#England #Kent #Military #WWI
Ernest Richard AMOS was the eldest of five children born to Thomas AMOS (1847 – TBA), an agricultural labourer, and Maria BEER (1854 – 1931).
The families of Thomas and Maria seem to have been from in and around Dover, Kent, England. They married on 05 February 1879 in Hougham which is just outside the town. They were both in their 20s.
Ernest had an older sister, Maria Isabella AMOS (1880 – 1928). She married George Frederick CASTLE and they seem to have moved towards Thanet. Think they had a couple of children.
He had three brothers – Frank AMOS (1882 – 1882) who died in infancy, Fred AMOS (1884 – 1916) who was killed in the war and Richard E AMOS (1887 – 1959)
The 1871 Census has his father Thomas living in Martin, Kent, England [yes it is a place] with his parents. Both Thomas and his father Abraham AMOS (1821 – 1881) are described as agricultural labourers (although Abraham seems paralysed) and his mother Isabella COCK (1815 – 1908) is the Village School Mistress.
His mother Maria is working as a domestic servant for Thomas PAIN, a Mason, and his family. They are based in Biggin Street, Dover. Not sure how Thomas and Maria would have met to have got together but they clearly did.
In the 1881 Census Ernest is given as 3 months old and the four of them are living in a Cottage in Martin. His birth was registered Q1 1881 in Dover District and christened 13 March 1881. Usually it appears the baptisms are within a couple of weeks but as the census was taken night of 03 April 1881 likely he was born in January 1881.
In the 1891 Census they are possibly living at the same place but there aren’t any specific details given apart from the fact it only has 4 rooms. There is no occupation given for the 10-year-old Ernest or his surviving brothers and his sister Maria is with her elderly grandmother and her lodger a couple of properties away.
Another ten years on and per the 1901 Census Ernest is in River, Kent, England [yes also a place] at Coombe Farm working for Richard MARSH, a Farm Bailiff. At 20 he is described as a farm servant for agriculture and cattle.
Unable to find a 1911 Census entry for Ernest. He did not marry or have offspring so there is a gap in information of about 14 years until his military service records give more information.
Ernest joined up in Faversham on 27 November 1915. Age given as 34 years and 311 days which would mean he was born around 20 January 1881. He was working as a labourer and living at Lucerne Street in Teynham.
His father Thomas of 3 Prospect Place, Martin as given as next of kin. He seems to have been about 5’ 5 in height with a 34.5-inch chest. He had no distinguishing marks.
His papers are not the clearest but looks like he was held in Army Reserve until 23 March 1916 and posted somewhere on 25 March 1916. On 01 July 1916 he embarked at Southampton for the Expeditionary Force to France. He seems to have been moved between battalions and regiments as required during July 1916.
His Service number was G/26761 when he was in the 6th Royal Fusiliers. Then his Regimental number became T.F.9503 when he joined the 1st 7th Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment as a Private.
He was killed in action on 10 September 1916 in the field 1. He is remembered in the London Cemetery and Extension at Loungeval in France 2. He was most likely awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
Three months later his brother is also killed in action so very sadly his parents Thomas and Maria lost three of their children before they themselves passed away. Unfortunately, not been able to confirm Thomas’ death.
We know he was alive in 1911 and 1915 so the most logical entry for a Thomas AMOS death after that is Q3 1923 in Eastry District, aged 79, but that implies born in 1844 so not confident.
Ernest Richard AMOS was a 3C 3R to myself through his paternal grandmother. I believe the shared ancestors to be my 5x Great Grandparents Simon COCK (c1752 – 1842) and Dorothy PARKER (1754 – 1793).
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- Forces War Records – https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/records/1858856/private-ernest-richard-amos-british-army-middlesex-regiment and https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/records/18972917/private-ernest-r-amos-19th-london-regiment ↩︎
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission [CWGC] – https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2945508/ernest-richard-amos/ ↩︎
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