock and Rose Vaughan).¹¹

Sources

1.  St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR429/1/1/4, Register of Baptisms 1808-1813," page 3, baptism of Frederick Goddard, 26 Jan 1813; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.3
2. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office PAR255/1/1/11, Register of Banns & Marriages 1806-1810," page 138, marriage of Thomas Goddard & Emma Frankland, 10 Dec 1809; FHL microfilm 1,067,106, item 2.
3. St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office, PAR429/1/1/4 Register of Baptisms 1808-1813," page 2, baptism of Eliza Goddard, 4 Oct 1810; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.3; St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR429/1/2/-, Register of Baptisms 1813-1877," page 2, baptism of Michael Goddard, 30 Dec 1815; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.4; St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office Ref PAR255/1/5/2, Register of Burials 1816-1822," page 76, burial of Thomas Goddard, 23 Oct 1817; FHL microfilm 1,067,169, item 5
4. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), Parish Registers, "East Sussex Record Office PAR2551/2/2, St Nicholas Brighton Register of Baptisms 1816-1820 (Folder 004427381, Item 1),"  page 172, baptism of Thomas Goddard, 21 Jun 1818; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 21 Feb 2016)
5. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office Ref PAR155/1/3/3, Register of Marriages 1820-1823," page 177, marriage of Francis Buckle & Emma Goddard, 9 Jan 1822; FHL microfilm 1,067,115, item 2; St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR 429/1/1/2, General Register 1733-1808," baptism of Richard Goddard, 3 Apr 111791; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.2; St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR 429, Register of Marriages & Banns 1754-1848," marriage of William Godard & Susan Peacock, 29 Jan 1783; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.5.
6. Baptisms of William (1819) & John (1822) Goddard, Sussex Family History Group, "Sussex Baptisms," database, Sussex Family History Group Data Archive (http://sfhg.frontis.co/bin/index.php)
7. St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR 429/1/1/2, General Register 1733-1808," baptism of Thomas Goddard, 29 Jan 1769; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.2
8. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office PAR255/1/1/11, Register of Banns & Marriages 1806-1810," page 138, marriage of Thomas Goddard & Emma Frankland, 10 Dec 1809; St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office Ref PAR155/1/3/3, Register of Marriages 1820-1823," page 177, marriage of Francis Buckle & Emma Goddard, 9 Jan 1822
9. Sussex Family History Group, "Sussex Baptisms," database, Sussex Family History Group Data Archive (http://sfhg.frontis.co/bin/index.php); Sussex Family History Group, editor, CD-ROM (Lewes, England: Sussex Family History Group, 2005); Sussex Family History Group, "Sussex Burials," database, Sussex Family History Group Data Archive (http://sfhg.frontis.co/bin/index.php)    
10. St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR 429/1/1/2, General Register 1733-1808," baptism of Sarah Goddard, 24 Jun 1783; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.2; St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England), "West Sussex Record Office PAR 429/1/1/2, General Register 1733-1808," baptism of William Goddard, 17 Oct 1784; FHL microfilm 991,065, item 2.2.
11. AncestryDNA Results for Alfred Commons, "Ancestry Australia" database, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 8 Mar 2020), DNA match with Jan Thompson (managed by Malandjan)

A bit of a mess - the Baptism of Frederick Goddard

Church of England Parish Registers were valuable manuscripts on the whole carefully kept and were not usually (except for Marriage registers after 1753) brought out into damp, drafty church naves for small ceremonies, such as baptisms and burials.¹ Instead large parishes kept a “day book” (see e.g. Great Yarmouth) in which event details were recorded (often in more detail than the eventual register) before being transcribed into the official register.² In overly-large parishes with lots of curates (like Brighton St Nicholas) the evidence is that each curate kept his own day book and transcribed into the register every few weeks.³ In smaller parishes clerics are reputed to have used scraps of paper. Yes, this is another level of potential transcription error.

The pre-Victorian part of St John the Baptist Church, Newtimber photographed by the author 2nd July 2016

Frederick Goddard is my GGG-Grandfather. He married Mary Ann Isted Upton on 21st December 1837 in The Tabernacle Strict Baptist Chapel, Regency Road, Brighton.⁴ He appears as a resident in Brighton in all the England Censuses from 1841 to 1891 and consistently from 1851 onwards gives his birthplace as Newtimber, Sussex.⁵

