LEONARD ANDREW BROWN
Following in his father's footsteps Leonard Andrew qualified as a shipwright in the Royal Navy. Sadly he did not survive long enough to put his skills into practice.
Leonard's father was Andrew Brown who was born in Pembrokeshire in 1859. Andrew married Jane Davies (b. 1862) from Cosheton in her home town, also in Pembrokeshire, in 1887. The following year their first child, Rose, was born, and the year after that the family moved to Malta, presumably as Andrew had been posted there. The couple stayed on Malta until at least 1893 during which time they had two more daughters - Elsie and Lucy Maria born in 1890 and 1893 respectively.
By 1901 the family had moved to Portsmouth, again, presumably, following Andrew's posting. There they found accommodation at 131 Guildford Road, Fratton where three sons were born - Edgar (b. 1898), Leonard Andrew (b. 17th January 1899) and Harold (1900). The 1911 census places the family a little further north at 178 Shearer Road, but this was still close enough to the Secondary School at Victoria Road North in Southsea to enable Leonard Andrew to attend between 1911 and 1914.
A few months before the outbreak of the Great War war Leonard Andrew, as a pupil of the School, gained by competitive examination an apprenticeship in H.M. Dockyard as Naval Shipwright. The first part of his training over he was sent to H.M.S. Terrible, but had only been in the Royal Navy a month or so when he fell sick. Pneumonia supervened upon an attack of influenza and he died before the completion of his 20th year.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) lists Shipwright Leonard Andrew Brown (M/8900), Royal Navy, HMS Victory [Barracks], died on 08/10/1918, aged 19. Buried at Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth (Grave Ref: McTavish. 14.2.). Son of Andrew and Jane Brown, of 178, Shearer Rd., Portsmouth.
Leonard Brown is remembered on the Southern Grammar School WW1 Memorial, the St. Wilfrid's WW1 Memorial and on the Cenotaph. He is not listed in the 'National Roll of the Great War'.
Tim Backhouse
May 2014