Blackmore Area Local History

War Memorial: Place and inscription
War Memorial: Bishops Stortford

Rank:
Private

Regiment:
1^st / 1^st Staffordshire Yeomanry. Service No: 301803.  [CWGC]

Service Details:
Joseph Thomas Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line (incl. Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps), Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment).
Born Blackmore.
Enlisted Reading, Berkshire. 
Residence Bishops Stortford (military-genealogy.com)

Personal and family information:
Husband of E. M. Thomas, of Plantains Wood, Bishop's Stortford. [CWGC]

Births Sep 1887:  Thomas, Joseph Ongar 4a  297 [Free BMD]
No record of baptism at St Laurence, Blackmore.  Other Thomas baptisms, older siblings:
1^st May 1881:  Richard son of Henry Richard & Mary Thomas
1^st June 1884:  John son of Henry Richard & Mary Thomas [ERO D/P 266/1/11]
Death of father:
Henry Richard Thomas   Blackmore   (buried) 21^st April 1899   46 years.  No record of mother’s burial 1893 – 1992 in Blackmore register. [Burial Register in Church Safe]

William James and James Joseph Thomas, farmers at Hook’s End.  They are not in the 1901 census. [Kellys Directory 1908]

1881 Census: Henry R. Thomas age 28, Head. Spouse's name: Mary E., both born Ingatestone, living Blackmore, Hooks End. Occupation, Hay Dealer, with children William H. Thomas 3 (born Ingatestone), Ada Thomas 2 (born Ingatestone), Richard Thomas infant (born Blackmore)

1891 Census. Kelvedon Hatch
Henry Thomas.  Head.  Married.  [Age] 39.    Hay Dealer.  [Born]  Ingatestone Essex
Emily Thomas.  Wife.  Married. [Age] 35.  [Born] Ingatestone Essex
Ada Thomas.  Daughter.  [Age] 12.  [Born] Ingatestone Essex
Richard Thomas.  Son.  [Age] 10.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
William Thomas.  Son.  [Age] 8.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
John Thomas.  Son.  [Age] 6.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
Elizabeth Thomas.  Daughter.  [Age] 5.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
Joseph Thomas.  Son.  [Age] 4.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
Charles Thomas.  Son.  [Age] 2.  [Born] Blackmore Essex
[source: http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/kelvedonhatch/census_1891.html]

1901 Census. Joseph Thomas, age 13, is houseboy to Douglas Crossman at Dudbrook.

Clare Goodwin, a descendent who confirmed the above details for Joseph wrote “I have also been led to believe that my grandfather John Thomas may have also served in the same Regiment. I can find no official records of this though.”

Date of Death:
14^th October 1918

Age:
31

Where died:
Egypt

Place of Burial or Commemoration:
Remembered with honour: Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. F229 [CWGC]

List of Sources:
Church Safe with grateful acknowledgment to the Vicar and churchwardens, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Essex Record Office, Free BMD, Clare Goodwin: a descendent of the Thomas family, History House, Kelly’s Directory 1908, Soldiers who Died in the Great War.