FREDERICK HAMILTON FRAMINGHAM
The Framingham family were led by Edmund, a Quartermaster Sergeant in an Infantry Regiment (in 1891), and the only one to have been born in England, Norfolk to be precise. His wife Selina was born in Edinburgh and obviously accompanied her husband wherever he was posted and this can be tracked by following the dates and places the children were born.
The first child was George (b. 1877, Ireland) followed by Arthur (b. 1879, Malta), Louisa (b. 1881, Hong Kong), Agnes (b. 1883, Singapore), Amy (b. 1888, Cape Town) and finally Frederick Hamilton Framingham who was born in Kinsale, Ireland in 1895, when presumably Edmund's regiment was stationed at Charles Fort.
The last time that Edmund appeared in a Census, was 1891 when the family were living at 10 St. Paul's Road. By the time of the next census Selina was a widow, living at 139 Manners Road, Southsea with her four youngest children.
In 1907, at the age of 12 years Frederick began life as a scholar at the Secondary School on Victoria Road North, Southsea. He remained there until 1912 when, just before leaving, he succeeded in gaining a place in the Honours Division of the Oxford Senior Local Pass List. Then, after serving as a Student Teacher in a Portsmouth School, he entered the St. John's Training College at Battersea.
With the advent of war, books were set aside and Frederick became a Private in the 10th Middlesex Regiment. Later, he was transferred to the famous "Buffs" and went to India in October, 1914. From India he proceeded to Mesopotamia, where the exactions of the campaign and climate together proved too much for him and he broke down. The voyage home failing to restore to him his health, he was taken on the 30th December, 1917, direct to Netley Hospital on reaching England. He lingered for nearly three weeks after this, becoming all the time steadily weaker, and died on 18th January, 1918, at the age of 23.
Further Information
The photograph above is taken from a memorial booklet published by Southern Grammar School from which extracts also appear above.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) website lists Private Frederick Hamilton Framingham (T/242923), 5th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), date of death, 18/01/1918, aged 23. He is buried at Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea. Grave Ref: M.2.110.
Frederick Framingham's name appears on the Southern Grammar School WW1 Memorial, St. Luke's Church WW1 Memorial and the Cenotaph.
Tim Backhouse
December 2013