Name
William Burrage
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/10/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
14487
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
2nd (City of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
Not on the Bedmond memorials
Pre War
Son of the late John and Maria (nee HIPGRAVE) BURRAGE; possibly husband of Clara J (nee TAYLOR) BURRAGE.
His parents married 5 February 1871 at St Stephen’s, St Alban’s, Herts. John died 1883 in the Watford district aged 39, and was buried 18 August at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley, Herts; Maria died 1899 in Watford aged 48, and was buried 13 December in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford.
William was born 1874 in Bedmond, Herts, and baptised 13 December 1874 at St Lawrence’s, Abbot’s Langley. He attended Victoria Boys’ School, Watford, from 1 September 1884. He married 1916 in the Watford district, and was aged 43 when he died, though there appears to be no record of where he died.
On the 1881 Census, a scholar aged 7 he lived in Bedmond, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1891 Census, a printer’s apprentice aged 17, he lived in Watford, with his widowed mother and four siblings. On the 1901 Census and 1911 Census, he is proving elusive.
Wartime Service
There is no trace of a W BURRAGE, London Regiment, in either the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s dataset or in Soldiers Died in the Great War.
However, a brief article in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 9 March 1918 refers to a Private W BURRAGE, Royal Fusiliers, officially presumed killed in action 26 October 1917.
A William BURRAGE was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 25 April 1915.
Additional Information
Recorded as in the London Regiment on the Borough Roll of Honour. His brother David died on or after 26 October 1917 and also features on Watford Borough Roll of Honour.
Not found in the CWGC records as London Regiment or in Soldiers Died in the Great War.
Unfortunately, William’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
