Genealogy Chat

The local BBC news has mentioned a request for information about relatives of a V C hero , who died in World War 1 .


Anyone fancy trying to help.?

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/press-release/call-trace-relatives-ww1-hero

Second Lieutenant
BEAL, ERNEST FREDERICK
Died 22/03/1918
Aged 35
13th Bn.
Yorkshire Regiment
V C

Son of John J. W. and Jane Stillman Beal, of 55, East St., Brighton.



BEAL, ERNEST FREDERICK DOWSING Order
GRO Reference: 1883 M Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 273



Marriages Mar 1876 (>99%)
Beal John James W Marylebone 1a 800
DOWSING Jane Stillman Marylebone 1a 800

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
148, Lewes Road, Brighton, Sussex, England
Learn more

Print transcription View image Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Birth place Occupation
John J W Beal Head Married Male 46 1855 Brighton, Sussex, England News Agent Stationer & Bookseller Transcription
Jane Beal Wife Married Female 46 1855 Brighton, Sussex, England - Transcription
Jane E Beal Daughter Single Female 24 1877 Brighton, Sussex, England - Transcription
John J Beal Son Single Male 22 1879 Brighton, Sussex, England Stationers Foreman Transcription
Ernest F Beal Son Single Male 18 1883 Brighton, Sussex, England Stationers Assistant Transcription
Grace E Beal Daughter Single Female 15 1886 Brighton, Sussex, England - Transcription
Harold R Beal Son Single Male 13 1888 Brighton, Sussex, England - Transcription
Richard W Beal Son Single Male 11 1890 Brighton, Sussex, England - Transcription
Agnes Jordan Servant Single Female 21 1880 Brighton, Sussex, England General Servant Domestic



1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
148 Lewes Road Brighton, Brighton, Sussex, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Birth place Occupation
John Beal Head Married Male 56 1855 Sussex Brighton Stationer News Agent Bookselly Transcription
Jennie Beal Wife Married Female 56 1855 Suffolk Ipswich - Transcription
Ernest Beal Son Single Male 28 1883 Sussex Brighton Assisting Inthe Business Transcription
Harold Beal Son Single Male 23 1888 Sussex Brighton Commercialteacher Transcription
Richard Beal Son Single Male 21 1890 Sussex Brighton Assisting In The Business Transcription
May Plumley Servant Single Female 22 1889 Gloucestershire Stapleton General Servant Domestic

1939 for a brother

Beal Household (4 People)
25 Ravensbourne Avenue , Shoreham-by-Sea U.D., Sussex, England


FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
Richard W Beal 03 Nov 1889 Male Wholesale & Retail Stationer Newsagent & Bookseller Direct Married 383 1
Muriel K Beal 22 Jul 1891 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 383 2
Richard E Beal 26 Jul 1919 Male Student Final Year Lodnon B Single 383 3
John M Beal 26 Jan 1915 Male Stationer Salesman Single 383 4


First name(s) RICHARD ERNEST
Last name BEAL
Gender Male
Birth day 26
Birth month 7
Birth year 1919
Age -
Death quarter 1
Death year 1998
District Melton Mowbray
District number 6031
Register number 1C3
Entry number 251
Date of registration mm/yy 0198
County Leicestershire

One of Ernest's sisters died young

Deaths Mar 1911 (>99%)
Beal Grace E 25 Whitechapel 1c 192

A number of members on here seem to have the Beals in their trees, so perhaps they will spot this

Gwyn in Kent. Do you think it might be advantageous to put the man's name in your tltle?

BEAL, HAROLD ROBERT DOWSING Order
GRO Reference: 1887 J Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 265 Order
BEAL, RICHARD WILFRID DOWSING Order
GRO Reference: 1889 D Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 244
BEAL, JANE EMILY DOWSING Order
GRO Reference: 1877 J Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 195
BEAL, JOHN JAMES DOWSING Order
GRO Reference: 1878 D Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 244

Marriages Jun 1903 (>99%)
Beal Jane Emily Brighton 2b 524
Greenwood Ernest Walter Brighton 2b 524

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
92 Lewes Road Brighton, Brighton, Sussex, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Birth place Occupation
Ernest Greenwood Head Married Male 33 1878 Hampshire Alderholt Dairyman Dealer Transcription
Jane Greenwood Wife Married Female 34 1877 Sussex Brighton - Transcription
Robert Greenwood Son - Male 3 1908 Sussex Brighton




