The Twynam family of Soberton, Hampshire

[James Daly]

I've done a lot of research on people from Portsmouth, but I've come across a war memorial in a small village to the north of Portsmouth with an interesting little story. My brother is a middle distance runner, and on one of his training runs he noticed a small war memorial in the village of Soberton. Ignoring his stopwatch, he noticed that on the war memorial were four men of the same family:

J. Tywnam

G. Twynam

H. Twynam

W. Twynam

Consulting the CWGC, these men appear to be the following:

John Twynam, Staff Sergeant 131 1st South African Mounted Rifles. Died on 30/11/1914 Age unknown. Commemorated at Barnea Siding Burial Ground, Bethlehem, Free State, Africa.

Godfrey Twynam, Second Lieutenant 11th Bn. Border Regiment. Died on 18/11/1916 Age unknown. Son of the late John and Mary Twynam, of Soberton House, Droxford, Bishop's Waltham, Hants. Waggon Road Cemetery, Beaumount-Hamel, Somme, France, A. 24. Born Droxford June 1891 Quarter.

Hugh Twynam, Lieutenant H.M. Submarine E.36. Royal Naval Reserve. Died on 19/01/1917 Age 29. Son of John and Mary Twynam, of Soberton House, Soberton Hants.. Commemorated at Portsmouth Naval Memeorial, Hampshire, United Kingdom, 27. Born Droxford, June 1888 Quarter.

William Hugh Twynam, Corporal 16391 7th Bn. Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment). Died on 24/04/1915 Age 33. Son of the late John and Mary Rachel Twynam, late of Soberton House, Soberton, Hampshire. Commemorated at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium, Panel 18 - 28 - 30. Born Droxford, March 1883 Quarter.

A bit of a search online confirms that all four were brothers. John appears to have been killed by lightning at Windhoek. There is also a memorial to them in St Peters Church in Soberton, along with one of their brothers-in-law who was also killed.

According to the 1891 census, they were living at Soberton House. John was the Head of the household, living on his own means. There were also two daughters and two un-named infant sons of less than a month in age. They had a Governess, a cook, housemaid and a nurse.The Twynams seem to have been an ancient family who lived in Soberton, with the first recorded mention being of Humfrey Twynam, who lived in Soberton c.1490. Soberton House is a Grade II listed building, and is a C18 House, with C19 alterations.

[ASA1]

One can't imagine what the family must have been through.

Godfrey Twynam gets a brief mention here: http://www.border-regiment-forum.com/wiki/index.php?title=Record_of_the_XIth_(Service)_Battalion_(Lonsdale)_-_In_France_(War_Diary_Extracts)

and the war diary for the date he died is available on the same site here: http://www.border-regiment-forum.com/wiki/index.php?title=11th_Battalion_War_Diary,_November_1916

Andy

[IPT]

The un-named infants were the above Godfrey and what appears to be his twin brother Charles (both births registered at the same time Jun 1891). It seems from BMD that Charles died in 1951, aged 60.

There are a few possible MICs for Charles, but I can't find much about him at all.

Its seems that Hugh was killed when E36 collided with E43 off Harwich. There were no survivors.

[ASA1]

William's Canadian attestation form available here http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=269038&interval=20&&PHPSESSID=0g5e3qeh0f6656oa8gfoufrg92

Looks like he had previous service in South Africa

[James Daly]

William's Canadian attestation form available here http://www.collectio...656oa8gfoufrg92

Looks like he had previous service in South Africa

I've just been browsing at that. Interesting that there seems to be a South African link, with John also serving a South African unit. Also looks to me like William was in Canada on the outbreak of war. They were clearly a family of some means and mobility.

I will have a look at the 1901 and 1911 census when I get a chance.

There are copies of wills at Hampshire Records Office for John Twynam (1886, presume grandfather), Hugh Twynam (HMS Maidstone, Sub E36 1917), John Twynam (1918), and Rachel Twynam (1919). Also papers relating to the brass tablet memorial in Soberton Parish Church, along with a lot of title deeds etc relating to the family in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Might be a trip to Winchester in the offing...

[James Daly]

According to miscellaneous censuses Hugh was a cadet in a training ship, and then became a mate in the Merchant Service. William was a Bank Clerk, and the family employed a considerable number of people locally in farming.

[mogodonman]

Godfrey and Charles both went to Cranleigh School in 1905. They were born on March 9, 1891 and their father's occupation was listed as 'gentleman'.

[Andy Twynam]

interesting photos of John's grave at Barnea Siding

http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=25676

 

I've been told he is buried where he died and that this is Windhuk, Orange Free State and not Windhoek in what is now Namibia.  "Barnea Siding" because it used to be a railway siding.

 

I think I decided a while ago that the fifth son, Charles, who survived the war, was PS/218 Charles Twynam of the Middlesex Regiment and Machine Gun Corps.

 

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1089924?descriptiontype=Full&ref=WO+339/36023

Edited 1 August , 2016 by Andy Twynam

[Guest]

Mary Rachel Baker (1852-1919) mother of the Twynam sons who died in WW1 was my great grandfather's sister. She was born in Lismacue, Bansha, County Tipperary.