A kingdon – campaign medals & military service

Notes: This is Harry Bail Kingdon born 25.06.1882 in Hackney, London; He is the son of Harry Bail Kingdon, a Tailor b.1839, & Alice Amelia Stafford (nee Crossland) b.1844 in Clerkenwell, who Married in Hackney, London in 1872 & she appears to have used her maiden name of Alice Amelia Crossland in the records; (His Mother was previously married to James Thomas Stafford who died in 1872); (I believe that his parents gave birth to an earlier son also named Harry Bale Kingdon born in 1873 in Bethnal Green who died ca.1880 & was a Twin Brother to John Sidney Kingdon?); (His Father Harry Bail Kingdon may have died in London ca.1886); (Whilst this may not be relevant to this soldier’s records it is noted that in the 1881 Census, his Mother was recorded as Alice Bale, aged 34, Married & living at #8, Great Hampton Street, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire & I have failed to find his Father Harry Bail Kingdon); Harry Bail Kingdon lived with his Widowed Mother at #14, Durrington Road, Hackney, London in 1891 Census; In 1899 Harry Bail Kingdon enlisted in the Chatham Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 31.08.1899 at the age of 17, (probably because his brother Edward was already serving with the Royal Marines); I did not locate Harry B Kingdon in 1901 Census but he was probably serving abroad & more than likely serving in South Africa in the Boer War? The ADM Records confirm that he was Discharged because he was Invalided out of the Marines in 1904; In the 1911 Census Harry Bale Kingdon is aged 29, a civilian, still single & working as a Hall Porter at # 27, Victoria Road, Springbourne, Bournemouth, (his sister in law, Emma Kingdon from Manchester is a Domestic Worker for an elderly widow at the same address); (He is the Brother of Private Edward (Arnold Bail) Kingdon, #8679, Chatham Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry; ADM 159/49); (It is likely that there is another brother, Kingdon, John Sidney: #280767, Stoker, Royal Navy; ADM 188/448; & who also appears on the Chelsea Pensioners List);

Notes: This Regiment was formed in November 1901 following requests from the British Government to Canada, a quarter of their strength had perhaps already served in South Africa; The 2^nd Regiment Canadian Mounted Rifles sailed to South Africa in January 1902 & fought the Boers until the end of the War in May 1902; There is a Medals Roll for this Regiment dated 21^st December 1902 in Winnipeg which records #313 Private H.S. Kingdon having left the Army when the Regiment was disbanded but having received his Medals on 10.01.1904 at the address – PO Box 315, Kruggersdorpf; I presume that this soldier remained in South Africa? Medals notes: Not eligible for the King’s South Africa Medal, awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal & the Transvaal Clasp;

Notes: This is Harry Stanley Kingdon born 17.11.1884 in #5, Mansell Road, Islington, Edmonton, London (RMLI records have 17.07.1885), Baptised on 14.12.1884 in St Thomas, Finsbury Park, Middlesex; He was the son of George Alexander Kingdon, a Bricklayer’s Labourer b.26.08.1854 in West Monkton, Taunton, Somerset & Emily Bryant from Edmonton who Married on 01.03.1884 in St Mathews, Upper Clapton, Middlesex; In 1891 Census Harry Kingdon is living with his parents at #2, Dorset Villas, Tottenham; In 1901 Census Harry S Kingdon is a Waiter in a Restaurant but living with his parents at #14, Neville Road, Stoke Newington, London; Prior to enlistment in the Royal Marines I believe that Harry Stanley Kingdon served with a Militia Unit; Harry Stanley Kingdon Enlisted in the Chatham Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 31.12.1902 & may very well have served in South Africa in the Boer War as his name appears on a 1902 list for that conflict; I believe that in the 1911 Census Private Harry Stanley Kingdon, Aged 25, was serving as a Royal Marine onboard ‘HMS Egmont’ located at Malta in the Mediterranean; RMLI records state that he was ‘Discharged Invalided’ but there is no date given? However, further searches of the ‘Applications for War Badges’ reveals that he was awarded the Silver War Badge, #29736 on 08.08.1918; Harry Stanley Kingdon Married Lilian Rose Hicks on 17.10.1915 in the United Methodist Church in Edmonton, Middlesex; Awarded the British War Medal; Issued the Silver War Badge #29736 in 1918; I did not research further;

Notes: This Soldier served in France from 13.12.1915 with the Royal Army Service Corps & was eventually Transferred to the Class Z Reserve on 13.07.1919; The prefix DM2/ on his Regimental Number denotes that he was a Mechanical Transport Learner but this prefix was discontinued in November 1916; Medals Card on file; There is insufficient information to identify this soldier further;