Saddlescombe Farmhouse, photographed by the author 2nd July 2016

Newtimber is a small parish on the North side of the South Downs. It’s population in 2001 was 96 and wasn’t much more in the 18th & 19th centuries.⁶ It consists of the church and rectory, Newtimber Place and the farm hamlet of Saddlescombe. The parish registers in the 18th century contain on average 3 entries per year, including, until 1754, marriages. The second parish register was used from 1733 until 1808. The next register (a printed non-conformist registration book) contains entries from 1809 to early 1813 written in one set of handwriting which looks identical (including the ink) and are all “registered” by W. Whistler. It also contains 7 sets of paper slips in a number of different handwritings containing varied sets of events. The parish then bought an official “Rose” Register and the 1813 baptisms were transferred into it.⁷ Entries for Frederick were included inconsistently in both registers and on three of the notes, thus:


1809-1813 Register
1813
Frederick Son of Thos. & Emma Goddard
was born ______ and christened Jany. 26
Registered_________ by me W. Whistler |R|
Notes Set 2, Image 2
1813 January 26 frederick goddard was born Son of Thos Emer

Notes Set 2, Image 2
1813 January 26 frederick goddard was born Son of Thos Emer

Notes Set 4, Image 1
1813
January 2d
Frederic Son Thomas & Sophia Goddard
...
Signed William Tilt Curate

Notes Set 5, Image 1
1813
January 2 6frederick godard was born Son of Thos. & Emer

Baptism Register 1813-1877
Page 1 1813 & 1814
When Baptized Jany 2d
No. 1
Child’s Christian name Frederick 
Parents Names Thos & Sophia Goddard
Abode Newtimber
Quality, trade or profession Labourer
By whom the Ceremony was performed J Tilt Curate

Part of Saddlescombe Hamlets, photographed by the author 2nd July 2016

John Tilt Curate signs the 1813-77 register as “performer of the ceremony” from page 1. Webster Whistler signs an occasional baptism as “Rector” (e.g. in 1828). The only entries with the 2nd January date and the mother’s name as Sophia are signed by John Tilt. Thomas Goddard married Emma Frankland in Brighton in 1809 and John Goddard of Newtimber married Sophia Terry in Poynings in 1812.⁸ I don’t think John Tilt was working in the parish prior to 1813. I think the maintenance of records failed in Newtimber from 1809-13, possibly in the absence of an appointed cleric (lay baptisms could be performed in the absence of a cleric).⁹ I think Webster Whistler made a valiant effort to reconstruct the register, possibly when appointed. I think John Tilt made transcription errors in entering backdated items in the 1813-77 register.

The Frederick Goddard entry on one of the notes (Set 5 Image 1) of entries which could be misread.

My conclusion is that Frederick Goddard was the son of Thomas Goddard and Emma Frankland and was baptised on the 26th January 1813 in St John the Baptist, Newtimber.


Thomas and Emma’s last child (Thomas) was baptised in St Nicholas, Brighton in 1818 (where Thomas Goddard of Newtimber had been buried a few months before). Emma remarried and all her children were brought up, married and died in Brighton. The parentage of Frederick’s father is another matter.

Sources

1. “Marriage Act 1753,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, March 11, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Act_1753. (Accessed 15th March 2020)
2. St Nicholas (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England), Parish Registers; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/).
3. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), Parish Registers; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/).
4. England and Wales, marriage certificate for Goddard Frederick and Mary Ann Isted Upton, married 21 Dec 1837; citing 7/407/11, Dec quarter 1837, Brighthelmston registration district; General Register Office, Southport.
5. 1841 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 33, page 13, Frederick Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 24 Apr 2006); citing PRO HO 107/1121/4; 1851 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 806, page 6, Fredrick Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 24 Apr 2006); citing PRO HO 107/1645; 1861 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 71, page 5-6, Frederick Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 24 Apr 2006); citing PRO RG9/594; 1871 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 31, page 3, Frederic Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 24 Apr 2006); citing PRO RG10/1077; 1881 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 91, page 26, Frederick Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 24 Apr 2006); citing PRO RG11/1080; 1891 census of England, Sussex, Brighton, folio 81, page 22, Frederick Goddard; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Feb 2006); citing PRO RG 12/805
6. “Newtimber,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, March 9, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtimber. (Accessed 15th March 2020)
7. St John the Evangelist (Newtimber, Sussex, England); FHL microfilm
8. St Nicholas (Brighton, Sussex, England), "East Sussex Record Office PAR255/1/1/11, Register of Banns & Marriages 1806-1810," marriage of Thomas Goddard & Emma Frankland, 10 Dec 1809; FHL microfilm 1,067,106, item 2; Holy Trinity Poyings Register of Marriages 1785-1812 (Folder 004428551, Item  18),"  page 8, marriage of John Goddard & Sophia Terry, 6 Apr 1812; digital images, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 23 Feb 2016).
9. The Living Church Annual and Clergy-List Quarterly (Young Churchman Company, 1886), https://books.google.com.au/books?id=i0vkAAAAMAAJ (Accessed 15th March 2020)

Why Chris Locke?

