Military Chat

I have found in my father's papers a page from the Daily Sketch newspaper dated 12 May, 1938. It shows photographs of the funeral of Peter Ford. He was promoted Captain and on that day was killed in a riding accident when he was competing in the VC race at the Plymouth Garrison Horse Show. I have tried to find out if he had any living relatives but to no avail. I am aware, however, of his wife and marital status: in the NA, but have not found details of his birth. I know that in 1935 his mother lived in Fleet, Hampshire.

Also identified on the page is Brigadier Grant, presumably, Royal Marines.

It is now very fragile and I would like to pass this on to a member of his family - otherwise I will give it to the RM Museum.

Well, he was born about 1912


Death Reg
First name(s) PETER H W
Last name FORD
Birth year 1912
Age 26
Death quarter 2
Death year 1938
District PLYMOUTH
County Devon
Volume 5B
Page 356

What details do you have about his mother? Perhaps we can find her on the 1911 census and work from there.

If you don't mind paying £30, you could purchase a copy of his military records. Although they might have been updated to reflect his marriage earlier in 1938, it might be possible to read the names of previous next of kin

This is the link for obtaining UK service records:
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

An article in the Western Morning News - Wednesday 11 May 1938: Basically stating the information given in the opening post, so I've not bothered to copy the entire article.

Military Funeral

Captain P H W Ford to be Buried Today

Full military honours will accorded at the Plymouth Funeral today of Captain P H W Ford an Officer of Plymouth Division Royal Marines...

Captain Ford joined the Royal Marines in 1930 and served in HMS Cornwall on the China Station from 1933 until July 1936. He had since been serving at home in Plymouth and Portsmouth Divisions.

He leaves a widow. His father is at present in the Malay States...
----------------------------------------

Another article listing the mourners:

Western Morning News - Thursday 12 May 1938

...The widow was unable to attend through indisposition, and the father is in the Malay States.

Mourners were: Mr O S Jaques (Chichester) Uncle; Mr and Mrs V L Windus, Truleigh Manor, Sussex, Uncle and Aunt.... [The others all appear to be military colleagues]

Floral tributes: In addition to wreaths from the widow Gen Sir Richard Ford (cousin of Captain Ford and former Adjutant General, Royal Marines) and Lady Ford....

I believe his parents were Paul Barnard Ford and Gladys Ivy Hope H Windus. They married in 1910.

I think Gladys died in 1933 and his father remarried.- but now noticed that you have his mother in Hampshire in 1935?!

If his mother was Gladys Ivy Hope H Windus, possibly her baptism although it doesn't give an additional initial of H. Was that a typo Austin or found somewhere else?

Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
Gladys Ivy Hope Windus
Baptism Date: 5 Jul 1883
Archive Provided Parish: Headley, All Saints
Parish as it Appears: Headley
Father: Edward William Windus - described as a 'Gentleman'
Mother: Edith Windus
Reference Number: HED/3/3

Address, Ashford House, Headley

1901 census - her mother had re-married

Gladys J H Winders
[Gladys I H Windus]
Age: 18
Estimated birth year: abt 1883
Relation to Head: Stepdaughter
Gender: Female
Mother: Fanny Ford Jaques
Birth Place: Ilfracombe
Civil Parish: Curdridge
Search Photos: Search for 'Curdridge' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
County/Island: Hampshire
Country: England
Street address:

Registration district: Droxford
Sub-registration district: Bishops Waltham
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Piece: 1088
Folio: 92
Page Number: 18
Household schedule number: 120

Name Age
Alfred Herbert Jaques 37 - Land Agent b Brighton
Fanny Ford Jaques 35 - b (image says- - - ) although other entries give 'Do' if the same as above.
Arthur Herbert Forlescue 10 - Alfred Herbert's son, B Porchester
Elia Beatrice Heart 23 (Servant)
Ottar S Jaques 30 <<< 'Uncle', Alfred Herbert's Brother b Brighton, living on own means
Gladys J H Winders 18 b Ilfracombe

1891

1891 Isle of Man Census

Gordon Winders
[Gordon Windus]
Age: 12
Estimated birth year: abt 1879
Relation: Head - That's what the image says! He is also a school boy
Gender: Male
Where born: England
Civil Parish: German
Ecclesiastical parish: German
Town: Rhoscolyn
Country: Isle of Man
Registration district: Isle of Man
Sub registration district: A
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Piece: 4682
Folio: 96
Page Number: 1

Gordon Winders 12
Leigh Winders 9 - Brother b England
Gladys Winders 8 - sister <<
Eric Winders 2 - Brother b German, Isle of Man
Mary A Moore 48 - House keeper
Dara Murray 35 - Governess
Margret Harris 22 - Domstic servant

