#England #Kent #Military #Sandwich #WWI
Arthur John DRAYSON was the fifth of seven children born to James Dixon DRAYSON (1861 – 1922), a Brewer’s Drayman, and Agnes CLARK (1859– 1931). [Her birth is registered as Agness Clark and appears she is known as Isabel A. Clark for a time].
James’ family background is around the Eastry / Worth areas of Kent for at least a couple of generations. Agnes was born in Ticehurst District, Sussex but other than that don’t know much about her background. Possibly her family is actually from Horsmonden in Kent. They married Q3 1881 in Eastry District. They were both in their early 20s.
Arthur had five brothers – Ernest Dixon DRAYSON (1883 – 1963), James Charles DRAYSON (1885 – 1956), Bertie DRAYSON (1889 – 1968), William DRAYSON (1896 – 1981) and Thomas Henry DRAYSON (1899 – 1918).
There was just one girl in the family – Ethel Elizabeth Agnes DRAYSON (1887 – 1947). Some of his siblings married and had offspring. Most seem to have remained in Kent as well.
In the 1881 Census James, aged 20, is lodging with a family at 33 Alexander Road, St Lawrence, Ramsgate, Kent. He is working as a Brewer’s Drayman. An Isabel A. CLARK is with a family where the Head of household is a Brewer. She is, aged 22, employed as Servant’s Cook. The family is living on the High Street, Sandwich, Kent.
They have four children between Q4 1883 and Q1 1889. Then on 11 January 1891 Arthur is born at 13 Moat Sole, Sandwich. His birth is registered Q1 1891 in Eastry District.
By 05 April 1891 he is found in Rams Hill Corner, Horsmonden, Kent where his mother is presumably staying with her widowed parent, Sarah KEMP (1825 – TBA) and married sister. I don’t actually know when his grandmother passes away so it may have been soon after this time as she was 66 then and quite a trip for a fairly new baby to be taken on.
The rest of the family are in Mystery House, Moat Sole, Sandwich, Kent. They have a housekeeper. James is now a Brewer’s Cellarman. [James is actually found with his family in Moat Sole in 1871 Census so returned to same location once married.]
By 1901 Arthur, now 10, has a couple more siblings and in the Census the family are this time shown as the first property in Moat Sole after Cattle Market. They no longer have any help in the house and the person missing from the family is Ethel.
Did not need to looked far for her though since turns out she’s next door with her paternal Grandmother Harriett DIXON (1824 – 1919) who has been widowed twice by this point.
His eldest brother Ernest married Alice Maud STROUD (1884 – 1972) in 1904 and his sister Ethel married Thomas CASTLE (1884 – 1968) in 1908 so they have moved on with their lives. By 1911 Ernest has two children and Ethel one.
In the 1911 Census Arthur, aged 20, has now moved out and boarding with Thomas FAGG (1859 – 1923) and family at 1 Glen Neath Villas, Stone Cross, Worth, Kent. He is working as a Vanman for a Wine and Spirits Merchant. The remaining siblings are still with their parents at 13 Moat Sole, Sandwich. His father is described as a Brewers Drayman again.
On 03 July 1915 Arthur marries Flossie Rosetta FAGG (1890 – 1958) in Sandwich. He must have known her for over four years by this time since she is the eldest daughter of the people where he was boarding. At least this makes it very clear how they met. They move to 42 High Street, Sandwich.
It would appear he is now working as a labourer for ? & J Watts, Wine & Spirit Merchant, New Street in Sandwich. Possibly the same company as in 1911 but not sure.
Regarding Arthur’s military career 1we have evidence that in the 1914 – 1918 war he was in the Royal Artillery after being in the National Reserve’s Special Service Company (Deal). It appears he joined up on 23 October 1914 and later had regimental numbers 1168 and 915710 . He went over to Havre, France from Southampton, Hampshire on 09 March 1916.
He served in the 5th Kent Battery, 7th Division, Royal Field Artillery. On 01 June 1916 he was admitted to hospital with what is described as Cerebro Spinal Meningitis and then discharged to duty a fortnight later.