When my father was a teenager in Brighton (Sussex, England) people who found out who he was used to say "Oh! Chris Locke's son." Dad couldn't understand this because his father's name was Christopher Henry Common(s). The reason goes back to his grandfather's childhood.

Albert Edward Common was born on the 11th August 1877 at 76 Cornwall Street, St George in the East, London. He was the fourth son and sixth (and last) child of Henry John Common & Jemima Hummerston. Part of Cornwall Street still exists, but the area was a slum and when it was badly damaged during WWII it gave the local councils an excuse to clear it. Henry John had various occupations during his life, but at the time of Albert's birth he declared that he was a "general dealer". From what I have read this is a rag-and-bone man (think "Steptoe and Son").¹

Albert was baptised on 2nd September 1877 in St George in the East Parish Church.²

St George in the East Parish Church

By 6th April 1881 the family had moved to an even poorer location - Albert Street, Shadwell - and their second daughter (Jane Elizabeth) had died.³ In 1887, when Albert turned 10, his mother died.⁴ Albert was the only child too young to be thrown on his own resources. (His next eldest sibling, James, was 17.) The next census (5th April 1891) shows the family had split up. Henry John was living on his own at 83 Cornwall Street.⁵ Albert was living with his sister Fanny or Frances (born 25th February 1865).⁶

On 2nd August 1891 Frances married Christopher William Locke in St George in the East Parish Church.⁷ Aha!! The couple's child, Frances Sophia, was born on 19 May 1892 in St George in the East.⁸ By 1901 the family had moved to Worthing, Sussex and Christopher was a fish dealer.⁹

On 3 Dec 1900 Albert married Elizabeth Jane Shadbolt in Christchurch, Spitalfields.¹⁰ This was six months after the birth of their first child (Albert James George) but, hey, even a bride-groom-two-witnesses marriage cost money.¹¹ On 31st March 1901 they are living at 7 Mary Street, the same address as Elizabeth's parents (James & Elizabeth Shadbolt).¹² Their next two children were also born at this address (Christopher Henry, 25th July 1902, Charles James, 18th July 1904).¹³

Elizabeth's father, James Shadbolt, died on 27th June 1904 and the couple's next child (Leonard Arthur, 11th November 1906) was born back in the old Common stomping ground, Cornwall Street.¹⁴ Further tragedy struck - Leonard Arthur died on 28th April 1908 and it was probably around this time that Elizabeth's mother was committed to the "Metropolitan Asylum for Pauper Imbeciles" at Leavesden, Hertfordshire.¹⁵

The couple fled London, and Henry Edward was born at 97 Church Street, Brighton on 10th March 1909 with Albert listed as a "Fishmonger's Assistant".¹⁶ Who was he assistant to? Well by 1911 Christopher Locke is a fish dealer in Brighton.¹⁷ Church Street is a street full of shops and it is possible that Albert and Elizabeth were living above Christopher's shop. The next three children are all born at 97 Church Street.¹⁸

World War I started in 1914 and in 1916 Albert was conscripted.¹⁹ After various transfers he ended up in a battalion of the Cheshire Regiment stationed in Salonika.²⁰ Like so many servicemen in that region he contracted malaria, was transferred to a service battalion and probably spent the rest of the war oscillating between field hospital and road building.²¹ He survived the war, but died on 21st August 1920, probably due to recurrent malaria.²² He is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in Brighton General Cemetery and his name appears on the Brighton Cenotaph (see photograph).²³

The Brighton Cenotaph, photographed by suelaw1954, 11th July 2016

Dad's father worked in the fish business on and off and owned his own fish and chip shops at times.²⁴ It is probable that when young he worked for his uncle, Chris Locke. Having the same given name, he could have been referred to by his uncle's surname. One family story proved possible.

