Name
Christopher Henry Rowlands
4 Jun 1871
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/04/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
312027
Royal Engineers
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ELSTREE (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Elstree memorials,
Isleworth War Memorial, Isleworth, Greater London
Pre War
Christopher Henry was born on June 4th 1871 in Kensington and baptised on August 9th in St Matthew’s Church, Bayswater. In the family he seems to have been known as Henry Christopher and also in some records. His parents, Arthur, a goldsmith, and Emma, (nee Rowlands) were living at 32 Pembridge Villas, Kensington, having married in 1862 in Notting Hill. Arthur was the son of Christopher Rowlands, a goldsmith, and Emma, the daughter of William Rowlands, a gentleman.
Henry Christopher appears on the 1881 census, aged 9, with his sister Mabel Henrietta, born in 1865. By 1891, his family had moved to ‘The Marians, Barnett Lane, Elstree and living at home were his sisters: Mabel Henrietta and Elizabeth Cobden, born in 1869 and his brother, Arthur William, born in 1867 who was a practising artist. Henry Christopher travelled widely as a young adult and became a mining engineer. He travelled to North America and Canada in the 1890’s. On Nov 19 1902, he married Mary Lewis, from Garston, Lancashire in Almeda California; their daughter Mary was born in 1905 in America. On 17th March 1915, as a mining engineer, on SS Appam, he disembarked at Plymouth, having embarked at Sekondi, Ghana, destined for Kensington, aged 43.
Wartime Service
Henry, having enlisted at Shepherd’s Bush, in London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) as Private 3458 and he was in France by 16 Nov 1915. He later transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers (possibly because of his Mining experience) initially as Sapper 312027. He was promoted to Corporal and served in 2nd Field Survey Company in the 5th Army. Survey Company’s provided mapping, sound ranging and observation services mainly for the Artillery.
He received wounds received in action during the Battle of St Quentin (21 – 23 Mar 1918), and was evacuated to Queen Mary’s Military Hospital, Whalley nr Blackburn in Lancashire. Henry Christopher Rowlands died there on 13th April 1918 and was buried in St Nicholas’s Churchyard, Elstree, where other members of his family had been laid to rest, a few days later. His uncle. Christopher Rowlands, living in the Woodlands Isleworth, arranged for Henry Christopher to be remembered on the Isleworth War Memorial,.
Additional Information
Probate of £7501 2s 7d together with War Gratuity £13 10s and arrears of £6 2s 6d paid to Public Trustee. His address was quoted as 5 Welbeck Court, Kensington.
Christopher's headstone (not CWGC) reads:
IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER HENRY ROWLAND. R.E.
THEIR YOUNGER SON WHO WAS WOUNDED MARCH 30TH AT ST. QUENTIN, DIED APRIL 13TH 1919 IN HIS 47TH YEAR
NAUGHT SHALL MAKE US RUE IF ENGLAND TO ITSELF SO REST BUT TRUE
THEIR YOUNGER SON WHO WAS WOUNDED MARCH 30TH AT ST. QUENTIN, DIED APRIL 13TH 1919 IN HIS 47TH YEAR
NAUGHT SHALL MAKE US RUE IF ENGLAND TO ITSELF SO REST BUT TRUE
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
