Thomas Richard Fewell was born and raised in Chelmsford and joined the regular army by early 1911. He landed in France within three weeks of the start of the war, and married in Cornwall in early 1915. He was killed in action at Longueval in July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.
FEWELL, THOMAS RICHARD,
Sergeant (Acting Corporal), 1st Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
He married Sarah Anne Rusk in Falmouth in 1915, presumably while home on leave.
His battalion participated in the Battle of the Somme in France - on 14th July 1916 it marched from Ivergy to Candas. The following day it moved to Toutencourte, then Bresle arriving to the south of Becordel-Becourt on 17th July 1916. Two days later the battalion was located at forward positions in a sunken road road leading to High Wood near Longueval, having arrived via Fricourt, Mametz and Montauban. Six days later the battalion went on the offensive but was forced to retire to Pont Street by counter attacks. The battalion was relieved and moved to Happy Valley. On 28th July 1916 Thomas’ battalion moved to Longueval and it was on that day that he was killed in action while serving as Corporal 8970. He was aged 25.
The Essex Weekly News of 18th August 1916 reported:
“Sgt. T. Fewell, Upper Bridge-road, Chelmsford was killed in action on July 28. Mrs Fewell has four other sons and her husband serving with the colours.”
A week later the Essex County Chronicle reported:
“Sergt, Thomas Richard Fewell, Duke of Cornwall’s L. I., eldest son of Mr T. Fewell, Upper Bridge Road, Chelmsford, was killed in action on July 28. Mrs. Fewell has four other sons and her husband serving with the Colours.”
Thomas was born in Chelmsford in early 1891, the eldest child of Thomas Edmund Fewell and Emily Eliza Fewell (nee Dines). He was baptised at St John’s Church, Moulsham on 21st February 1891, at which time his father was a tanner of Baddow Road, Chelmsford.
Thomas’ father had been born in Writtle in 1871; his mother in Widford in 1867.
The couple had wed on 2nd August 1890 at St. Mary’s Church, Widford when Charles’ father was aged 20, a leather finisher of Widford, and the son of the publican Thomas Charles Fewell. His bride was aged 23, also of Widford, the daughter of Richard Dines, a carman.
Thomas’ ten siblings, all Chelmsford-born, included Charles William Fewell (1892-1918), Maud Annie Fewell (born in 1893, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 5th August 1893, died 1959), James Ernest Fewell (born in 1895, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 6th April 1895), Henry Peter Fewell (born in 1896, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 2nd January 1897, died 1971), Bertie Fewell (born in 1897, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 12th December 1897, died 1965), Emily Ellen Fewell (born in 1899, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 3rd June 1899, died 1974), John Fewell (born in 1901, and christened at St. John’s Church, Moulsham on 15th August 1901), Percy Fewell (1903-1985), Alice Mary Fewell (born in 1905) and Albert Alfred Fewell
(1911-1963).
For each of the christenings Thomas’ father was either a tanner or leather finisher, except for that of John Fewell when he was simply a labourer.
For each of the christenings Thomas’ father was either a tanner or leather finisher, except for that of John Fewell when he was simply a labourer.
Thomas was just three months old when the 1891 census took place. It found him and his parents still living in Baddow Road, between Hamlet Terrace and the old Army and Navy pub. Thomas’ father was employed as a tanner’s shedman.
The 1901 census recorded Thomas, aged ten, living with his parents and six siblings at 8 Wolseley Road, Chelmsford, just two doors from Arthur Saltmarsh (number 10) and Arthur Cook (number 6), who were both to lose their lives in the war. At the time his father was a millright.
By 1910 Thomas’ father was living at 30 Regina Road, Chelmsford. It was there that the 1911 census found Thomas’ parents and eight siblings, At the time his father was a pipe fitter at Hoffmann’s ball and roller bearings factory in Chelmsford. His sister Maud was a laundry maid at the Model Steam Laundry; brother James was a car man in a laundry; brother Henry was a telegraph messenger boy for the Post Office; and brother Bertie was a mitre boy at Crompton’s electrical engineers in Chelmsford. Meanwhile Thomas was aged 21 and resident at the Military Barracks in Gravesend, Kent where he was a private in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
Thomas’ father later lived at 166 Moulsham Street, Chelmsford and the 1914-15 register of electors showed him at 162 Upper Bridge Road, Chelmsford (pictured).
Thomas had enlisted at Chelmsford and served in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry a regular army infantry unit which was in Ireland at the outbreak of the war, and was initially part of 14th Brigade, then the 95th Brigade, in the 5th Division.
As part of the regular army Thomas landed in France on 21st August 1914, within three weeks of the outbreak of war.
Thomas has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, near Albert, Somme, France, on the Civic Centre Memorial, Chelmsford and on Moulsham War Memorial at St. John’s Church, Moulsham. He was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
His brother Charles William Fewell M.M. was killed in action on 8th January 1918.
The 1918 register of electors showed Thomas’
parents remaining at 162 Upper Bridge Road, Chelmsford.
In 1920 his widow married Stanley Bettison and later lived at 87 Marlborough Road, Falmouth, Cornwall. She died in 1964.
His father died on Boxing Day 1930, aged 60; his mother remarried in 1935, to Harry William Stonehold, and died in 1938.
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