LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private James William Ticknor
7 Bn The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
Pte
James W Ticknor
Royal West
Surrey Rgt
France
Nov 6 [sic] 1916
The regimental records of the Queens (1) state that James Ticknor, No.
G13538 was killed in action and that his second name was William. They
state that he was actually serving in the 7th Bn., the Queens and that he
was born and enlisted in Leatherhead.
The War Diary of the battalion states that they were relieved on 6th
November but makes no mention of casualties. (2)
The previous day an officer had been wounded, whilst on 4th November the
Diary reports "a comparatively quiet day".
However on 3rd November, when the Queens relieved the 10th Bn. Essex
Regiment in REGINA and HESSIAN trenches, two casualties occurred 10 Ors
[sic]. Possibly one of these may have been James Ticknor.
7th November was spent on improving trenches.
Notes on sources
1. Regimental records of the Queens, Clandon Park, Surrey.
2. File W095-2051 – War Diary of 7th Bn. Queens - Public Record
Office, Kew, Richmond.
Stop press
Parish magazine states killed in action on 6 November 1916.
But Soldiers Who Died in the Great War states 8 November 1916. On
this day the battalion was relieved by the 7th Bn. Royal West Kents and
moved into billets at Albert. However the relief was effected in daylight
and the War Diary states that there was considerable shelling of the
relief and that there were 4 OR casualties. The balance of probability is
that one was James Ticknor. [CWGC agrees, states 8 Nov]
Further research
Private
TICKNOR, J W
Service Number 13538
Died 08/11/1916
7th Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Buried at REGINA
TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
Location: Somme, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: II. C. 17.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 18 November 1916
PTE. J. TICKNOR KILLED.
On Wednesday morning Mrs. Ticknor, of Middle-road, Leatherhead, received a
communication from the Lieutenant of the Company stating that her husband,
Pte. James Ticknor, of the West Surrey Regiment, was killed in a charge in
France on Nov. 6th [sic] and expressing the sympathy of the officers and
men of the battalion.
Pte. Ticknor, who was 29 years of
age and was formerly in the employ of the Swan Brewery, Ltd., joined up
about four months ago, and after undergoing his training at Sittingbourne,
went across France with a draft about five weeks ago.
Pte. Ticknor, who leaves a widow and two young children, was the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Ticknor, 3, Fairfield Villas. Leatherhead, who have another
son. a leading seaman in the Navy. Mr. Ticknor, who is an old campaigner,
with seventeen years' service to his credit in the Army, has over twenty
nephews serving with the Colours at the present time.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 25 November 1916
THE LATE PTE J. TICKNOR.
We regret that by an error we published a photograph of Pte J. Tickner,
of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regt., who has been awarded the Military
Medal, as that of Pte J. Ticknor, of Leatherhead. We have now received
from Leatherhead a photograph, which will appear in next week's
issue.
[Pte J Tickner MM, the Queen's, was the son of Mr & Mrs J Tickner of
7a North Street, Dorking, Surrey. (source: Surrey Advertiser
11 November 1916)]
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 30 December 1916
ROLL OF HONOUR. BRAVE SURREY MEN
FALLEN IN THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT
OCTOBER [sic]
TICKNOR. Pte. James. Queen’s R.W.S. Regt., killed in action, lived at
Middle-road, Leatherhead.
His life
James William Ticknor was born on 17 May 1887and baptised on 19 June
1887 at Leatherhead Parish Church, Surrey. His surname was written in
the Register as Tickner.
His father was Henry George Ticknor (1851-1921), a Drayman, born in
Little Bookham, Surrey, a son of Henry Tickner (1796-1874)
and Mary Ann Farrington (1812-1859)
His mother was Ethel Emily Brooker née Fillery, born 7 April 1858 in
Westcott, Surrey. She was a daughter of Henry Fillery (1801-1869) and
Charlotte Wright (1821-1901).
[Charlotte had previously married Peter Brooker or
Brookwell in Dorking on 5 June 1847.
The marriage of Charlotte and Henry Fillery took place on 24 May 1857 at
St Peter's, Newdigate, Surrey:
Henry Fillery - 50 - Widower - Labourer - Newdigate: Father - Richard
Fillery - Labourer
Charlotte Brooker - 39 - Widow - Newdigate: Father - James Wright -
Labourer
The marriage of their daughter Ethel Emily to Henry George
Ticknor at St Martin's Dorking on 13 May 1877 makes better sense in the
light of Charlotte's earlier marriage:
Henry George Ticknor - 26 - Bachelor - Labourer - Dorking:
Father Henry Ticknor - Labourer
Emily Brooker - 20 - Spinster - Dorking: Father - Peter Brooker -
Labourer ]
James William Ticknor's Ticknor siblings were Florence Caroline b 1877,
Edith Emily b 1880, Clara Elizabeth b 1883, John Leonard b1885,
Frederick Sydney b 1890, Albert Richard b 1891, Arthur b 1902 d 1902,
Bertha b 1902 d 1902.
He married Edith Jessie Dench on 5 June 1909 at Leatherhead Parish
Church, Surrey:
James William Ticknor - 22 -
B[atchelor] - Labourer - High Street Leatherhead: Father - Henry George
Ticknor - Foreman
Edith Jessie Dench - 27 - S[pinster] - Church Street Leatherhead:
Father - William Dench - Bricklayer
Edith Jessie Dench was born on 13 October 1881 and
baptised at St Martin's, East Horsley on 27 March 1882. She was a
daughter of William Dench of East Horsley, a Bricklayer's Labourer. His
wife - Hannah Elizabeth - had died before the 1891 Census.
James and Edith's children were Herbert Henry (1909-1971)
and Ethel Emily (1909-76).
James lived at:
1887: Baptism: Fairfield, Leatherhead
1891 Census: Days Cottages, off Bridge Street, Leatherhead
1901 Census: 2 The Withies [off Garlands Road], Leatherhead
1909: Wedding: High Street, Leatherhead
1911 Census: Electoral Rolls 1912, 1914: Middle Road, Leatherhead,
Surrey
After the war
His father died in 1921 and his mother in 1951.
From the Electoral Rolls Edith was at 21 Middle Road, Leatherhead until
1932 and 20 Highlands Road, Leatherhead from 1933.
The death of Edith J Ticknor at the age of 72 was registered in Surrey
Mid eastern District in January 1954.
James Ticknor is 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
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
last updated 11 Aug 20: 21 Dec 20