Notes: This is actually Hedley Vicars Kingdon was born in 1866 in The Mumbles, Swansea, Glamorgan, the son of John Gaylord Kingdon, a Tailor & Draper, b.1842 in Swansea & Sarah Maria Jones b.1843 from Mumbles but she died in Glamorgan in 1877; (John G Kingdon remarried in 1878 to Ann Eliza Gillard from Tiverton); In 1871 Census Hedley Kingdon is aged 4 & lives with his parents in #4, Dunn’s, Oystermouth, Swansea, Glamorgan; In 1881 Census Hedley Kingdon is still living with his parents in #11, Somerset Place, Oystermouth; In 1891 Census I failed to find him so I assume that he was serving with the Royal Navy; The Royal Navy records for Victorian conflicts has Hedly Villers Kingdon, b.1866 & serving as an Apprentice onboard ‘HMS Vigil’, (there are no dates or other information given, should this be ‘HMS Vigilant’?); Hedley Vicars Kingdon, a 30 years old Seaman, Married Ada Ann Thurston, aged 21 from Rotherham in Yorkshire, on 25.12.1897 in Christ Church, Everton, Lancashire; In 1901 Census Hedley V & Ada Kingdon live at #98, Olivia Street, Bootle, Lancashire & he is a Seaman working on the Dock Board; In the 1911 Census he is recorded incorrectly as Hedley & Ada Hingdon (now corrected), is A Dock Labourer & lives at #100, Olivia Street, Bootle, Liverpool, Lancashire; (It appears that they had 5 children but 2 of them had died by 1911); I understand that Hedley Kingdon died on 25.01.1951 at 374, Wigan Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire Aged 84; (I believe that he is the Brother of Octavius Gillard Kingdon who emigrated to Canada & served in WW1 as #109436 in the Canadian Expeditionary Force); (I believe that he is also the Brother of Hubert Kingdon who emigrated to Canada in 1912 & served in WW1 as #109435 in the Canadian Expeditionary Force); (I believe that he is the Brother of Kingdon, Benjamin Rufus: Liverpool Regiment No: 56170 Acting Colour Sergeant 1914-1920 WO 372/11 who served in England in WW1); I have not researched this Sailor further;

Notes: This is Henry Kingdon baptised 07.12.1801 in Marhamchurch, Cornwall, and son of John Kingdon, Parish Clerk, b.1768 in Devon & Mary Marsh from Devon; Henry Kingdon passed his Admiralty Certificate & obviously served with the Royal Navy because he Died at the Battle of Navarino on 20.10.1827 in the Ionian Sea during the Greek War of Independence; As a note – this battle was the last major naval battle to be fought entirely with sailing ships; The Exon. Archdeaconry Probate Court has a Will for Henry Kingdon in 1830 which leaves his estate to his Father Reverend John Kingdon; This also records that the ships he probably served on were ‘HMS Severn’ & ‘HMS Impregnable’; (He is a part of the Holsworthy, Devon Kingdon family & is recorded in the Kingdon Family Books);

Notes: This Devonshire man enlisted in the Grenadier Guards as a Private on the 21^st December 1858 at Marylebone Police Court at the age of 21 years, he was a Baker by trade; I believe that this is Henry Kingdon b. 28.06.1837 in South Molton who married Elizabeth Perryman (b.1834 Bishops Nympton, Devon) in 19.05.1857 in Bishopsgate, London; They appear to have lived apart for most of their marriage, there are odd children born in Chelsea & some links to a Caroline Wenham from Hastings; His children’s Baptisms in Chelsea all have Kingdon as their names but parents are detailed as Henry & Caroline Wenham, Henry being a Soldier, so it all gets quite confusing? Henry Kingdon’s parents were Oliver Kingdon b.1801 in South Molton, Devon & Sarah Bowden from South Molton who married on 25.11.1823 in South Molton; In 1841 & 1851 Censuses Henry Kingdon lived with his parents in Mill Lane, South Molton; In 1861 Census Private Henry Kingdon was serving at Windsor in the Grenadier Guards; In 1871 Census he was serving at Wellington Barracks, St Margaret, London; In the 1881 Census Henry Kingdon was aged 43 & an unemployed Army Pensioner living in Battersea; Henry Kingdon served with the Grenadier Guards for at least 20 years until his discharge on the 2^nd April 1879 aged 41 years; The records state that he intended to live in London; There are Army Records of a 3^rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards Regiment of Foot Guards of a Regimental Board being held in London on 31.03.1879 to verify Henry Kingdon’s Discharge; It appears that he was discharged having been found unfit for service despite his general character being good he had once been tried by Courts Martial for Absence during his career; He served as a Private from 21.12.1858 to 10.09.1867, then Re-engaged at London for 12 years 7 101 days, serving from 11.09.1867 to 20.09.1870; He was Courts Martialed in September 1870 & continued to serve until 31.03.1879; He had served in Aldershot, Windsor, London, Dublin & Shorncliffe during his Army career; The Board considered that he was suffering from Heart Disease brought on by rheumatic origin which had been aggravated by his Service & whilst his disability was permanent he was assessed as being able to contribute to his own livelihood; I also believe that Henry Kingdon Died in 1885 in St George’s, Hannover Square London Aged 48; (This man may be the Father of George Frederick Kingdon, #9025, Private, Royal Marines or Royal Navy); (In our Family Tree we had some missing info & confusing issues with him – our internal family Mail #224, subsequently I have simply recorded the base information as this needs more research);

