Warrant Officer Class II Henry Davey Bedfordshire Regiment
The Man Henry Davey was born on Monday 23rd April 1883 in Finsbury, Shoreditch, London. Son of Henry senior, a Boot Laster and Emma nee Skeggs. He was one of 14 children, Albert born in 1878, Lydia 1880, Maud 1882, Florence 1885, Mary 1889, Charles 1891, Ernest 1893, Violet 1895, May 1898 and Cecil 1901 and three other unknown. Sadly 7 of Henry’s siblings had died by the time of the 1911 census!
The family lived at 26 Finsbury Market in London and Henry was Baptised on 28th June 1883 at St Peters, Bethnal Green by Reverend A B Lamplugh.
By 1901 the family were living at 17 Foundry Place, Shoreditch and Henry aged 17 working as a Printer’s Warehouseman.
During the last quarter of 1908 Henry married Elizabeth Mary Borrow in Islington and they had six children, Cecil Henry (28th July 1910-1978), an unknown child who sadly died shortly after birth, Maud born in 1920, Violet W (26th May 1923-2010), Edgar R born in 1922, Frances Mary (5th August 1930- 1992).
By the time of the 1911 census Henry had joined the Post Office and was living with Elizabeth and Cecil at 13 Thornhill Crescent in Islington. At some before the start of World War I in August 1914, Henry enlisted into the Bedfordshire Regiment with service number 7678 and being promoted to Warrant Officer Class II. He saw service outside of the UK but did not enter a theatre of war. He was awarded the 1914-18 British War Medal.
The family lived at 26 Finsbury Market in London and Henry was Baptised on 28th June 1883 at St Peters, Bethnal Green by Reverend A B Lamplugh.
By 1901 the family were living at 17 Foundry Place, Shoreditch and Henry aged 17 working as a Printer’s Warehouseman.
During the last quarter of 1908 Henry married Elizabeth Mary Borrow in Islington and they had six children, Cecil Henry (28th July 1910-1978), an unknown child who sadly died shortly after birth, Maud born in 1920, Violet W (26th May 1923-2010), Edgar R born in 1922, Frances Mary (5th August 1930- 1992).
By the time of the 1911 census Henry had joined the Post Office and was living with Elizabeth and Cecil at 13 Thornhill Crescent in Islington. At some before the start of World War I in August 1914, Henry enlisted into the Bedfordshire Regiment with service number 7678 and being promoted to Warrant Officer Class II. He saw service outside of the UK but did not enter a theatre of war. He was awarded the 1914-18 British War Medal.
Following the war Henry remained in the Army and was discharged 31st March 1920. He almost immediately re-joined the Post Office as a Sorter in the London Region in June 1920. His appointment appearing in the London and Edinburgh Gazettes of 6th and 10th August respectively.
In 1929, now aged 46, Henry, Elizabeth and family were living at 29 Caledonian Road, Islington and by 1939, at 214 Central Road, Merton and Moreden. He was still shown as a Sorter working for the Post Office, which he continued to do throughout World War II. Sadly however, Elizabeth passed away during the first quarter of 1942 aged just 53.
In 1946 aged 63 Henry retired as a sorter from the Post Office after a long career and was awarded his Imperial Service Medal, this being published in the London Gazette of 14th May 1946.
Henry passed away on 17th February 1955 aged 71 at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton and buried in Garth Road Cemetery, Moredon on 23rd. He was still living at 214 Central Road leaving £517 4s 11d. (£17,200.00 in 2023).
In 1929, now aged 46, Henry, Elizabeth and family were living at 29 Caledonian Road, Islington and by 1939, at 214 Central Road, Merton and Moreden. He was still shown as a Sorter working for the Post Office, which he continued to do throughout World War II. Sadly however, Elizabeth passed away during the first quarter of 1942 aged just 53.
In 1946 aged 63 Henry retired as a sorter from the Post Office after a long career and was awarded his Imperial Service Medal, this being published in the London Gazette of 14th May 1946.
Henry passed away on 17th February 1955 aged 71 at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton and buried in Garth Road Cemetery, Moredon on 23rd. He was still living at 214 Central Road leaving £517 4s 11d. (£17,200.00 in 2023).
The Story The pair of medals awarded to Henry Davey were won at Spinks auction in May 2023 and of interest because of the simplicity of the pair.
Not a lot of hope was held in finding much detail about him on Ancestry because of the fairly common name. His medal index card, roll and a pension card were located easily enough, the former confirming award of the British War Medal only.
Next came the London Gazette, using George VI’s years of reign years to reduce the search field. Despite the seemingly common name, there was only one match with just the first name Henry, rather than with a middle name, awarding the Imperial Service Medal in 1946 and showing him as a Sorter in the London Postal Region.
This enabled further searches of the Post Office registration book files on Ancestry to be searched using his discharge date on the pension card as a starting point. Again, he seems to have been the only Henry Davey with no middle name joining the GPO in the 1920s and these were found, confirming London as his region.
Taking 55 years off 1946 came to 1891, so an approximate year of birth could be used to try and locate more detail from Ancestry with a search of +/- 10 years and the word ‘sorter’ added to the search field, this remarkably located his entry on the 1939 Register, giving his date of birth as 23rd April 1883 and his wife and children’s names, which in turn enabled a much broader search and various census entries and details to be extracted resulting in a reasonable biography.
Once again, however, the search ran aground and no details of his parents or marriage could be found. But using one of his children from the 1939 Register in the search engine enabled his wife, Elizabeth’s maiden name of Borrow to be used, resulting in yet more detail including the marriage details and a photograph of Henry at his wedding!
Further digging enabled his will to be located by cross referencing the search against one of his sons names and then his burial register from Find a Grave, although his age at death is incorrect.
The importance of research and cross referencing on Ancestry.UK and other apps can often, as is the case here, pay dividends and put a face once again the ‘The Man Behind his Medals’.
Not a lot of hope was held in finding much detail about him on Ancestry because of the fairly common name. His medal index card, roll and a pension card were located easily enough, the former confirming award of the British War Medal only.
Next came the London Gazette, using George VI’s years of reign years to reduce the search field. Despite the seemingly common name, there was only one match with just the first name Henry, rather than with a middle name, awarding the Imperial Service Medal in 1946 and showing him as a Sorter in the London Postal Region.
This enabled further searches of the Post Office registration book files on Ancestry to be searched using his discharge date on the pension card as a starting point. Again, he seems to have been the only Henry Davey with no middle name joining the GPO in the 1920s and these were found, confirming London as his region.
Taking 55 years off 1946 came to 1891, so an approximate year of birth could be used to try and locate more detail from Ancestry with a search of +/- 10 years and the word ‘sorter’ added to the search field, this remarkably located his entry on the 1939 Register, giving his date of birth as 23rd April 1883 and his wife and children’s names, which in turn enabled a much broader search and various census entries and details to be extracted resulting in a reasonable biography.
Once again, however, the search ran aground and no details of his parents or marriage could be found. But using one of his children from the 1939 Register in the search engine enabled his wife, Elizabeth’s maiden name of Borrow to be used, resulting in yet more detail including the marriage details and a photograph of Henry at his wedding!
Further digging enabled his will to be located by cross referencing the search against one of his sons names and then his burial register from Find a Grave, although his age at death is incorrect.
The importance of research and cross referencing on Ancestry.UK and other apps can often, as is the case here, pay dividends and put a face once again the ‘The Man Behind his Medals’.
Medal Details:
- 1914-18 British War Medal: 7678 W.O.CL.2. H.DAVEY. BEDF.R.
- Imperial Service Medal: HENRY DAVEY
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This page last updated 31 May 23
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