ALBERT EDWARD URIDGE
Whilst there are many examples of families moving to Portsmouth because of a connection to the Royal Navy, there are relatively few from the army. Albert Uridge's family was of the latter.
Albert's father William Uridge had been born in Cuckfield, Sussex in 1866, the son of William snr. a farmer of 267 acres. He had joined the army in the 1880s and married Kate Augusta Lewry from Brighton in 1893. By 1901 was a Sergeant in the Royal Shropshire Rifles, living in Portsmouth with his wife and son Albert Edward (b. 1899). The census of that year describes them as living at 3 Wyndcliffe (sic).
William left the army at some time before the 1911 census and took a job as a butcher. They had by that time moved to 290 Fawcett Road, Southsea and a daughter Gladys had been born.
At the outbreak of the Great War Albert Edward was 15 years old and so wouldn't have volunteered in the first wave of enthusiasm. When he did so he joined the Machine Gun Corps and was despatched to the Western Front. He lost his life in April 1918 but the circumstances are unclear mainly because it was not known exactly when he died.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission list Private Albert Edward Uridge, (129033), 19th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, died between 10/04/1918 and 18/04/1918. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, (Panel 154 to 159 and 163A.).
Albert Uridge is also remembered on the (Former) Circus Church WW1 Memorial and on the Cenotaph. He is not listed in the 'National Roll of the Great War'.
Tim Backhouse
February 2014