Blackmore Area Local History

War Memorial: Place and inscription
Blackmore War Memorial: Pte. A. Barker Essex
Church window: Edward Barker
Ongar & District War Memorial Hospital Roll of Honour (Blackmore) as E Barker [ERO A10815]

Rank:
Private

Regiment:
Essex Regiment. 2^nd Battalion.  No. 32975 [CWGC]

Service Details:
There are several men by the name of Albert Edward Barker who served in the Essex Regiment.  Blackmore’s fallen victim is:
Albert Edward Barker
Essex Regiment 2^nd Battalion
Born: Romford
Lived: Blackmore
Enlisted: Epping
Killed in action. France. 10.10.1917
No Known Grave  [Source: Essex Regiment Museum database]

Personal and family information:
Son of Edward and Amy Barker; husband of Lily Quilter (formerly Barker), of 2, Marion Villas, Oldchurch Rd., Romford. [CWGC]

1911 Census.  This Romford born man was an off licence holder in Camberwell, South East London.  His wife, Lily, three years older than him, aged 32, assisted him in the running of the business. At that time they had two children, Lilian Amy, aged 7, and Edward Leslie, aged 5, who were both at school.  Staying with them on the night of the census was a visitor and monthly nurse, Emma Langstone, aged 64, from Maldon Essex.  The family were all born in Romford.

1881 Census. Records Lilly Langstone b. 1879 Dagenham, daughter of George & Emma, living Chigwell.

Listed (erroneously) as absent voter at The Bull on the 1918 Electoral Register (because he had died) [ERO C/E 2/1/1].

Baptism of daughter at St Laurence Blackmore: 31 January 1913.   Doris Emma, daughter of Albert Edward & Lily Barker, Licensed Victualler. [ERO 266/1/17]

Kelly’s Directory 1914 records the landlord of The Bull Blackmore as Albert Edward Barker.  In 1917 we find the landlady as publican: Mrs Lily Barker. [http://www.deadpubs.co.uk/EssexPubs/Blackmore/bull.shtml].  Given the trade undertaken in the 1911 census this appears to be the link between the man and Blackmore.

After Albert’s death Lily remarried and moved presumably from Blackmore back to Romford. Her surname was Quilter.

Date of Death:
10^th October 1917 [CWGC]

Age:
38

Where died:
Died at Peolcappelle. [CWGC]

Place of Burial or Commemoration:
Commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

List of Sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), deadpubs.co.uk, Essex Record Office, Essex Regiment Museum.