Name: Mother's Maiden Surname: Order:
GREENWOOD, ERNEST ROBERT BEAL Order
GRO Reference: 1908 M Quarter in BRIGHTON Volume 02B Page 219


First name(s) ERNEST ROBERT
Last name GREENWOOD
Gender Male
Birth day 14
Birth month 1
Birth year 1908
Age -
Death quarter 1
Death year 2000
District Leicestershire
District number 6051E
Register number E1E
Entry number 023
Date of registration mm/yy 0100
County Leicestershire

World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Brighton, England, he served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the On March 21, 1918, 2nd Lieutenant Beal was in command of a company detailed to occupy a certain section of a trench at St. Leger, France. When his company it was established, it was found that a considerable gap of about four hundred yards existed between the left flank of the company of the next unit. This gap was strongly held by the enemy. 2nd Lieutenant Beal with party of less than a dozen men, led them against the enemy. On reaching an enemy machine gun he immediately sprang forward and with his revolver killed the team and captured the gun. Continuing along the trench, he encountered another machine gun in the same manner, captured four enemy guns and inflicted severe casualties. Later in the evening, when a wounded man had been left in the open under heavy enemy fire, he walked up close to an enemy machine gun and brought in the wounded man on his back. He was killed by shell fire on the following morning. For most conspicuous bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross presented to his parents by King George V on July 3, 1918, at Buckingham Palace.
-----
Age: 35
Regiment/Service: Yorkshire Regiment, 13th Bn.

From this site:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10060121/ernest-frederick-beal

Ernest Frederick BeaI was the eldest son of John James William Beal, 55 East Street, Brighton, Sussex born on 27th January 1883. He was an active member of the Boy's Brigade. After Brighton Grammar School he worked in his father's stationery shop and lived with his family at 148 Lewes Road, Brighton.
On 22nd September 1914, at the age of 31 , he enlisted as a Trooper in the 2/1st Sussex Yeomanry. By the 11th June 1915, he was promoted to Sergeant and was posted on 10th September to the l/lst Sussex Yeomanry serving in the Balkans. Still with the rank of sergeant he was transferred to the 16th Royal Sussex Regiment on the 16th December 1916 and given the number 320206. He served with his new unit on the Western Front. He was recommended for a commission and was finally transferred to the 3rd Yorkshire Regiment on 25th September 1917 and posted a month later to 'D' Company 13th (Service) Battalion.
In 1918, he was engaged to Miss May F. Bundy of 37 Crescent Road, Brighton.
Second Lieutenant Ernest BeaI was awarded the posthumous VC for conspicuous bravery on 22nd March 1918 at St Leger. Later the same day, he died of wounds, aged 35, when saving the life of one ofhis men under fire. His name is listed on the Arras 'Memorial to the Missing' in Pas-de-Calais, France. The announcement was made in The London Gazette on 4th June 1918 and his parents received his posthumous VC from H.M. King George V on 3rd July in Buckingham Palace. The VC was handed onto Ernest's brother, Harold, on the death of his father and the campaign medals to May Bundy. The medals were loaned to the Green Howards Museum in 1964 and finally bequeathed as a gift in July 1973.

From this site:

http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/vc-winners-yorkshires/html-files/vcgc-beal.htm

Thank you for all the great information.

I will read through and see if there is anything else we can do to help.

Blaber Household (4 People)
86 Balfour Road , Brighton C.B., Sussex, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER
Robert E Greenwood 14 Jan 1908 Male Veterinary Surgeons M Of Agriculture Married 395 3
Gertrude Blaber 22 Sep 1876 Female Unpaid Domestic Widowed 395 1
Emmie Vonder-Hyde 01 Jan 1866 Female Private Means Widowed 395 2
Margery Greenwood 14 Aug 1909 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 395 4


Marriages Sep 1934 (>99%)
Blaber Margery G Greenwood Brighton 2b 665
Greenwood Ernest R Blaber Brighton 2b 665

Two sons - births on freebmd

Gwyn in Kent

I have sent ER info about one of Ernest Robert's sons privately

Births Sep 1909 (>99%)
BLABER Margery Gertrude Steyning 2b 230

First name(s) MARGERY GERTRUDE
Last name GREENWOOD
Gender Female
Birth day 14
Birth month 8
Birth year 1909
Death quarter 3
Death year 1994
District Loughborough
District number 6011
Register number 41D
Entry number 140
Date of registration mm/yy 0894
County Leicestershire