BereniceUK Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 (edited) An umbrella stand at Puddletown church, Dorset, has the following inscription - "TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF KINDNESS RECEIVED FROM THE REVD. A. HELPS, C.E.(VICAR OF PUDDLETOWN) ON A BATTLEFIELD IN BELGIUM. AUGUST 1914 FROM A GRATEFUL OFFICER OF THE 1ST BATTALION MIDDLESEX REGT. Was Revd. Helps the battalion chaplain? I've never before come across an umbrella stand that has a connection to WW1. Edited 8 October , 2016 by BereniceUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 Could this be him Medal Index Cards Transcription Learn more Print transcription First name(s) A L Last name Helps Service number - Rank Captain Reverend Corps Cavalry Brigade Service record Rank: Captain Reverend, Corps: Cavalry Brigade Archive reference WO372/9 Archive reference description Campaign Medal Index Cards and Silver War Badge Cards Country Great Britain Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D2815641 Record set World War One British Army medal index cards Category Military, armed forces & conflict Subcategory First World War Collections from Great Britain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 8 October , 2016 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2016 I'd say 'yes.' Thanks, johnboy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 Here he is 1911 Census 1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription Piddleton Licarage Dorchester Dorset, Puddletown, Dorset, England Learn more Print transcription View image Household Members First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place Arthur L Helps Head Single Male Clerk In Holy Order Ch Of England 39 1872 Clifton Gloucestershire Transcription Emma S Kind Servant Widow Female Housekeeper Domestic 54 1857 Swindon Wiltshire Transcription Bert Pope Servant Single Male Groom - Gardener Domestic 25 1886 Okeford Fitzpaine Dorset Transcription Gertrude L Hand Servant Single Female House - Maid Domestic 19 1892 Piddleton Dorset Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 8 October , 2016 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2016 (edited) He seems to have been still alive in the early 1970s, by which time he'd become a Canon. http://www.art-books.com/details.php?record=12-1746 Unless this book was a reprint? Edited 8 October , 2016 by BereniceUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 All the info points to him, but he would have been 100yrs old? You could not make up the surnames for inhabitants of a vicarage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 I'm sure it Al Helps... The 1908 Crockfords shows that Arthur Leonard Helps had been the vicar since 1906. The 1932 edition shows he was he was 'T.C.F in 1914-48' and MID in 1915 (T.C.F - Temporary Chaplin to the Forces) Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 8 October , 2016 Share Posted 8 October , 2016 (edited) The 1932 edition shows he was he was 'T.C.F in 1914-48' and MID in 1915 (T.C.F - Temporary Chaplin to the Forces) Any idea how he became Captain ? Edited 8 October , 2016 by johnboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 8 October , 2016 Author Share Posted 8 October , 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said: I'm sure it Al Helps... Craig * groan * 1 hour ago, johnboy said: All the info points to him, but he would have been 100yrs old? You could not make up the surnames for inhabitants of a vicarage! Kind Hand Helps Pope! Edited 8 October , 2016 by BereniceUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 9 October , 2016 Share Posted 9 October , 2016 10 hours ago, johnboy said: Any idea how he became Captain ? He would have been a Chaplain to the Forces, 4th Class, rank equivalent to Captain. This was the lowest grade of chaplain. He seems to have been a chaplain attached to a cavalry brigade, so he was probably not attached to 1st Middlesex. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 9 October , 2016 Share Posted 9 October , 2016 Thanks Ron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BereniceUK Posted 10 October , 2016 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2016 On 09/10/2016 at 05:59, Ron Clifton said: He would have been a Chaplain to the Forces, 4th Class, rank equivalent to Captain. This was the lowest grade of chaplain. He seems to have been a chaplain attached to a cavalry brigade, so he was probably not attached to 1st Middlesex. Ron Thank you; yes, I wondered if that might be the case from the wording of the inscription. A chance battlefield encounter then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now