Ten days later he is back with what seems to say Pyramis which is a related operation I believe. (Won’t go into specifics but doesn’t sound good). Three days later back out to duty. Per Forces War Records this seems to have been put under Influenza and states he was a Corporal.
On 26 March 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant. Not the easiest paperwork to read so unsure of some of the specifics. It seems that he was wounded in the war with his wife, now living at 10 Boatsman Hill, being most disgruntled that she wasn’t told. It seems they wrote to his mother instead who to be fair is listed first in the next of kin list before his father and then wife.
This seems to have happened on 22 September 1917 and refers to him being in No 6 General Hospital, Rouen in France. It is apparently a chest wound but doesn’t seem to have been too bad based on the information provided to her. It is written as a chest fracture in the reports though.
More specifically injury given elsewhere as a Gunshot wound to the right-hand side of chest with suspected fractured ribs. 500 units of Anti-Tetanus Serum given. Admitted at 09:00 to No.42 Casualty Clearing Station Aubigny. This is in the Loire region of France. Can’t read when he was discharged. It seems he was entitled afterwards to wear a Wound Stripe on his uniform.
In March 1918 he was given leave to return to UK, via Boulogne, for 14 days. Then he was back as on 07 September 1918 he was admitted to hospital having been wounded in action. He was gassed on this occasion it seems. This could be Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol.
He then has yet another spell in hospital as he was the left on 12 March 1919 from Devonport Hospital, Plymouth. Looks like he was in for pneumonia from November 1918. Also, gets X-rayed to see if he had a kidney stone (calculus) but this was negative. Turns out he then had appendicitis.
When he leaves the military his address is now shown as 10 New Cottages, Woodnesborough Road, Sandwich. It refers to the Approved Society of Odd Fellows – Canterbury Branch. This is a National Health Approved Society apparently. He was awarded the Victory and British War Medals.
In the meantime, whilst he was abroad, his brothers Bertie and William married in 1917. His brothers Ernest, Bertie and Thomas all definitely served in the war but not sure about James or William. Sadly, his youngest brother Thomas serving in France was killed in action on 23 August 1918.
Arthur and Flossie have a son whose birth was registered in Eastry District. Then his father James passed away in 1922, aged 61, at 2 Mill Lane, Eastry, Kent and is buried at Boatman’s Hill Cemetery in Sandwich.
They have a second son who was also registered in Eastry District. His mother Agnes dies in 1931. She left her effects to Arthur’s labourer brothers Ernest and Bertie.
The 1939 register, taken on 29 September, has them living at 22 Woodnesborough Road, Sandwich. Arthur is a General Labourer and in the Sandwich ARP Repair Squad. Flossie is undertaking Unpaid Domestic Duties and one son is a Wood Machinist whilst the other is redacted.
Their first born married a lady from Wales in London Q2 1947 whilst the younger child married in Q4 of that year in Walsall, Staffordshire. This is where his wife was from and they stayed in the area.
Arthur lost his sister Ethel in Q4 1947 with her death being registered in Thanet District, Kent. One grandchild was born in 1948 and another in 1953.
Very sadly their youngest son died aged 32 in Q4 1955. Not sure whether from illness or accident. On 27 Mar 1956 Arthur’s brother James had passed away.
Flossie died on 12 March 1958 at aged 67. This is registered Q1 1958 in Canterbury District, Kent as she was in the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. They were still living at 22 Woodnesborough Road at this time.
Their son’s widow remarried Q2 1958 and not sure if Arthur would have attended being so soon after losing wife and it was not local.
After her death Arthur sold up and moved to 60 Leamington Crescent, South Harrow, Middlesex presumably to be near other son who was a Police Sergeant.
Arthur died on 05 November 1959 at the age of 68. His other brothers Bertie and William lived on until 1968 and 1981 respectively.
Arthur John DRAYSON was a 2C 3R to me on his paternal line. The nearest shared ancestors are my 4x Great Grandparents Charles DRAYSON (1788 – 1845) and Mary Ann KEMP (1789 – 1873).
I have some DNA matches to their descendants as looks like some branches went to the USA and Canada which makes it easier to find the connection as they aren’t interrelated as much as I am in Kent.
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/19562005/serjeant-arthur-drayson-royal-field-artillery ↩︎
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