SIDNEY FREDERICK GATTRELL
The first census of 1841 records Sidney Frederick's great-grandfather Thomas Gattrell who was born in Portsmouth in 1803, which probably means that the Gattrells were present in the town in the 18th Century.
In the census Thomas was listed as living at Frederick Street in Portsea with his wife Harriett, who was also born in 1803, and their six children, Eleanor, Thirza, George, Thomas Charles, Justine and Alfred, all born between 1825 and 1839 in Portsmouth. The family was still at the same address in 1851 but do not appear in the census of 1861. Shortly after that, in 1865, the fourth born, Thomas Charles, who was Sidney Frederick's grandfather, married Amelia Mary Bower.
Thomas Charles and Amelia were living at 39 Kettering Terrace off Commercial Road in 1871 with their three children Frederick Thomas, Lily and Kate who were born in 1866, 1867 and 1870 respectively. Thomas Charles was then working as a painter. Ten years later the family had moved to 17 Mayo Street, Buckland and three more children had been born, Fanny in 1875, Emma in 1878 and Alfred in 1880.
The family remained at the Mayo Street till at least 1891, when the census enumerator listed the family name as 'Guttrell', but by then Frederick Thomas, the oldest child, had moved out and married 19 year old Ada Kate, the daughter of Samuel and Jane Stapleford. The couple are missing from the 1891 census but over the next ten years they had four children, Nellie (b. 1891), May (b. 1892), Sidney Frederick (b. 1894) and George (b. 1897) before Ada Kate died in 1900.
In the 1901 Frederick Thomas was bringing up his young family at 8 Inverness Road, Buckland and ten years later at 5 Glencoe Road, Buckland. Sidney Frederick was described as an apprentice grocer in 1911 when he was 18 years of age. Three years later the Great War began. It's not known when he enlisted in the army but when he did so it was at Hove that he joined the Royal Army Ordance Corps, later transferring to the King's Royal Rifle Corps and finally to the 12th Battalion of the London Regiment. As we don't know the dates of these postings it's not possible to be sure where he saw action but we do know that he died of wounds in August 1918.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) lists Sidney Frederick Gattrell, (A/204357), King's Royal Rifle Corps, died 25/08/1918, aged 24 years. Buried at Daours Communal Cemetery Extension, (Grave Ref: VIII.A.32.). Son of Frederick Thomas and Ada Kate Gattrell, of 5, Glencoe Rd., Buckland, Portsmouth.
Sidney Gattrell is commemorated on the Cenotaph, Guildhall Square. He is not listed in "The National Roll of the Great War", Section X.
Tim Backhouse
February 2015