Sergeant Lewis Arthur Joseph Ward Kings Royal Rifle Corps and Special Constabulary
The Man Lewis Arthur Joseph Ward was born on Saturday 24th October 1891 in Princethorpe, Warwickshore, son of David a Cab driver and Sarah Jane nee Draper. He was one of seven children, Florence Jane Elizabeth (1883–1889), Ada Lily Ethel (1887–1963), Ernest George William (1889–1979), Wilfred Albert Clement (1893–1921), Kate Elizabeth (1895–) and Eveline Mabel Doris (1896-1897).
David died aged just 35 in 1895 when Lewis was just four years old leaving Sarah to bring up her six remaining children, with Eveline, who was born after David’s death also passing away in in 1897 not yet aged one.
The 1901 census show Lewis aged nine living with his mother and siblings, except Ada, at Victoria Cottages, Village Street, Radford Semele. Sarah is using the surname of Bain and shown as a Laundry Washer. It is not certain why she used the surname of Bain (see below).
By 1911 Lewis aged 19 is living with his mother, Wilfred, Kate and two lodgers at 26 Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby and working as a gardener.
Following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, Lewis enlisted into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a Private with service number A3449. Following training he entered France on 8th December 1915 seeing active service on the Western Front in the 7th Battalion and promoted to Sergeant.
Lewis survived the war and following the Armistice in 11th November 1918 was awarded the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal. On 31st May 1919 he was presented with Princess Mary’s 1914 Christmas box, this originally intended for "every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front" on Christmas day 1914, but eligibility was soon extended to everyone "wearing the King's uniform on Christmas day". Whilst around 400,000 were delivered by Christmas, distribution was not completed until 1920 by which time approximately 2.5 million had been delivered.
In about 1926 Lewis joined the Warwickshire Special Constabulary serving for at least the next 25 years and throughout World War II. He was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal in 1935, his first clasp in 1941, second in 1944 and third in 1952, war service counting treble. He was also awarded the Defence Medal.
During the third quarter of 1931 aged 40, Lewis married Emilja Hartman in Rugby and they had one child
Geoffrey David (12th February 1935–2015). In the 1939 register the family were shown as living at 20 Benn Street, Rugby, Lewis now 48 was working as a Clerk in an engineering company.
Lewis died on 29th June 1961 aged 69 still living at 20 Benn Street and Emilja 19 years later in 1980.
David died aged just 35 in 1895 when Lewis was just four years old leaving Sarah to bring up her six remaining children, with Eveline, who was born after David’s death also passing away in in 1897 not yet aged one.
The 1901 census show Lewis aged nine living with his mother and siblings, except Ada, at Victoria Cottages, Village Street, Radford Semele. Sarah is using the surname of Bain and shown as a Laundry Washer. It is not certain why she used the surname of Bain (see below).
By 1911 Lewis aged 19 is living with his mother, Wilfred, Kate and two lodgers at 26 Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby and working as a gardener.
Following the outbreak of World War I on 4th August 1914, Lewis enlisted into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps as a Private with service number A3449. Following training he entered France on 8th December 1915 seeing active service on the Western Front in the 7th Battalion and promoted to Sergeant.
Lewis survived the war and following the Armistice in 11th November 1918 was awarded the 1914-15 Star, 1914-18 British War Medal and Victory Medal. On 31st May 1919 he was presented with Princess Mary’s 1914 Christmas box, this originally intended for "every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front" on Christmas day 1914, but eligibility was soon extended to everyone "wearing the King's uniform on Christmas day". Whilst around 400,000 were delivered by Christmas, distribution was not completed until 1920 by which time approximately 2.5 million had been delivered.
In about 1926 Lewis joined the Warwickshire Special Constabulary serving for at least the next 25 years and throughout World War II. He was awarded the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal in 1935, his first clasp in 1941, second in 1944 and third in 1952, war service counting treble. He was also awarded the Defence Medal.
During the third quarter of 1931 aged 40, Lewis married Emilja Hartman in Rugby and they had one child
Geoffrey David (12th February 1935–2015). In the 1939 register the family were shown as living at 20 Benn Street, Rugby, Lewis now 48 was working as a Clerk in an engineering company.
Lewis died on 29th June 1961 aged 69 still living at 20 Benn Street and Emilja 19 years later in 1980.
The Story The medal group awarded to Lewis Arthur Joseph Ward were acquired from E-Bay on 4th November 2022 and of interest because of the treble clasped Special Constabulary Medal. With the medals came a Princess Mary Christmas tin with reproduction contents.
Unfortunately, Ancestry.UK revealed nothing on Lewis apart from his medal index card and rolls showing award of the British War and Victory Medal, there were simply too many Lewis Wards born in around 1895.
