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Sorry Dea, I missed your posting for some reason. Obviously not the right one :-(

But the image of the burial register is on Ancestry Choccy and gives the address of the deceased - I have followed this through quite easily and have put all the details above - This 'proves' that it is certainly not the one we are looking for.

Dea x

The owner of the Ancestry tree is related to James William Hewitt;s sister Mabel Annie, but purchasing the death certificate might {or might not} confirm.

I think the sentence he received was '1 year I H L' which I believe would be 'Imprisonment with Hard Labour' .

Dea x

Unfortunately, as we know well, it is not a sensible idea to believe everything which is 'suggested' or included in trees on Ancestry. - Everything should always be followed through and checked properly before accepting it as 'true'.

Dea x

Re the 1941 death - that's what Ancestry suggests is your James's death, and presumably the tree owner has assumed that meant it was the right one.

The army record posted by Choccy seems to be the correct one:

James William Hewitt
in the British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
Name: James William Hewitt
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Croydon, Surrey, England <<<<<<<<<<
Enlistment Age: 22
Regimental Number: 1954
Regiment Name: Battn Re??
Number of Images: 20
Form Title: Territorial Force Attestation
Family Members:
Name Relation to Soldier
James William Hewitt Self (Head)

Address: 4 Clairville Gardens, Hanwell.
Occupation: Conductor.
Employer: LUET (?)

Wounded by shrapnel 1915.

On 30/09/1917 he was disciplined for "Conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, in that he on the Zillebeke-Shrapnel Corner Rd. . . broke from the ranks when the enemy were shelling the vicinity, and when ordered to return failed to do so."
His sentence (can't make out what that was) was suspended in Feb 1918, and remitted in July 1918.

Father: James Hewitt, 221 Kingston Road, New Maldon, Surrey.

I wouldn't be at all surprised AG - he doesn't appear to be entirely 'mentally stable' in his behaviour so far ??

I had been considering this one as his occupation seems to fit but his dob is way out (although at one stage in his army records he seems to have changed from 1892 to 1889 )??

James W Hewitt's life in 1939
Layton Cottage, Wantage R.D., Berkshire, England

(8 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Lily A Bingham 30 Sep 1903 Female House Hold Duties Married 32 1
The record for this person is officially closed. Can I get around this?
Tony Hall 29 Nov 1924 Male At School Single 32 3
The record for this person is officially closed. Can I get around this?
The record for this person is officially closed. Can I get around this?
James W Hewitt 06 Oct 1895 Male Engine Driver Mate A M W D Single 32 6 ????????????
Joseph Harty 10 Sep 1885 Male Stable Man Single 32 7
Arthur E Walker 25 Aug 1887 Male Air Service Clerk Married 32 8

I am really not sure though that this is the correct one............

Dea x

???? No place of birth shown.

I've no particular reason to think this is the correct James - just throwing it in as a possibility.

James Hewett
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: James Hewett
Gender: Male
Marital status: Single
Birth Date: 1892
Residence Year: 1939
Address: Netherne Mental Hospital.Netherne
Residence Place: Coulsdon and Purley, Surrey , England
Occupation: Incapacitated
Schedule Number: 3
Sub Schedule Number: 128
OVSPI: Patient
Enumeration District: DMDB
Registration district: 31/3

I believe this one is the correct one?

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
8, Artillery Road, Guildford, Stoke Within, Surrey, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
James Hewitt Head Married Male 34 1867 Life Assurance Superintendent Denham, Buckinghamshire, England
Annie J E Hewitt Wife Married Female 30 1871 - Croydon, Surrey, England
James W Hewitt Son Single Male 9 1892 - Croydon, Surrey, England
Mabel A Hewitt Daughter Single Female 3 1898 - Guildford, Surrey, England
James W Hewitt's Census Details


HEWITT, JAMES WILLIAM JEFFERY
GRO Reference: 1892 M Quarter in CROYDON Volume 02A Page 228


??? - he is not with his family in 1911 but his father is now a Brewers Manager which would fit with the occupation of 'Off licence' on the son's marriage.....

1911 England Census
Name: James Hewett
Age in 1911: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Denham, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil Parish: New Malden
Search Photos: Search for 'New Malden' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address: 221 Kingston Road, New Malden, Surrey
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Brewers Manager ****
Registration district: Kingston
Registration District Number: 40
Sub-registration district: Kingston
ED, institution, or vessel: 30
Household schedule number: 310
Piece: 3527
Household Members:
Name Age
James Hewett 44
Annie Hewett 40


Parents' marriage:
Marriages Mar 1891 (>99%)
Hewitt James Croydon 2a 316 Scan available - click to view
Jeffery Annie Jane E Croydon 2a 316 Scan available - click to view

I haven't found him as yet on 1911................

