#England #Military #Oakengates #Priorslee #Shropshire #Snedshill #WWI
Leonard BIDDULPH was one of apparently ten children born to Eli1 James BIDDULPH (1867 – 1941), an Ironworker, and Charlotte Anne DODD (1866 – 1943).
Both families of Eli1 and Charlotte seem to have lived around the Priorslee [Priors Lee] / Shifnal [Shiffnal] area of Shropshire for several generations. Eli1’s birth doesn’t seem to be registered on FreeBMD but his baptism is given.
Eli1 and Charlotte married in Q2 1887 Shifnal District when both in their early 20s. Their first child came along a few months later.
Leonard had five brothers – John Henry BIUDDULPH (1887 – 1958), Eli2 James BIDDULPH (1892 – 1958), Samuel BIDDULPH (1894 – 1925), William BIDDULPH (1897 – 1897) and Albert BIDDULPH (1901 – TBA). Have not found out much about their movements but possibly at least one spent time in Canada.
He had three sisters – Ann Maria BIDDULPH (1888 – 1966), Florence Elizabeth BIDDULPH (1890 – TBA) and Emily BIDDULPH (1895 – TBA). Similarly, no real research has been done on these yet.
[This makes nine children. They declared in 1911 that 10 Children Born Alive with 9 Children still Living which may be incorrect. At the time of seeing this record had only identified 8 children so found William the missing one.
Not only was he born and then died between census records but sadly only lived a very short time. To have another one who then doesn’t live with them across any of the records would imply a miscalculation on their part.]
In the 1881 Census Eli1 is living at property 797 in Priors Lee with his older brother Thomas BIDDULPH (1861 – 1908) and grandparents Eli3 TOMLINSON (1819 – 1885) and Mary POOLE (1817 – 1884).
It is about 40 properties away from Priors Lee Hall it seems and presumably as, aged 13, he is an Iron Worker that it is likely to be the works that I have seen the remains of hidden at the back of the University Campus.
Charlotte is living at property 1025 with her widowed mother Elizabeth WARD (1839 – 1908) and five siblings (the oldest being a half-sister) in Sneedshill [Snedshill]. She is 14 and a scholar. Her father died six years previously and mother’s position given as Pauper.
After getting married in 1887 they have three children by the time of the next Census. In 1891 Eli is still working as an Ironworker. The address is given as 1024 Wood Barracks, Snedshill. All of these places are in close proximity of each other.
[It appears there is a different referencing of properties taking place in Shropshire compared to elsewhere to give each an identifying number as opposed to just location.] They are living next door to Charlotte’s mother and siblings.
They have another five children over the next few years, sadly losing one very young, and ending with Leonard. He was born 25 February 1899 with it being registered in Shifnal District Q2 1899.
It appears he was born in Oakengates which is adjacent to Snedshill and that is adjacent to Priorslee. Not found a baptism record for him. But did for another Leonard BIDDULPH who was born the year before him not very far away so perhaps they are related).
In 1901 the family is living in Station Road, Oakengates. Eli1 still an Ironworker and seems to be involved in Puddling which is possibly a more skilled position 1.
Leonard is just two and all his siblings are still there although the eldest, at 13, is now a Labourer at Brickyard. The final sibling for Leonard is born soon after the census was taken.
Come 1911 the address is given as 15 Station Road, Oakengates so possibly the same property as previous Census. Leonard is now 12 and he’s at school.
Regarding Leonard’s military career we have evidence from Forces War Records that in the 1914 – 1918 war he was in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry 2. He was a Private with Service Number 30109.
It is shown that he was entitled to wear a Wound Stripe. Not sure when before 06 July 1916 this actually occurred or the details of his injury. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
On 27 August 1917 he marries Gladys May BAKER (1899 – 1964) at Holy Trinity Church, Oakengates so it is possible he was invalided out of the war with his wound. Her father had brought the family from Bridgnorth, Shropshire to Shifnal area by 1911.
Between 1918 and 1938 they have eight children in all. The birth registration districts vary but this seems to be boundary reclassifications rather than them moving home.
The 1939 register, taken on 29 September, has Leonard, Gladys and six of the eight children listed. Three of their records are officially closed though but looks like the oldest two are out of the house by this time.
Leonard is working as a Bricklayer with his wife on Unpaid Domestic Duties. The address is given as 21 Freeston Avenue, Oakengates which is still really Snedshill for current local classification. .
In 1925 one of his siblings passed away but his parents didn’t die until 1941 and 1943 respectively so they got to meet all their Grandchildren from Leonard. I don’t know the dates for several of his siblings but the ones I do know seemed to live to the 1950s and 1960s.
Not sure what Leonard does in the interim because the next official record we hold is for his death. He died on 31 October 1962 in Shrewsbury. His wife Gladys survived a couple more years but died on 22 March 1964 in Wrekin District.
He was a 2C 3R to me. I have two confirmed DNA links with Leonard’s descendants that connect me to him on his maternal line.
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puddling_(metallurgy) ↩︎
- Forces War Records – https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/records/22642605/private-l-biddulph-british-army-kings-shropshire-light-infantry ↩︎
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