Poole, Richard
Age: 42
Date of birth: 1873
Parents: Frederick and Lavinia Poole
Wife: Hannah Poole (nee Garrison)
Address: 44 Coventry Road, Warwick
Occupation: Career Soldier
Richard was born in 1873 in Birmingham to parents Frederick and Lavinia Poole.
At the time of the 1881 census he was living with his family at 88 Albion Street in the St Pauls parish of Birmingham and had a younger brother Frederick, aged 5 and a baby sister Nora, aged 9 months.
By the time of the 1891 census, Richard had joined the army and was stationed in London.
Richard married Hannah Garrison on 17th August 1895, presumably while home on leave. She was from Warwick and their first child, also Richard, was born in Warwick on 11th December 1895. Their next four children were born overseas: Frederick (9.2.98) in Alexandria, Egypt, Nora (2.11.00), Kathleen (25.9.02) and Joyce (15.10.04) in Perambur, Madras but their daughters Patricia (25.1.07) and Morna (18.3.09) were born in Warwick. At the time of Patricia’s baptism they were living on Parkes Street, Warwick.
At the time of the 1911 census, Richard and Hannah were living with their children in Church Street, Whittington, near Lichfield, Staffs. Both Richards (father and son) were working as Canteen assistants for Army contractors. A further daughter, Dorothy, was born just after the Census in 1911, followed by a son, John (1913-1982), meaning that Richard and Hannah had nine children in all.
Warwick Advertiser 7th August 1915 – Deaths
“Poole – On the 28th ult., at the Military Hospital, Aldershot, Company Sergeant Major R Poole, 9th South Staffords, of 44 Coventry Road, Warwick, aged 42; late Colour-Sergeant of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment”
Hannah did not remarry and continued to live in Warwick, until her death on 20th January 1950, aged 73. She was living at 2 Station Avenue, Warwick at the time of her death, having lived there for many years (as shown by the 1939 census). She is buried in Warwick Cemetery.
Military Service
Rank & Number: Company Sergeant Major, 14389
Regiment/Service: 9th (Service) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
Brigade/Division: 23rd Division
Date of death: Wednesday, July 28, 1915
Cause of death/Battle: Died in hospital in Aldershot
Commemorated/Buried: Warwick Cemetery - CWGC section - 224 C 25
Awards: Did not serve overseas - no medal entitlement
Commemorated locally at: St Nicholas Church
Richard joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1890 aged 18. His attestation papers describe him as 5′ 4″ with a sallow complexion and give his trade as a mattress maker. His regimental number was 3035. In 1891 he was stationed at the military garrison at the Tower of London. He served in Malta from November 1895 to January 1897, in Egypt until October 1898 and then in India until August 1906, when the family returned to England due to one of the girls contracting infantile polio. His portrait photograph, with sergeant stripes and medals, was taken in 1905 in Bangalore, India.
He continued in the army until January 1910 when he was discharged at his own request, having served for 18 years, after originally enlisting for seven years, by which time he was a Colour Sergeant. His discharge papers state that he was an exemplary soldier, a good clerk and painstaking but note that he had no special qualifications for civil live (although his wife was a good needlewoman).
The 1911 census shows Richard and his son Richard Junior as Canteen Assistants for the army at Lichfield. As the South Staffordshire Regiment Barracks were at Lichfield this probably explains why, in 1914, Richard, who was a member of the National Reserve, enlisted with the South Staffs. At the time he enlisted, his address is shows as 78 Brookhill Road, Bootle.
As a career soldier, Richard’s father (also Richard) would have been proud of his son’s citation for a Military Medal, which was sadly only awarded two years after his death.
Contributors
- Unlocking Warwick Research Group
- Warwick Advertiser excerpts courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office
- Photographs of Richard, and his Scroll courtesy of Valerie Hurst, Richard’s Granddaughter.
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