Dea x

This death mentioned in posts above is NOT the correct one.......
Name: William James Hewitt
Age: 48
Birth Date: abt 1893
Death Date: abt 1941
Burial Date: 21 Aug 1941
Burial Place: Waltham Forest, Greater London, England
Cemetery: Chingford Mount Cemetery
Cemetery Section: G13
Grave Number: C/R 38683
Interment Number: C/R 38909

His address on the register was 6 Comboss Rd., Bow........


William J Hewett's life in 1939
6 Comboss Road, Poplar, London, England

(4 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
William J Hewett 04 Aug 1893 Male Wharf Labourer Heavy Worker Married 49 1
Susane (Susannah) Hewett 14 Apr 1900 Female Hoffman Presser Mantles Married 49 2
The record for this person is officially closed. Can I get around this?
The record for this person is officially closed. Can I get around this?



Marriages Dec 1920
Hewitt William J Watson Poplar 1c 1057
Watson Susannah E Hewitt Poplar 1c 1057


Probable birth?
HEWITT, WILLIAM JAMES CANNON
GRO Reference: 1893 S Quarter in SHOREDITCH Volume 01C Page 126


His parents marriage:
Marriages Sep 1889 (>99%)
CANNON Elizabeth Bethnal Green 1c 612
Hewett Edward James Bethnal Green 1c 612


Baptisn shows birthdate matches 1939 register:
Name: William James Hewitt
Gender: Male
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 27 Aug 1893
Baptism Place: Haggerston All Saints, Hackney, England
Father: Edward James Hewitt
Mother: Elizabeth Hewitt
Register Type: Parish Registers
Born 4th August !!!

SO, the death in 1941 is NOT the man you are looking for!

Dea x

Another article of interest - this time regarding a Maintenance Order

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/100052466

Again from:
Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer - London - (04 June 1921 )

Dea x

You might want to read this article which seems to be about 'your' Mr. Hewitt:

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/100051908

He is being proscecuted by the Canine Defence League........................

Dea x

None of us are related to you, John.

We're just people who enjoy the detective work of researching other people's family trees!

Wow, thank you so much for your help everyone.
All I have had to go on before now was my fathers birth certificate that had Hewitt as the father. This I never knew until my mother gave me the certificate.
Learning that Fred Edwards was not my true grandfather came as a shock.
For some time I could not come to terms with this knowledge. I tried unsuccessfully a few years ago to learn what you good people have found out.

It seems that the stories surrounding Hewitt were the stuff of fiction and led me on wild goose chase.

I need to go through the information you have provided.
Are any of you related to Hewitt?

Thank you

possibly - (based on the family tree I found on Ancestry)


England & Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800-2016

Name: William James Hewitt

Age: 48

Birth Date: abt 1893

Death Date: abt 1941

Burial Date: 21 Aug 1941



Burial Place: Waltham Forest, Greater London, England

Cemetery: Chingford Mount Cemetery

Cemetery Section: G13

Grave Number: C/R 38683

Interment Number: C/R 38909

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920

Name: James William Hewitt

Gender: Male

Document Year: 1919

Residence Place: 2 Clanville Gardens, Hanwell

Regimental Number: 2954

Regiment Name: Batt Res Midd Regt

Number of Images: 14

Form Title: Territorial Force Attestation

Although very soon after first marriage, this could be possible -


Marriages Dec 1921

EDWARDS Frederick Whiley Brentford 3a 431
Whiley Vera Edwards Brentford 3a 431



England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995

Name: Vera Amelia Henrietta Edwards
[Vera Edwards ]

Death Date: 8 Jan 1965
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Probate Date: 26 Feb 1965
Probate Registry: London, England

of 28 Croyde Avenue, Greenford, Middx
Administration (with Will) to
Raymond Henry James Edwards (Electrician)


(Raymond Henry James Hewitt was the child of the first marriage)

A tree on Ancestry has him dying as follows -


James William Hewitt died on 15 August 1941 when he was 49 years old.

15 Aug 1941 • Bow and Bromley, Poplar, London, England


(presumably this one - Hewitt William J 48 Poplar 1c 242 )

You say you can’t find what happened to James, which implies that you do know about his wife and son.

Please tell us ALL you know