Notes: His MIC card was officially renamed to Kingdon as it was originally incorrect & had the name Kingdom shown; The regimental number prefix M2 indicates that he was an Electrician; This Soldier also served as #M/352753 Army Service Corps, MT which indicates serving with Mechanical Transport units; This is Henry Robert H. Kingdon born 1890 in Chertsey, Surrey the son of Henry Kingdon, a Police Constable, b.1865 in Witley, Surrey & Fanny Smith from Frensham, Surrey who married in 1889 in Farnham, (& I believe that he was also a Chelsea Pensioner but I can find no Military Service Record); In 1891 Census Henry R H Kingdon lived with his parents in Chertsey, Surrey; In 1901 Census he lived with his parents in St Giles, his Father was now a Brewer’s Drayman; (Henry Robert H Kingdon is the Grandson of Robert Kingdon b.1835 in Chulmleigh & Mary Jane from Swansea); Henry Kingdon Attested & Joined for the Duration of the War on 19.01.1915 & Served in France from 25.01.1915 having embarked on the ‘SS Twickenham’ at Avonmouth to Rouen, France; At enlistment he gave his address as #13, Little White Lion Street, Long Acre, London WC which is a flat, he was Married, aged 25 years, elected to make payments of 3/6d per day to his wife & a Motor Driver by trade; At some stage in 1918 he was promoted to Corporal in the Royal Army Service Corps; His wife was Ellen Body, b.1890 in the City of Westminster, who he Married on 20.12.1909 in St Giles’ Registry Office; In 1911 Henry & Ellen Kingdon lived in a Flat at #50, Castle Street, St Giles in the Field & Bloomsbury, St George in London; In 1915 they already had 3 children all born in St Giles – Ellen Ida b.10.02.1910; Henry James b.03.02.1912 & Emily Francis b.18.11.1914; Henry Kingdon appears to have been wounded on 29.09.1917 & was hospitalised in England with a Chest Wound; He was again shipped to France on 23.07.1918 on board the ‘Huntscape’; Throughout his service the reports all confirmed that he was highly intelligent & an excellent driver, he seems to have spent a lot of time with the New Zealand Supply Column; In April 1918 I believe that he suffered a leg injury in an accident & was again invalided to England to the Beaufort War Hospital; I believe that he was finally Transferred to the Reserve on 11.06.1919; This soldier did not suffer any disability from his earlier chest wound; I understand that Henry R H Kingdon died aged 78 in Harrow in 1969; Medals Card on file; (He is the Brother of Kingdom, Edgar: Royal Garrison Artillery No: 73969 Rank: Gunner 1914-1920 WO 372/11 who also served in WW1); (He is the Brother of Kingdon, John: Royal Scots Fusiliers No: 8503 Rank: Private1914-1920 WO 372/11, South Africa & WW1; Kingdon, John: Private, #Q50587 & #Q123713 & #143274, Australian Army; WW2);

Notes: Enlistment date for #3637 DCLI is between 02.01.1892 & 31.01.1893; Also served as #202491 in The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry; Medals Card on file; Insufficient information to identify clearly;

Notes: There is a 1911 Census record for the Metropolitan Asylum Board’s Boys Training Ship “Exmouth”, on the River Thames at Grays in Essex, which has a 15 year old Henry Kingdom born 1896 in Battersea living on board; I understand that this Training Ship was intended as a Reformatory or Industrial Training School for Pauper Boys from families who had been placed in workhouses, having fallen on hard times, from the Metropolitan Boroughs who normally joined at the age of 11 & remained until the age of 15; A search of all male Kingdom births in 1895-1897 for the Battersea, London area does not indicate a suitable candidate for this boy; However, there is only a birth for Henry Francis Kingdon in 1896 registered in Wandsworth, London & I have subsequently assumed that this could be this boy; Henry Francis Kingdon was the son of Henry Kingdon, originally a Shipwright, then a Cabman & then a General Labourer, born 1860 in Monkton, Somerset, & Florence Louise Goddard, born 1861 in Peckham, who married on 09.03.1886 in Hatcham St James, Lewisham; Henry Francis Kingdon was Baptised on 16.03.1896 in All Saints Church, Battersea Park, London, his Father was a Cabman living at #43, Gladstone Terrace at that time; In 1901 Census Henry F Kingdon is living with his parents at #11, Kirtley Road, Lewisham, London, his Father is a General Labourer; In 1911 Henry’s Father Henry Kingdon is recorded as a Widower, Lodging at #25, De Laune Street, Kennington Park, Kennington, London & working as a Cab Driver, which would support the reason for his young son being onboard the Training Ship ‘Exmouth’ in 1911; There is no evidence that Henry Francis Kingdon went on to serve in the Royal Navy or any of the forces in WW1; I believe that Henry Francis Kingdon was living at #3, Gibson street, Princess Park, Liverpool when he Died on 05.03.1932; No evidence of Military Service;