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Special Siblings
Special Constable Walter Frederick Sisson Warwickshire Special Constabulary
The Man Walter Frederick Sisson was born on Friday 31st May 1912 at Briars Field, 78 Coventry Road, Bedworth, Warwickshire. He was the youngest child of Thomas, a Colliery Under-Manager at the local Coal Mine and Ruth nee Wood, former Rope Maker. He was one of eight children, Hettie born in in 1894, Elsie Annie 1896, Gladys 1898, Ernest Vincent 1901, Thomas Edgar 1903, Allan Ewin 1904 and Arthur 1906. Interestingly Ruth was aged 40 when she gave birth to Walter, which in 1911 was unusual.
No detail is known about Walter’s early life but sadly his Mother Ruth, died young in 1919 aged just 47 and when Walter was only 7 years old. His Father Frederick died in January 1936 aged 66, no mean feat for a man who had worked in Coal Mining most of his life and bought up eight children!
In 1939 Walter was living with his Sister Gladys and her husband Frederick Herbert at the Beehive Inn, High Street in Bedworth. His job was given as an Aluminium Dresser, possibly working at Courtaulds in Foleshill, Coventry. This was a reserved occupation and so he was not called up for Military service during World War II but joined the Special Constabulary. It is interesting to ponder that Walter may have been on duty either at Courtaulds or in the Police during the Coventry Blitz on 14th – 15th November 1940.
He was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal for his service and during the first quarter of 1951 aged 38, married Phyllis Whitehead in Nuneaton, Phyllis was a Hosiery Manufacturer Linker. They appear to have had no children and later lived at 141 Weelwright Lane, Coventry.
Walter died on 24th December 1999, aged 87 and was buried in plot LO 34 at Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth, alongside his Sister Gladys and brother- in-law Frederick Herbert. Phyllis lived another five years and died on 6th June 2006 aged 86, by which time she was living in the Ben Varden Residential Home 135 Ash Green Lane, Coventry. She was buried with Walter, Frederick and Gladys in Bedworth.
No detail is known about Walter’s early life but sadly his Mother Ruth, died young in 1919 aged just 47 and when Walter was only 7 years old. His Father Frederick died in January 1936 aged 66, no mean feat for a man who had worked in Coal Mining most of his life and bought up eight children!
In 1939 Walter was living with his Sister Gladys and her husband Frederick Herbert at the Beehive Inn, High Street in Bedworth. His job was given as an Aluminium Dresser, possibly working at Courtaulds in Foleshill, Coventry. This was a reserved occupation and so he was not called up for Military service during World War II but joined the Special Constabulary. It is interesting to ponder that Walter may have been on duty either at Courtaulds or in the Police during the Coventry Blitz on 14th – 15th November 1940.
He was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal for his service and during the first quarter of 1951 aged 38, married Phyllis Whitehead in Nuneaton, Phyllis was a Hosiery Manufacturer Linker. They appear to have had no children and later lived at 141 Weelwright Lane, Coventry.
Walter died on 24th December 1999, aged 87 and was buried in plot LO 34 at Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth, alongside his Sister Gladys and brother- in-law Frederick Herbert. Phyllis lived another five years and died on 6th June 2006 aged 86, by which time she was living in the Ben Varden Residential Home 135 Ash Green Lane, Coventry. She was buried with Walter, Frederick and Gladys in Bedworth.
141 Weelwright Lane, Coventry. February 2021
The Story The Special Constabulary Long Service Medal awarded to Walter Frederick Sisson and the Victory Medal awarded to Fredrick Herbert were first seen on a Lockdown III walk on 26th January 2021 in Coventry.
A new house clearance warehouse and distribution centre, The Emporium, had opened on Foleshill Road and was an interesting distraction, containing many items including a selection of uniforms, militaria and these two medals.
As individual medals they aroused little interest, but despite the dim lighting in the warehouse it could be seen the Victory Medal had been awarded to Private F Herbert of the Tank Corps. Enquiries were made as to the cost, but it was explained the vendor, who was apparently related to one of the recipients, was not present and they would have to advise a price after speaking to him.
A short time later a message was received, but the cost was much higher than the value of the medals and the price prepared to be paid, so they were put to the back of the mind. However, as the VM was named to a reasonably scarce Corps, coupled with a niggling desire to ‘rescue’ and own the medals, enquiries were subsequently made with a dealer in the WWI field, who gave an approximate value of the medal, which was higher than the offer price but lower than that asked by the vendor.
Further pondering considered making a mid-way offer for the VM and leaving the SCLSM, but this train of thought was followed by considering the fact that often, in order to acquire a good deal, you must include more than one item to reduce the cost. Thus, an offer in between the original and the asking price was made for both medals and accepted, the result being reasonable for both medals.
Once they had been collected from The Emporium, the VM was first to be researched on Ancestry UK. The Medal Index Card and rolls were all that was available, confirming ‘Frederick’ Herbert’s first name. There were so many people named Frederick Herbert it was not possible to pinpoint him and it was assumed this was the end of the line for Frederick.
Next, came Walter F Sisson, a slightly more unusual surname and Ancesty.UK yielded his details after minimal searching. Upon checking the 1939 census, it showed Walter living at the Beehive Inn, High Street, Bedworth, with the landlords, Frederick and Gladys Herbert! Thus, a local link and one between Walter and Frederick was revealed, explaining why the medals were together; followed by a sigh of relief they had not been separated as was the original intention.
