Name
John Charles Harrison Ladyman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/10/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
16700
Norfolk Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LOOS MEMORIAL
Panel 30 and 31.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Bushey Town Memorial, St James’ Church Memorial, Bushey
Pre War
Born on 18 January 1877 and baptised on 21 February 1877 in the Parish of St Margaret, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, John Charles Harrison Ladyman was the son of George Harrison and Mary Helena (nee Stevenson) Ladyman. At the time of his baptism, his parents were living in the High Street and his father was working as a Grocer. His parents had been married in 1875 in the registration district of Sussex and John was the second of five children.
At the 1881 Census, the family was living in Eaton St Andrew, Norfolk. George was 30 years old and working as a Tea Dealer and Mary was 31 years old. They now had four children: Grace Christianna, John Charles, Katharine Ethel and Edith Mary. The family’s ages are given as 5, 4, 3 and 7 months respectively. The birthplaces are given as Norwich and Brighton for George and Margaret, Norwich for Grace, Kings Lyne for John and Katharine and Eaton for Edith. Two domestic servants were also present.
By the 1891 Census, the family had moved to 1 Longfield Avenue, Walthamstow, which at that time was in Essex. George was still trading as a tea dealer, living on his own means, and he and Mary now had five children, with George, their youngest, now aged 9, having also been born in Norwich. They no longer had any servants.
John’s mother and father died in the third quarter of 1898 and last quarter of 1899 respectively, both deaths being recorded in the West Ham registration district.
By 1901, John was living at 78 Erskine Road, St Mary’s, Walthamstow, with two of his sisters and his brother. John, now aged 24, was recorded as the head of the family and was employed as a Commercial Clerk. Also present were Grace, aged 25 and ‘living on her own means, Edith, aged 20 and working as a short-hand clerk, and George, aged 16 and working as a brokers clerk. Also present was one servant.
At the 1911 John and his sister Grace were living at 49 Cleveland Park Avenue, Walthamstow. John is now a ‘retired clerk in public company and Grace was living on ‘private means’. John was involved in church work there.
John later moved to Bushey and lived for a short time at ‘Doune Lodge’, 12 Belmont Road, New Bushey, and is listed in the 1914 Kelly’s Directory for Hertfordshire at that address.
Wartime Service
When the age for recruitment was raised to 40 in May 1915, John enlisted in London as Private 16700 in the Norfolk Regiment. His medal record gives his date of disembarkation in France on 30 May 1915 where he served for just a few months. His death was presumed, having been missing in action since 13 October 1915, in France. The St James’ Parish Magazine recorded his death as follows:
"John Ladyman, late of ‘Doune Lodge’, Belmont Road, Private in the Norfolks, gave up his business in order to do lay work in Walthamstow. Early in 1914, feeling he had a call to Holy Orders, he came to Bushey to read for the ministry. He was a Server at the Parish Church. When the age limit was raised to 40, he enlisted. His was a noble and heroic life and death, and an inspiration to all who knew him. He was one of the first into the Hohenzollern Redoubt and was ‘never seen again."
The Hohenzollern Redoubt was an intricate trench system extending out from the German front line. At the battle of Loos in September 1915 it was taken by the British during the opening stages of the engagement but regained by the Germans two days later. The final British assault on 13 October failed and resulted in 3,643 casualties, mostly in the first few minutes. John Ladyman is remembered with honour at the Loos Memorial in France, panel 30 & 31, and he is commemorated on the Bushey Memorial, at St James’ Parish Church and at St Paul’s, Bushey.
The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects identifies the sole grantee as his brother-in-law, Arthur B Youngman, who had married Katharine in 1900, the marriage being recorded in the West Ham registration district.
Additional Information
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