However, when the medals and tin arrived, it was initially noticed that the letters, possibly initials, ‘G W’ had been scratched on the inside of the lid. Additionally, there was an original letter under all the reproduction content seemingly to a Mr ‘S’ Ward at an address in Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby, dated 1919 asking for a signature to confirm receipt of the Princess Mary tin. The letter was signed in pencil by L A Ward.
This gave a little more scope and Ancestry.UK was searched again, this time using the 1939 register, Lewis A Ward and Rugby as the main search points. This almost immediately revealed a Lewis A Ward living at Benn Street, Rugby and giving a date of birth of 24th October 1891, four years earlier than the initial search. Now the name was searched again with the correct year of birth, this revealed the 1911 census and showed a Lewis Arthur Joseph Ward living at the same address in Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby – an exact match.
This of course enabled a more thorough biography to be pieced together and Lewis’s will to be extracted, including the fact he had one son, Geoffrey David Ward – the initials scratched into the tin! Probably given to Geoffrey to play with at some time in his youth.
Another example of how the simplest scraps of paper kept with the medals can yield so much information, Lewis can now be more fully remember for his service spanning over 38 years.
However, there is one unanswered anomaly with this story!
Lewis’s father David died in 1895, in the 1901 census Sarah Jane, Lewis’s mother is shown with her correct birthplace and children living at Victoria Cottages, Village Street, Radford Semele but using the surname Bain.
It would seem likely Sarah had re-married but by 1911 and in the 1939 register she was using the surname Ward again. Further research with Ancestry.UK and Scotland’s People revealed a George Bain who was killed in action during World War I serving in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He had married a Sarah Jane Wilson in 1906, five years after the 1901 census. Other searches revealed large date differences and no specific marriage of a Sarah Jane Ward to someone named Bain could be found. Additionally following George Bain’s research lead, he and his wife had other children and lived in Scotland.
Thus, why Sarah Jane used the surname Bain for the 1901 census remains a mystery and maybe just a coincidence, one that may never be revealed.
Unfortunately, Ancestry.UK revealed nothing on Lewis apart from his medal index card and rolls showing award of the British War and Victory Medal, there were simply too many Lewis Wards born in around 1895.
However, when the medals and tin arrived, it was initially noticed that the letters, possibly initials, ‘G W’ had been scratched on the inside of the lid. Additionally, there was an original letter under all the reproduction content seemingly to a Mr ‘S’ Ward at an address in Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby, dated 1919 asking for a signature to confirm receipt of the Princess Mary tin. The letter was signed in pencil by L A Ward.
This gave a little more scope and Ancestry.UK was searched again, this time using the 1939 register, Lewis A Ward and Rugby as the main search points. This almost immediately revealed a Lewis A Ward living at Benn Street, Rugby and giving a date of birth of 24th October 1891, four years earlier than the initial search. Now the name was searched again with the correct year of birth, this revealed the 1911 census and showed a Lewis Arthur Joseph Ward living at the same address in Lower Hillmorton Road, Rugby – an exact match.
This of course enabled a more thorough biography to be pieced together and Lewis’s will to be extracted, including the fact he had one son, Geoffrey David Ward – the initials scratched into the tin! Probably given to Geoffrey to play with at some time in his youth.
Another example of how the simplest scraps of paper kept with the medals can yield so much information, Lewis can now be more fully remember for his service spanning over 38 years.
However, there is one unanswered anomaly with this story!
Lewis’s father David died in 1895, in the 1901 census Sarah Jane, Lewis’s mother is shown with her correct birthplace and children living at Victoria Cottages, Village Street, Radford Semele but using the surname Bain.
It would seem likely Sarah had re-married but by 1911 and in the 1939 register she was using the surname Ward again. Further research with Ancestry.UK and Scotland’s People revealed a George Bain who was killed in action during World War I serving in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He had married a Sarah Jane Wilson in 1906, five years after the 1901 census. Other searches revealed large date differences and no specific marriage of a Sarah Jane Ward to someone named Bain could be found. Additionally following George Bain’s research lead, he and his wife had other children and lived in Scotland.
Thus, why Sarah Jane used the surname Bain for the 1901 census remains a mystery and maybe just a coincidence, one that may never be revealed.
Medal naming and clasps
Medal Details:
- 1914-15 Star: A-3449 CPL L.WARD. K.R.RIF.C.
- 1914-18 British War Medal: SJT L.WARD. K.R.RIF.C.
- Victory Medal: SJT L.WARD. K.R.RIF:C.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- Special Constabulary Long Service Medal: LEWIS A.WARD
This page last updated 13 NOV 22
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