LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS -WWI
Pte Absolam/Abraham Henry Harvey Summerfield
8th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Pte
AHH Summerfield
8th Royal West
Surrey Regt,
Somme
Sept 16 1916 [CWGC 1 Sep 1916]
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
The Regimental records of the Queen's give the Christian names of the
deceased as Absolam Henry Harvey and state that he was actually born in
Ashtead and enlisted at Guildford.¹
The War Diary of the 8th Queens² states that between the 8th and 18th
September, including the day of Absolam Summerfield's death [on the Town
Memorial, but see below] the battalion was behind the lines training at
Buigny L'Abbe near Abbeville.
However on 1st September [his date of death according to CWGC] it
relieved the 8th Bn, The Royal West Kents in the trenches, when in its
own turn it was relieved by the 5th Bn, The Kings Lancasters, on 5th
September. In that period, the Queens were engaged in 'occupying'
craters and shell holes in no man's land. This cost the battalion one
officer and 25 ORs dead, 104 ORs wounded and 13 ORs missing, or a total
casualty list of 143 officers and men - about one-seventh of its
strength. [Possibly Absolam Summerfield was one of those missing as he
has no known grave].
Liam adds STOP PRESS - Soldiers Died in
the Great War 1914-19 states that he was actually
killed in action on 1.9.1916, as surmised. Confirms 8th Bn. His
regimental number was S6839.
Sources
1. Records of the Queen's Regimental Museum, then at Clandon Park,
Surrey
2. WO95 War Diary of 8th Bn, The Queens: PRO
Further research
SUMMERFIELD,
ABRAHAM HENRY HARVEY
(other sources and the family say he was Absolam Henry Harvey
Summerfield)
Rank: Private
Regiment: The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), 8th Bn.
Date of Death: 1 Sep 1916
Service No: S/6839
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 5D and 6D.
Cemetery: THIEPVAL
MEMORIAL
So far no press anouncement of his death has been traced.
His life
Absalom [sic] Henry Hervey [sic] Summerfield was born on 5th April 1898
in Ashtead and baptised on 6th November 1898 at All Saints' Church,
Leatherhead.
His forename has many versions:
Absalom: birth registration, 1901 Census,
Church Lads Brigade Memorial Tryptich, WW1 Pension Record Card/Ledger
Absolam: family, Regimental Records, Ladies War Shrine
Abslom: 1911 Census
Absoland: Soldiers Died in the Great War
Absaland: Queens Royal West Surreys Medals Roll
Abraham: CWGC, WW1 Pension Record Card/Ledger
His father was Harvey Summerfield, born July 1869 in Cobham, Surrey.
His death was registered in June 1952 in Romford, Essex. His mother was
Ada Maria Ricketts, born 1875. She died in 1951 and was buried on 12th
July, Netherne Hospital Chapel, Merstham, Surrey.
His parents marriage on 13 March 1897 was at St Mary's, Merton, Surrey.
Harvey was 25, a Sawyer, living at 103 Peham Road, Merton, son of the
late Henry Summerfield, a Groom. Ada was 21, a spinster, living at
Holmlea, Merton Park. Her father, Charles, was a Carter.
In the 1901 Census, when Absolam was aged 2, the family (Harvey
Summerfield aged 28 from Cobham, Surrey, a Labourer in a woodyard; Ada
Maria Summerfield née Ricketts aged 25, from Banstead, Surrey; and
Winifred Mary Pretoria aged 8 months) were living in Kingston Road,
Leatherhead at 2 Woods Cottages. At 1 Woods Cottages were Alfred
Summerfield, his wife Mary and daughter Hilda.
In the 1911 Census, when Absolam [Abslom recorded] was 12, the
Summerfields were living in Gravel Hill, Leatherhead: his father was
still described as a Sawyer, but also a timber merchant on his own
account. The family had grown to include George William b1903, Annie Ada
Alethia b 1906 and Dorothy Ivy b1909.
His name came up in a report in the Dorking and Leatherhead
Advertiser of Saturday 21 March 1914.
BURGLARY BY TWO BOYS. CONGREGATIONAL CHAPEL
BROKEN INTO.
... Absalom Summerfield, a lad, of [6] Magazine Place, Leatherhead, said
he was with the defendants on Thursday evening. One of the defendants
said, "How about the Congregational Chapel." Witness said he would not
go, and Albert Green said he would. Defendants went down the passage bv
Mr. Hartshorn’s shop, and he lost sight of them. They had told him to
keep watch, which he did for a little while and then went away and
played marbles. Later in the evening he saw George Green, who said he
had got a shilling, and gave witness 3d. He was told that they had got
into the schoolroom by taking a pane of glass out.
In answer to the Bench, witness [Absalom] said he got the 3d. for
watching.
Both lads [Albert Green (14) and Geeorge
Green (14) of Milton Cottages, Gravel Hill, Leatherhead] pleaded
guilty, and when asked by the Chairman whether it was sudden impulse
George Green said they had thought about it for week.
Charles Green, father of Albert Green, said
he had always warned his boy about getting into bad company.
The Chairman said he had heard of boys of
this age being induced to do these things by the successful burglaries
they had seen the Cinema.
The gardener where George Green was employed
gave the lad a good character. He said he had been trusted with a good
deal of money, and had always been found to be honest. His employer
would have come there to speak for the lad, but could not get away.
The Chairman said it was a very serious
offence, and he would like to have seen some signs of regret or
penitence. Apparently they were unconcerned about it. In former days
they would undoubtedly have been sent to prison with hard labour, but
this was a very lenient age so far as first offenders were concerned.
The Bench did not wish to mar their careers
sending them to prison, but they would have to pay the costs, amounting
13s., and would be bound over to be of good behaviour for one year, and
they would be put under police supervision during that time.
The outcome for Absolam was not recorded.
In Soldiers Who Died in the Great War he is listed as
Absoland Henry Harvey Summerfield, birth place: Ashstead [sic], Surrey,
resident of Leatherhead, Surrey; Death Date: 10 [sic] Sep 1916, France
& Flanders: Enlistment Location: Guildford, Surrey.
He is listed on the Church Lads Brigade Tryptich
in All Saints Church as Absolam not Abraham.
He is listed in the May 1915 issue of
Leatherhead Parish Magazine among those in the Territorial Battalions or
the New Army, as Summerfield, A, 3rd Queen's W Surrey.
He was 18 years old when he was killed.
He is also remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of
Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead
Parish Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey
in the Great War
Links
The
Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, of his name on the Thiepval Memorial
and any recollections within his family
page last updated 2 Nov 2005: 16 Feb 14: 20 Jul 20: 12 Dec 20