Name
Benjamin Skirman
30 October 1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/04/1917
40
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
48438
Royal Fusiliers *1
7th (City of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 3.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Ashwell Church WW1 Roll of Honour. Not on the Ashwell memorial
Pre War
Benjamin Skirman was born in Ashwell, Hertfordshire on 30 October 1877, the son of Frederick and Hannah Skirman (nee Barlow). He was educated at the Merchant's Taylors' School in Ashwell.
On the 1881 Census the family were living in High Street, Ashwell, where his father was working as an agricultural labourer. They remained in Ashwell in 1891 but had moved to Spring Head.
He married Elizabeth Dubery at St Ann's Church, Tottenham, Middlesex on 19 December 1897 in Tottenham and they had two sons: Frederick James (b. 17 May 1898) and Benjamín John (b. 16 July 1899) . By the 1901 Census they were living at 22 Terront Road, Tottenham and Benjamin was working as a journeyman milkman. They remained in Tottenham in 1911 where he continued to work as a milkman but they had then moved to 153 Cornwall Street. His father had died in early 1911, so his widowed mother and brother Herbert were also living with them.
Before enlistment he was employed at Friern Manor Dairy for 17 years and his home address at the time of his death was given as 20 Clarence Road, West Green, Tottenham.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Tottenham on 11 December 1915 and joined the Royal Fusiliers, serving with the 7th Battalion in the Western European Theatre from 1 March 1917.
Benjamin was killed in action on 23 April 1917 during the Arras Offensive. He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 12s 9d. She also received a pension, initially of 13s 9d a week, rising to 15 shillings a week. There is also a note on the pension card showing that she was awarded an alternative pension under Article 13 of the Royal Warrants of March 1917 and April 1918 which meant that her pension rose to £1 1s 4d a week from 25 March 1918 and increased again to £1 8s 5d from 1 May 1918.
Probate was obtained on his estate in London on 7 August 1917 by Dudley Alexander Butler Frere, solicitor's clerk, with effects of £381 2s 9d.
Benjamin was the last surviving of five sons of Frederick and Hannah Skirman. His younger brother Herbert having died in September 1915 in the Royston district.
*1 Probably more correctly (City of London) Bn. London Regiment.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.ashwellmuseum.org.uk
