Women included in the Register of Soldiers Effects, 1914-1929

[Jim Strawbridge]

On 26/03/2024 at 15:24, Jim Strawbridge said:

Most interesting. I didn't know that the system could be manipulated like that re insanity enabling a pension to be paid. Thank you for pointing me at the National Archives. My note about the Bristol registered death seems to be correct.    

later - She resigned the day before her death so likely not eligible for CWGC remembrance. I have seen this before and wonder if it was a common occurrance perhaps under some pressure from the nursing service to help them with paperwork.

Apparently I got it wrong. She had died of pneumonis a couple of years after she had left the TFNS.

[Jim Strawbridge]

I hope that no-one minds but I may pop the odd comment on here as I find them whilst researching. Firstly, the entry for ALSATON – WINIFRED EDITH – QMAAC – 1919. This is a translation error by Ancestry and the woman is Winifred Edith Absalom. Ellen Andrews (she seems to have served under this name) was actually Ellen Andrew. Dorothy Askden is actually Dorothy Aspden. Atkinson/Alkinson is actually Alice Blanche Atkinson. C.M.A. Ayler is actually Catherine Mary Alice Aylen. Sarah Bellington is actually Sarah Billington. Bessie Cary is actually Betsy Cary. Louisa Annie Gady (stet) Bottoms is actually Gladys Annie Louisa Bottoms. Amy Laura Whitcombe died at East Cornwall Hospital and not E. Cornwood Hospital. Elias Fowlkes is actually Elsie Foulkes. Jessie M. Kingsmill was not a casualty. D. Fose is actually Dorothy Fox. Kate Sevina Brewer was actually Kate Swinn Brewer. T. Ballantyne is actually Jessie Agnes Ballantyne. Edith Addington Nottness is actually Edith Addington Nattress. Margaret Ann Barron is actually Margaret Ann Barrow. F. Barstow is actually F. Barlow (Flora Ellen) and she was not QAIMNS but VAD. R.E. Batcher is actually R.E. Butcher. Bates (SMC) I believe to be the same as Frances M. Bates. Edith Helen Bayond is actually Edith Ellen Barford. Katy Beaufoy is found using the search Beauboy. J.U. Dangerfield is actually Ivy Violet Dangerfield. S, Berrie is Charlotte Matilda Berrie. G. Brenton is M.G. Brinton. Hay Frances Brown is May Frances Brown. D. Bruce is Bella Bruce, M. Gorbett is Martha Gorbutt.

Edited 2 hours ago by Jim Strawbridge

[alf mcm]

Jim,

  No problem if you spot any errors. I will add the corrected entry to the first page of this thread to keep the list up to date.

Regards,

Alf McM

[Jim Strawbridge]

As Alf McM has previously said, not all those listed in the Army Register of Soldiers' Effects actually died. Insanity meant that a person could not deal with their own affairs and were also included. Such a one was Miss J. Anderson, V.A.D. who appears there through "insanity". Also E. Arnold. TFNS.

On 29/03/2024 at 12:23, Jim Strawbridge said:

As Alf McM has previously said, not all those listed in the Army Register of Soldiers' Effects actually died. Insanity meant that a person could not deal with their own affairs and were also included. Such a one was Miss J. Anderson, V.A.D. who appears there through "insanity" so no date of death. 

 

Edited 30 March by Jim Strawbridge

[Mark in Staffs]

In your list of female victims of the war have you got Dolly Smith aged 25 of Glasgow? She died in the sinking of the SS Aguila on 27 March 1915 along with a stewardess and six crewmen. Her name was difficult to find, most sites simply give her as a "female passenger". I assume Dolly means Dorothy?

[alf mcm]

Hello Mark,

  Dolly is not on my list, probably because she was a civilian. However, @Jim Strawbridge may have some information. Would you have the name of the Stewardess who died?

Regards,

Alf McM

[Mark in Staffs]

Martha Emily Jenkins aged 42. 

[Jim Strawbridge]

I know nothing about Dolly but have this interesting snippet :- A report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of the 2nd April 1915 stated "One of the Aguila's men, who assisted in launching the boats, said that one boat with ten of the crew and one lady passenger, who was with the stewardess, came to grief. The lady passenger cried out, "I'm shot!" and at the same time fell over the side of the gunwale next to the ship's side. At the next moment heavy seas capsized the boat, and neither the lady passenger nor the stewardess was again seen".

