William Leonard Parkins

WILLIAM LEONARD PARKINS

During the winter of 1883 Ellen Parkins gave birth to a baby boy named after his father William, born on 6th December and baptised in the village church two months later on 10th February . The Parkins family lived in Kiffs Farm, Westwick Row were mother Ellen and father William the local Fishmonger, sisters Annie born 1881 and Ellen Alice born 1882 along with brother Thomas born 1885.

Ellen died of T.B on 22^nd October 1889 aged just 31 William was to marry again on 15^th November 1895 to Lydia Jane Ashwell at Boxmoor parish church. This union brought into the world four boys, Frederick, Cecil, Walter and Henry.

William attended the village school and on leaving was employed as a farm labour, by 1910 he was living at Tower Hill, Chipperfield employed on a farm as a cowman.

Apsley Church was the setting for the marriage of William and Annie Dickens on March 28^th 1910. Unfortunately this union was to be short lived, as Annie aged 27, died of heart failure brought on by cancer on 13^th January 1914.

Annie and William on their wedding day Williams brother Tom is right behind him.

back row Left to Right

Williams sister Ellen holding daughter Winifred, two males unknown, Ellens husband William Read, brother Thomas, father William, James Dickens next four ladies unknown.

front row left.

Fred Parkins (with watering can above his head) next two unknown William, Annie, sister Annie, Cecil Parkins

Lad in front unknown.

William’s service records were destroyed during the Second World War, so I have taken the records which have survived to follow his military service, which started when he joined the army by enlisting at Whitehall, London into the Army Service Corp as private T4/160039, at the time of enlisting William lived in Rickmansworth. Using Williams service number gives an enlistment date of the beginning of December 1915. As a driver of the corps 221^st company, horse transport section.

Going overseas in 1916 but became seriously ill with Nephritis Uraemia, better described as inflammation of the kidneys. This disease was to cause William's death aged 31 years at Sydney Hall military hospital in Weymouth on 23th December 1916

William's father who was well known in the area as a Fishmonger died suddenly on 3rd November 1916 at the age of 54. At that time the Hemel Hempstead Gazette reported

"He leaves a widow and eight children to mourn his loss. Four of his sons are serving with the Colours".

The family paid for William return to Leverstock Green, where he was buried on the south side of the church on 28th December 1916. Link to Williams CWGC details in Leverstock Green

William is remembered on the order of service at the parish church Easter 1919, on the Leverstock Green war memorial, Leverstock Green school memorial and Hemel Hempstead town memorial.

Sidney Hall given to the parish of Holy Trinity Weymouth, by Sir John Groves in memory of his son, Sidney, who had died in 1895. In use by the Army as a Hospital during the Great War.

The Parkins brothers who served in the Great War.

William Leonard, served in the Army Service Corp died 1916

Thomas, served in the Army Service Corp died in 1920 and is buried in Leverstock Green

Frederick, Enlisted in the Hertfordshire Regiment 3^rd July 1915, discharged 21^st December 1917 due to wounds received.

photo of Cecil, Jill Rays father, who served with the Royal Engineers in Egypt

Walter, Served in the 11^th Hussars, in family photos, but may have served in 18th Hussars overseas.

When a military death had occurred within the U.K. relatives were permitted to bury the casualty where they chose. The cost of transporting the body from place of death to place of burial was to be borne by the family. Private headstones were at first used, then in 1920 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's (CWGC) would supply free of charge one of their headstones.

My sincere thanks go to Jill Ray whose generosity had no bounds, Jill lent me any photo she owned to copy and supplied details of her father's family.

LEVERSTOCK GREEN WAR MEMORIAL 1914 - 1918