World War I - those who came home

Part of the 1918 Absent Voters list

Introduction
The 1918 Absent Voters List
Others who served
Harborough Advertiser 1919
Acknowledgements

Introduction

The investigative work into the names on the War Memorial revealed another noteworthy group of names that deserve tribute.

These are the people of Medbourne and surrounding villages who signed up voluntarily or were conscripted into the armed forces to serve in the war and returned to civilian life after the cessation of hostilities in 1918. They number 45 from a village that only had a census population of 450.

Their names, gleaned from the 1918 Absent Voters list, are shown below. There are many familiar local names in the list: Burrows, Driver, Garfield, Snow, Tyler and Ward.

The 1918 Absent Voters List

A picture of an extract from the 1918 Absent Voters list appears at the top of this web page. As it has not been possible to enlarge this to produce something readable, the information has been transcribed below.

ABSENT VOTERS'S LIST 1918 - HARBOROUGH DIVISION - PARISH OF MEDBOURNE

No.	NAME	ADDRESS	DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE, REGIMENT, RANK, RATING, ETC.
3834	Johnson, Clarence Frederick	Kennel Lane	R259130 Remt. Sqdn. A.S.C.
3835	Keech, John	Walker's Yard	12423 Pte. A.V.C.
3836	Lambert, Albine	Drayton Road	SE14284 Pte. A.V.C.
3837	Muggleton, Harry	Drayton Road	126320 Dvr. 55^th Remt. Sqdn A.S.C.
3838	Palin, Alfred	Main Street	12424 Cpl. No. 2 Res. Sec. A.V.C.
3839	Reading, Henry	Spring Bank	WR275182 Spr. 277^th Rly. Coy. R.E.
3840	Smith, George William	Uppingham Road	52349 Pte. 16^th Fld. Bakery A.S.C.
3841	Smythe, Cecil George	Drayton Road	95495 Driving Camp Tank Corps
3842	Snow, Herbert William	Newman's Yard	272235 Dvr. A Bty. 68^th Bde.
3843	Vendyback, William	Main Street	17539 Pte. A.V.C.
3844	Vines, George Leonard	Uppingham Road	290344 Spr. R.E.
3845	Ward, John Inchley	Kennel Lane	94403 Gnr. 392^ND S. Bty. R.G.A.
3846	Webb, Charles William	Old Holt Road	179883 79^th Bty. R.F.A.
3847	Barlow, Sydney Albert	Post Office	73405 Pte. Co. Depot R.A.M.C.
3848	Burrows, Clarence	Near Post Office	25086 Pte. 105^th Aux. Petrol Coy. Agricl. A.S.C (M.T.)
3849	Burrows, Arthur	Near Post Office	381363 Pte. No. 3 Sec. 17^th Coy. A.S.C. (M.T.)
3850	Burrows, Robert	Near Horse & Trumpet	14544 Pte. 8^th Leicesters
3851	Driver, Stanley	Near Nevill Arms	2^nd Lieut. 51^st Grad. Batt. Leicesters
3852	Driver, William	Near Nevill Arms	2^nd Lieut. Res. Batt. Leicesters
3853	Floyd, Alfred James Henry	Uppingham Road	416729 Pte. 410^th Agric Coy. Labour Corps
3854	Freestone, Arthur William	Drayton Road	61858 Gnr. 39^th Brigade R.G.A
3855	Garfield, Joseph Orme	Dexter's Lane	200975 7^th Res. Leicesters
3856	Garfield, Robert George	Uppingham Road	086183 Dvr. A.S.C.
3857	Hodson, Frederick	Uppingham Road	430815 Pte. 410^th Agri. Coy. Labour Corps
3858	Keech, John Hector	Old Holt Road	15276 Pte. 110^th Inf. Bde. H.Q.
3859	Keech, Samuel William	Old Holt Road	41080 Pte. 17^th Manchesters
3860	Lee, Alfred William	Crown Inn	WR289274 Spr. 115^th Ry. Coy.
3861	Major, Thomas Orton	Crown Inn	241688 Pte. 15^th Leicesters
3862	Major, Charles Henry	Crown Inn	14275 8^th Leicesters
3863	Mayhew, James Edgar	Payne's Lane	41243 Pte. Highland L.I.
3864	Newman, Tom Douglas	Main Street	62087 L. Cpl. M.G.C.
3865	Orme, Alfred	Old Green	241209 Dvr. 547^th How. Bty. 321^st Bde R.F.A.
3866	Reading, Charles	Main Street	12491 Pte. 6^th Leicesters
3867	Reading, Alfred	Main Street	WR216410 260^th Rly. Coy. R.E.
3868	Simkin, Albert	Uppingham Road	157085 Pte. 182^nd Agri. Coy. Labour Corps
3869	Searcy, George Henry	Near Nevill Arms	134279 Dvr. B. Bty. 62^nd Bde.
3870	Searcy, Alfred Edward	Near Nevill Arms	29346 Cpl. 7^th East Yorks
3871	Tyler, Tom Pateman	Old Holt Road	38323 Pte. 1^st Royal Berks.
3872	Thompson, Arthur	Main Street	91402 Gnr. 237^th S. Bty. R.G.A.
3873	Thatcher, Arthur Goodhall	Old Manor House	125125 Cpl. 53^rd Remount Squad
3874	Warner, Arthur William Brown	Spring Bank	36141 Pte. 22^nd. Northd. Fus.
3875	Ward, William	Main Street	130779 A.S.C. (M.T.)
3876	Ward, Frederick	Payne's Lane	14878 Pte. 7^th Leicesters
3877	Ward, Arthur Edward	Payne's Lane	124151 2^nd Res. Park A.S.C.
3878	Ward, Frank Bernard	Chapel Lane	38936 Pte. 5^th Royal Berks