[alf mcm]

The Scotsman of 1^st April 1915;-

THE LOSS OF THE AGUILA

A GLASGOW VICTIM

  Miss Dolly Smith, who was killed while sitting in one of the boats about to be launched, was a Glasgow lady, who was returning to join her brother in Madeira. She had been resident there for some time, and went to Glasgow on holiday in July last. It is stated that she intended to return to Madeira some time ago, but deferred the journey owing to activity of the enemy submarines.

 

This longer report is from 'The Scotsman' of 31st March 1915. I am unable to make the image bigger, but it can be viewed on Findmypast at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0000540%2F19150331&page=9&article=462&stringtohighlight=smith  {top riht of page}.

Image courtesy of Findmypast/British Newspaper Archive

Regards,

Alf McM

[Mark in Staffs]

Thanks. I'm constantly amazed at what you here can find out.

[Jim Strawbridge]

Another two found which does not appear to be in alf mcm's original list.  Margaret Helen Dunkley, nee Welton, QAIMNSR, died 13th October 1919 in Jamaica. I think that she had resigned on marriage as was often the case and that the entry of death is a just to complete the record. Also Ethel Fearnley, QAIMNS, died 23rd November 1914 (two entries).

Edited 8 April by Jim Strawbridge

[alf mcm]

7 hours ago, Jim Strawbridge said:

Another two found which does not appear to be in alf mcm's original list.  Margaret Helen Dunkley, nee Welton, QAIMNSR, died 13th October 1919 in Jamaica. I think that she had resigned on marriage as was often the case and that the entry of death is a just to complete the record. Also Ethel Fearnley, QAIMNS, died 23rd November 1914 (two entries).

Thanks Jim,

  I can see why my search didn't pick them up. I have added both to my list. Margaret Helen Welton later Dunkley actually served only in the T.F.N.S. according to her service record and had resigned because she couldn't afford to live on her T.F.N.S. salary. Name Welton, Margaret | The National Archives

Regards,

Alf McM

[Jim Strawbridge]

I have stumbled across the Index to the Register. A bit laborious as I cannot get to the exact page but if you go here :- https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/347509:60506?tid=&pid=&queryId=9138b53a-e2e2-48eb-8072-9cd51ea96ba0&_phsrc=NXb4346&_phstart=successSource

you get the lead page for Annie Buckler. Click on the image and you get a scan of the Register page with five casualties starting with Captain C.G. Kirk (not the Starship Enterprise one). At the bottom of the page change "400 of 478" to "410 of 478", click, and voila, the start of the Index at A.

[alf mcm]

Hello Jim,

  That's a great find, I hadn't realised there were indices to the register. The one you have found covers the volume for entries 43601 to 44600, all for 1918. That's 1,000 names and according to Ancestry there are 872.395 records! If that is individual names then that's a lot of volumes. The first woman;s name on the index you discovered is also first on the index;- F.B. ADDS, Probationer. This is Florence Beatrice ADDS. I think you have a record for her, but she is not on my list! My search didn't pick her up because Ancestry's index has her regiment as 'Mil Hosp Kinmel Pk'. This implies that my list is not complete and I have more searching to do. I will of course add any 'new' names to the list on post 1 of this thread.

  Thanks for bringing the index to my attention.

Regards,

Alf McM

[Jim Strawbridge]

7 hours ago, alf mcm said:

Hello Jim,

  That's a great find, I hadn't realised there were indices to the register. The one you have found covers the volume for entries 43601 to 44600, all for 1918. That's 1,000 names and according to Ancestry there are 872.395 records! If that is individual names then that's a lot of volumes. The first woman;s name on the index you discovered is also first on the index;- F.B. ADDS, Probationer. This is Florence Beatrice ADDS. I think you have a record for her, but she is not on my list! My search didn't pick her up because Ancestry's index has her regiment as 'Mil Hosp Kinmel Pk'. This implies that my list is not complete and I have more searching to do. I will of course add any 'new' names to the list on post 1 of this thread.

  Thanks for bringing the index to my attention.

Regards,

Alf McM

I should be grateful, if you are going to add names on page 1, if you could seperately list them rather than intersperse, otherwise I am in bother in researching. You will probably have seen my growing additions above in my post of 29th March which needs to be treated the same - not yet amended on your list until I have finished my trawl then bring the whole lot together.