Further cross-referencing using Walter’s Mother’s maiden name of Wood, revealed that Walter Frederick Sisson was in fact Gladys’ youngest brother born in 1912, a year after the 1911 census, his parents had both died before 1939, thus he was living with his sister and brother-in-law.
The uncovering of the 1939 census which showed the birth date of Frederick, Gladys and Walter now allowed a more detailed search to be undertaken, enabling the two biographies to be completed.
A final twist came when searching for Walter’s will, he had not left one, but his wife Phyllis had. This was acquired, revealing that in later they had lived in Wheelwright Lane, Coventry. The last part of her will however, stated she wished to be buried in Bedworth with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law of course was Gladys Herbert, wife of Frederick. A telephone call was made to the Nuneaton and Bedworth Cemeteries Department and within five minutes they confirmed Phyllis was buried in plot LO 34 in the Coventry Road Cemetery and that she was buried alongside Walter, Frederick and Gladys.
Following receipt of a location map, the same day - a pleasant late February, the cemetery was visited and after 25 minutes of tracking and cross tracking, the grave was located bearing the names of Frederick, Gladys, Walter and Phyllis.
Another example of ‘rescuing’ medals and a person’s memory and deeds from obscurity and perhaps of keeping things together if they ‘arrived’ together, for without one, in this case Walter’s SCLSM, nothing would be known about the other, Frederick, with their personalities forever lost in the mists of time. Of equal importance is checking every possible avenue of research, even wills of wives! This can yield such important additional detail.
A new house clearance warehouse and distribution centre, The Emporium, had opened on Foleshill Road and was an interesting distraction, containing many items including a selection of uniforms, militaria and these two medals.
As individual medals they aroused little interest, but despite the dim lighting in the warehouse it could be seen the Victory Medal had been awarded to Private F Herbert of the Tank Corps. Enquiries were made as to the cost, but it was explained the vendor, who was apparently related to one of the recipients, was not present and they would have to advise a price after speaking to him.
A short time later a message was received, but the cost was much higher than the value of the medals and the price prepared to be paid, so they were put to the back of the mind. However, as the VM was named to a reasonably scarce Corps, coupled with a niggling desire to ‘rescue’ and own the medals, enquiries were subsequently made with a dealer in the WWI field, who gave an approximate value of the medal, which was higher than the offer price but lower than that asked by the vendor.
Further pondering considered making a mid-way offer for the VM and leaving the SCLSM, but this train of thought was followed by considering the fact that often, in order to acquire a good deal, you must include more than one item to reduce the cost. Thus, an offer in between the original and the asking price was made for both medals and accepted, the result being reasonable for both medals.
Once they had been collected from The Emporium, the VM was first to be researched on Ancestry UK. The Medal Index Card and rolls were all that was available, confirming ‘Frederick’ Herbert’s first name. There were so many people named Frederick Herbert it was not possible to pinpoint him and it was assumed this was the end of the line for Frederick.
Next, came Walter F Sisson, a slightly more unusual surname and Ancesty.UK yielded his details after minimal searching. Upon checking the 1939 census, it showed Walter living at the Beehive Inn, High Street, Bedworth, with the landlords, Frederick and Gladys Herbert! Thus, a local link and one between Walter and Frederick was revealed, explaining why the medals were together; followed by a sigh of relief they had not been separated as was the original intention.
Further cross-referencing using Walter’s Mother’s maiden name of Wood, revealed that Walter Frederick Sisson was in fact Gladys’ youngest brother born in 1912, a year after the 1911 census, his parents had both died before 1939, thus he was living with his sister and brother-in-law.
The uncovering of the 1939 census which showed the birth date of Frederick, Gladys and Walter now allowed a more detailed search to be undertaken, enabling the two biographies to be completed.
A final twist came when searching for Walter’s will, he had not left one, but his wife Phyllis had. This was acquired, revealing that in later they had lived in Wheelwright Lane, Coventry. The last part of her will however, stated she wished to be buried in Bedworth with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law of course was Gladys Herbert, wife of Frederick. A telephone call was made to the Nuneaton and Bedworth Cemeteries Department and within five minutes they confirmed Phyllis was buried in plot LO 34 in the Coventry Road Cemetery and that she was buried alongside Walter, Frederick and Gladys.
Following receipt of a location map, the same day - a pleasant late February, the cemetery was visited and after 25 minutes of tracking and cross tracking, the grave was located bearing the names of Frederick, Gladys, Walter and Phyllis.
Another example of ‘rescuing’ medals and a person’s memory and deeds from obscurity and perhaps of keeping things together if they ‘arrived’ together, for without one, in this case Walter’s SCLSM, nothing would be known about the other, Frederick, with their personalities forever lost in the mists of time. Of equal importance is checking every possible avenue of research, even wills of wives! This can yield such important additional detail.
Coventry Road Cemetery, Bedworth. 26th February 2021. Grave of Frederick and Gladys Herbert and Walter and Phyllis Sisson
Medal Details:
- Special Constabulary Long Service Medal: WALTER F SISSON
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This page last updated 27 Feb 21