CHARLES EDWARD CROCKFORD
Like his father and grandfather before him Charles Edward spent much of his working life as a gardener though in his case he was employed by Portsmouth Council whereas his forbears had been largely involved in market gardening.
The grandfather, John Crockford, was born at Portsmouth in 1810 and first appears in the census in 1851 when he was living at Buckland with his wife Mary Ann and their four children, William, Jane, Rosina and George. Ten years later their home was at 23 Manor Terrace, close to Fratton Road, and two more children were listed in the household, Charles and John Alfred who was born in 1855.
The 1871 census saw the family at 15 Buckland Road though by then only Charles and John Alfred of the children were still at home and both were working as gardeners. John Alfred married Ann Coates in 1879 and together they set up home at 61 Kilmiston Road (1881 census) and later at 68 St. Mary's Road (1891 census). During this time they had six children, Alfred (b. 1880, d. 1882), Charles Edward (b. 1882), Annie (b. 1883), Emma (b. 1885), Mary (b. 1889) and Alice (b. 1891).
By 1901 John Alfred and his family had made the short move to 86 St. Mary's Road and brought two more children into the world, Florence (b. 1893) and Harry (b. 1895). In 1905 Charles Edward left home to marry Daisy Rosalie Rogers. The couple set up home at 1, Warren Lane, Milton, close to Daisy's widowed mother Mary. Their first child, Daisy Lydia Annie was born in 1907.
Charles Edward probably did not enlist in the army when the first call went out in August 1914 as he was a married man with a family but he would have done so after the introduction of conscription in January 1916. After training he was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment to help make up numbers lost in battle. He died near Ypres in March 1918.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) list Charles Edward Crockford, Private, 2nd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, died 11/03/1918, age 36. Buried at Oxford Road Cemetery (Grave Ref: V.J.26.). Son of John and Annie Crockford, of Portsmouth; husband of Daisy Rosilie Honey (formerly Crockford), of 13, Warren Avenue, Milton, Portsmouth.
Charles Crockford is commemorated on the Cenotaph, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth. He is not listed in "The National Roll of the Great War", Section X.
Tim Backhouse
January 2015