Gordon's Baptism
Gordon Burton Denis Windus
Birth Date: 20 Mar 1879
Baptism Date: 27 Mar 1879
Archive Provided Parish: Headley, All Saints
Parish as it Appears: Headley
Father: Edward William Windus
Mother: Edith Windus
Reference Number: HED/3/3

Leigh's Baptism

Vivian Leigh Windus
Baptism Date: 18 Sep 1882
Archive Provided Parish: Headley, All Saints
Parish as it Appears: Headley
Father: Edward William Windus
Mother: Edith Windus
Reference Number: HED/3/3

His marriage
Vivian Leigh Windus - Farmer
Birth Year: abt 1882
Marriage Date: 8 Jan 1930
Archive Provided Parish: Guildford, Holy Trinity
Parish as it Appears: Guildford, Holy Trinity
Spouse: Dorothy Flora Moodie
Father: Edward William Windus
Spouse Father: Edwin Ramsay Moodie

Thanks, I am aware of his age at death. I am now not so much seeking further information about Peter, I just want to see if this post unearths any relatives so I can pass on this newspaper article.

Your interest is appreciated.

1939 Register

Windus Household (4 People) Truleigh Manor Cottages , Chanctonbury R.D., Sussex, England

First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Vivian L Windus 25 May 1881 Male Farmer Married 99 1
Dorothy F Windus 06 Nov 1903 Female Private Means Married 99 2
Closed record
Closed record
Closed record - probably a female as you can just about see Hutton as a name change.
Olive W Etheridge 06 Dec 1901 Female Cook Single 99 6
Astrid K C Anderson 03 Aug 1912 Female House Parlourmaid Single 99 7

Its possible that the closed records are either evacuees/relatives or domestic servants rather than their own children. No Windus/Moodie births showing on FreeBMD.

Andromeda - if you're waiting for someone related to stumble on this thread, make yourself comfortable as it could be quite some time ;-)

To find living relatives, its often necessary to go backwards and sideways, to move forwards.

If you don't wish our help to try and trace forward to potential living rellies then its best if you check, and keep checking, to see if another member lists any of the known names on their tree. In case you are unaware, its top right under 'Search'.

in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),

Name:Peter Hugh Windus Ford

Death Date:8 May 1938
Death Place:Plymouth, Devon, England
Probate Date:7 Sep 1938
Registry:London, England
Probate granted to widow, Joan Bruce Ford and Kenneth Peter Davis Thomas, solicitor.

His will might give some details.

His father's probate:


Name:Paul Barnard Ford, Death Date:25 May 1954
Death Place:Kent, England
Probate Date:2 Jul 1954
Registry:London, England
Probate granted to widow, Edith Lynn Ford.

His father had remarried by 1936 as Edith Lynn is on this shipping list but it looks as if she didn't travel as her name is crossed out:

Name:
Paul Barnard Ford, Solicitor

Birth Date:abt 1881
Age:55
Port of Departure:Yokohama, Japan
Arrival Date:28 Aug 1936
Port of Arrival:London, England
Ports of Voyage:Yokohama
Ship Name:Ranchi

Cannot find a marriage for them in England, so possibly married in Malaya.

Paul & Edith returned to Malaya in 1939.

Edith was 40 on the 1936 passenger list so not too old to have had children.

Paul was born 1881 in Southsea. The 1901 census will give you his siblings. To trace descendants you would need to look for BMDs for them.

I just thought that if you're trying to trace living relatives that his parents' names might be useful....If you knew this information already, it might have been helpful to include it in your post.

There are plenty of people on Ancestry that have General Sir Richard Vernon Tredinnick Ford (listed as Peter's cousin in the article in Western Morning News posted above), as well as others mentioned in the article, that can probably help with your search for living relatives.

Good luck with your search.

Many thanks to everyone who has spent time to answer my query. I am most grateful to you all for your interest.

Hi,

Having read your posts, I can elaborate on events after Peter Ford's death.
His widow was Joan "Bobby" Ford who was pregnant at the time with Peter's daughter, Sally Petrona Ford, who was born on 4 January 1939. Given the dates, it is quite possible that neither Peter nor Joan were aware that they had a child on the way at the time of his death.
I was a good friend of Sally from 1988, until her death from cancer on 9 June 2014.
She lived and farmed in West Wales at Penstacan, Cilycwm, near LLandovery.
Her mother Joan also latterly lived in the same village until her death in 1993; she never remarried and Sally was an only child.
Sally had no children.

Welcome to the boards, Russ.

Unfortunately this is a 4-year-old thread, and Andromeda is probably not likely to be looking here for replies now.

You can try to contact him/her by sending a private message - click on his/her name at the top of one the posts.
If Andromeda has kept GR informed of any change in email address, GR will notify that there's a message from you in the system.

But whether or not Andromeda will be able or willing to read it is anyone's guess, I fear.