ABSENT VOTERS'S LIST 1918 - HARBOROUGH DIVISION - PARISH OF HOLT

No.	NAME	ADDRESS	DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE, REGIMENT, RANK, RATING, ETC.
3879	Dixon, James	Holt	38936 502118 626^th Agric. Coy. Labour Corps

Others Who Served

It is clear from speaking to relatives that there are others who served in World War I whose names do not appear on the Absent Voters List above. Any such names will be listed in this section once they are known. This page can then become a repository for all the known Medbourne men and women who served during World War I.

If you have evidence of a relative who served please email Keith Sandars with the following details:

Name
Regiment if known
Any other information of relevance to their service in the War.

Name	Regiment	Notes
To be supplied	To be supplied	To be supplied

Harborough Advertiser 1919

The following article appeared in the Market Harborough Advertiser on 10th June 1919. Like the Absent Voters list it has not been possible to enlarge the actual article into a readable format, so it has been transcribed below. There are many familiar local family names in the article.

Medbourne Soldiers' Welcome Home

After past wars it has always been a reproach to our country that discharged soldiers broken in health were turned adrift on the world often without, and at most, with a mere pittance for a pension. There has been a wide spread demand that such things should not be allowed this time. The Government has allowed a scale of pensions and allowances which if not extravagant are certainly fairly just. Too often in the past have our soldiers returned and been forgotten immediately peace was declared, but there is every indication that all over the country the returning soldiers are not to be forgotten this time. In almost every town and village preparations have been or are being carried out to honour and to welcome back home the brave fellows after their long and arduous work.

At Medbourne on Wednesday evening it was made very manifest that it was the intention of the village that the men who had returned safely should not merge into civil life without doing its best to give all a hearty welcome home. All who had returned were invited to the Village Hall by a representative committee of villagers to partake of a most enjoyable supper, the proceeds for which had been previously provided for from a very successful whist drive and dance held the previous week. The supper was of a substantial character, consisting of legs of mutton, ham, tongue, and beef, and there were present many ladies acting as waitresses. The Rector, the Rev. T. K. B. Nevinson presided, although the day to him a sad one, for it was almost exactly the fourth anniversary of the death of his only son, Second-Lieut. H. Nevinson, at Gallipoli. After a most enjoyable supper the Rector, in a very eloquent, touching little speech, gave them all in the name of the village a most hearty and welcome return home. "Never", said Mr. Nevinson, "had their Village Hall been put to such an appropriate use as to be the place where a welcome was given to all those returning soldiers who, after a long period of anxiety, had succeeded by that wonderful display of bull-dog courage, which had always characterised the British nation, in thoroughly defeating the most wicked and terrible tyranny which had ever existed. (Applause).

Mr. Henry Orton proposed the health of His Majesty the King, which was drunk with musical honours.

Mr. T. P. Lygo proposed the "Army and Navy," coupling with them the names of Mr. Greaves, who had served with the Navy, and Second-Lieut. S. Driver, the Army. The toasts were given and suitably replied to amidst cheers.

While these toasts were being given cigarettes and tobacco were supplied to each man, and refreshments were plentifully supplied by the willing waiters. By 8.30 the large room had been cleared and re-arranged for the concert, to which the relations and friends of the soldiers had been invited. The large room was very comfortably filled, and the audience had the pleasing experience of listening to what was universally termed the best concert ever given in the Village Hall. Through the instrumentality of Mr. Nevinson the services of Mr. Noble's and Mr. And Mrs. Love's Concert Party from Uppingham were secured for the evening, and they provided a huge treat for all those present. Every item was thoroughly appreciated, the quartettes, comic and sentimental being rapturously applauded. Each contribution, in fact, was encored and most generously acknowledged.

After a long and most enjoyable programme, refreshments of which there seemed to be an unlimited supply, were handed round, and Mr. Nevinson, when he proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the various artists, never had an audience so heartily in accord with him. Although Mr. Noble's party has given over 100 concerts to returned or wounded soldiers it is doubtful if their efforts have been more appreciated.

Mr. Noble, in a happy little speech, said they always had done their best in the past for the glorious soldiers of their country, and would try to do the same in the future.

By special request the party gave another rendering of the quartette "The Old Banjo", and followed up by giving a few extra ones, finishing with the beautiful quartette "The End of a Perfect Day." The concert closed about 11 o'clock, and at the end refreshments were again distributed, the soldiers and friends sang a few songs and dancing was then indulged in till about 3 o'clock next morning. The expressions heard on every hand from the soldiers themselves supplied the most fitting vote of thanks to the many workers, ladies and gentlemen, who had done their utmost to give the soldiers at least one happy evening on their return home.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Keith Sandars and Jim Royall for the research underlying this web page. July 2014.