Name
Jacob Reynolds
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pirton School Memorial
Biography
Jacob appears on the School War Memorial, confirming that he attended the school. Parish records suggest only one man of this name who could have served, and he was baptised on June 4th 1876 to Lewis and Mary Ann Reynolds (née Catterell). So he would have been thirty-eight at the outbreak of war. In all it would appear that six brothers served and four survived - refer to George Thomas Reynolds for more family details.
By 1911, all but Walter appear to have left the family home, which was 3 Wesley Cottages - the group of cottages behind the terrace which now contains the village shop. Jacob does not appear in the Pirton census, so must have been working or living away from Pirton at the time.
Two newspaper cuttings, one from very late 1917, or perhaps early 1918, and the other from around August 1918 provide the following information. Before the war Jacob had been an ostler (stableman) at the Sun Hotel in Hitchin and was also a driver for Hitchin Fire Brigade. He had a wife and six children. The earlier article confirms Jacob's parents were Mr and Mrs Lewis Reynolds of 3 Wesley Cottages. His father had a small-holding and his mother had been an invalid for several years. Jacob was one of six brothers serving; the others were Walter and Albert, who both died and are listed on the Village War Memorial, and William and Harry and George who survived. It is also recorded that they had at least one sister, whose husband was also serving. At the time of the report Jacob was on home service.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
