Thomas William Creed
This name is on St Mark's War Memorial, Kennington Oval, London SE11
(Thomas William Creed)
Service no 195973
Driver, Royal Field Artillery, "A" Bty. 150th Bde.
Killed in action on 27 May 1918
Remembered at Etretat Churchyard Extension, France
Information from the 1901 census
In 1901 Thomas Creed and his family lived at 13 Ashmole Place. His father, also Thomas W. Creed, was a 31-year-old carriage-trimmer, born in Westminster. His mother, Jane M. Creed, 26, was born in Lambeth. There were two siblings on the census: Alfred C. Creed, 2, and Florence M. Creed, 1. All the children were born in Lambeth.
The 1911 census shows more siblings (all born in Lambeth:
An older sister, Ellen Creed, then 18 (ie born 2 years before Thomas), a laundry hand
Thomas, 16, was by now a van boy
Alfred Charles Creed, 12, and Florence Mable Creed, 11, were at school
Ernest John Creed was 8
Hilda Charlotte Creed was 3
Ethel May Creed was 1
Maud Hathorty, a 20-year-old single waitress from Lambeth was visiting.
Thomas Creed signed up with the Wiltshires at the very beginning of the war, on 25 August 1914, about three weeks after Britain declared war. Creed gave his birthplace as Blackfriars and his trade or calling as "carpenter". He stated that he was 19 and 7 months. The army GP described him as 5 ft 3½ inches (160cm), he weighed 114 pounds (just over 8 stone or 52 kg) with a florid complexion, fair hair and blue eyes. The papers show contradictory information on the location of the recruitment office where Creed signed up, with some stating "Kennington Street" and others "Devizes". Creed's Wiltshire Regiment service number was 9795.
Creed served only 66 days, as he was rejected under Para 392 (iii) (c) of the King's Regulations.
Whatever happened, Creed must have signed up later with the Royal Field Artillery. Creed's service history states that his father is Thomas Creed of 20 Ashmole Place, Church Street, South Lambeth. In 1901 the family was living at 13 Ashmole Place. It was common practice at that time to move to a house in the same road, perhaps when better or bigger accommodation became available through the same landlord.
The west side of Blackfriars is in Lambeth, the east in Southwark.