1. England and Wales, birth certificate for Albert Edward Common, born 11 Aug 1877; citing 1c/386/470, Sep quarter 1877, St George in the East registration district, Saint Paul sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
2. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/027 Register of baptisms,"  page 43, baptism of Albert Edward Commons, 2 Sep 1877; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 21 Sep 2009)
3.  1881 census of England, London, Shadwell, folio 128, page 28, Henry Commons; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 11/460; England and Wales, death certificate for Jane Elizabeth Common, died 7 Mar 1877; citing 1c/292/332, Mar quarter 1877, Saint George in the East registration district, Saint Paul sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
4. England and Wales, death certificate for Jemima Commons, died 17 Jan 1887; citing 1c/230/493, Mar quarter 1887, Whitechapel registration district, Whitechapel Church sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
5. 1891 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 109, page 30, Henry Common; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 28 Apr 2006); citing PRO RG 12/287
6. 1891 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 100, page 12, Frances Common; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 12/287
7. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/065 Register of marriages,"  page 151, marriage of Christopher William Locke & Frances Common, 2 Aug 1891; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 22 Sep 2009)
8. St George (St George in the East, Middlesex, England), Parish Registers, "London Metropolitan Archives P93/GEO/030, Register of baptisms,"  page 271, baptism of Frances Sophia Locke, 12 Jun 1892; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Unlimited Company, Ancestry Australia (https://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 12 Jul 2010)
9. 1901 census of England, Sussex, Worthing, folio 20, page 32, Christopher Locke; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 2 Jul 2006); citing PRO RG 13/959
10. England and Wales, marriage certificate for Albert Edward Commons and Elizabeth Jane Shadbolt, married 3 Dec 1900; citing 1c/460/436, Dec quarter 1900, Whitechapel registration district; General Register Office, Southport
11. England and Wales, birth certificate for Albert James George Commons, born 11 Jun 1900; citing 1c/319/87 (?), Sep quarter 1900, St George-in-the-East registration district, Saint Georges North sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
12. 1901 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 166, page 50, Albert E. Commons; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 10 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 13/309; 1901 census of England, London, St George in the East, folio 166, page 49, James Shadbolt; digital images, Ancestry Information Operations Company, Ancestry Australia (http://www.ancestry.com.au/ : accessed 20 Jan 2006); citing PRO RG 13/309
13. England and Wales, birth certificate for Christopher Henry Commons, born 25 Jul 1902; citing 1c/844/20, Sep quarter 1902, St George in the East registration district, St George & St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Charles James Commons, born 18 Jul 1904; citing 1c/327/431, Sep quarter 1904, St George-in-the-East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
14. England and Wales, death certificate for James Shadbolt, died 27 Jun 1904; citing 1c/214/66, Jun quarter 1904, St George in the East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Leonard Arthur Commons, born 11 Nov 1906; citing 1c/292/311, Mar quarter 1907, St. George-in-the-East registration district, St George and St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
15. England and Wales, death certificate for Leonard Arthur Commons, died 28 Apr 1908; citing 1c/180/428, Jun quarter 1908, ST. GEORGE-IN-THE-EAST registration district, St George & St John sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; 1911 census of England, Hertfordshire, Kings Langley, Elizabeth Shadbolt; digital images, Brightsolid Online Publishing Ltd, Find My Past (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed 28 Jan 2009); citing  RG 78, RG 14 PN 7739, registration district (RD) 140, sub district (SD) 4, enumeration district (ED) 7, schedule number (SN) 9999
16. England and Wales, birth certificate for Henry Edward Commons, born 3 May 1909; citing 2b/210/312, Jun quarter 1909, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
17. 1911 census of England, Sussex, 7 Cheltenham Place Brighton, C. W. Locke; digital images, Brightsolid Online Publishing Ltd, Find My Past (http://www.findmypast.com.au/ : accessed 27 Jan 2009); citing  RG 78 PN 227, RG 14 PN 5137, registration district (RD) 79, sub district (SD) 2, enumeration district (ED) 17, schedule number (SN) 369
18. England and Wales, birth certificate for Leslie Common, born 2 Jul 1910; citing 2b/205/214, Sep quarter 1910, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Frances Elizabeth Commons, born 21 Apr 1912; citing 2b/409/69, Jun quarter 1912, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport; England and Wales, birth certificate for Mabel Isabel Commons, born 17 Aug 1914; citing 2b/397/162, Sep quarter 1914, Brighton registration district, West Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport
19. After Albert's call up, Elizabeth wrote to the army to get her under-age son (Albert James George) discharged. This happened in July 1916. Albert James George Commons Service Record, Soldiers’ Documents from Pension Claims, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey, England, WO364, 'British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920', Ancestry, Accessed 1st December 2008
20. suelaw1954 to Various, forum thread on Albert Edward Commons, Great War Forum, 'Soldiers and their Units', https://www.greatwarforum.org/, Accessed 3rd December 2008
21. Martin Marix Evans, Forgotten Battlefronts of the First World War, The History Press, Stroud, 2003
22. England and Wales, death certificate for Albert Edward Commons, died 21 Aug 1920; citing 2b/219/408, Sep quarter 1920, Brighton registration district, East Brighton sub-district; General Register Office, Southport.
23. Commonwealth War Graves Commission database, Commonwealth War Graves Commission (http://www.cwgc.org/ : accessed 2 Sep 2006), A. E. Commons
24. Patricia Commons, numerous conversations over many years to author