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Remembered Today:

Uppingham School a Dilemma


wet255

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I'm involved in writing the history of Trinity College Cambridge. I'm writing the WW1 part. I'm researching the people from the college who died dying World War and who's names appear on the Chapel war. The book is called, "Virtue Vera  Nobilitas" (college motto), students from Trinity College Cambridge who died during the Great War. It's due for publication in November of this year. 

One man is causing me a few problems, his name is: Christopher John Hebblethwaite born on 1st April 1884 in Liverpool, the second son on of John Herbert and Louie Herbert Hebblethwaite. Research shows he was educated at Uppingham school yet I can find no trace of him on their war memorial. He went up Trinity as a pensioner on 15 October 1903. During WW1 he was commissioned into the Nigeria Regiment West African Frontier Force becoming a lieutenant. He was killed in action on 7 April 1915 during an enemy raid on the boarder south of Bogole Nigeria. He was buried in the Maio Kalei military grave yard, Nigeria.  

Any information on him would be of the greatest help. A photograph would be useful to. 

 

Many thanks for any help you have been been able to give in this matter. Nigel 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by wet255
wrong info
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He’s certainly mentioned in the roll of honour book. He was in Constables house.

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Hebblethwaite was at Uppingham from January 1899-December 1901.

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Many thanks Michelle good of you to take the time and trouble. Is there a page showing names on the actual War Memorial do you know Nigel 

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1 hour ago, wet255 said:

Is there a page showing names on the actual War Memorial

 

http://www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/memorials/view/1766

Has photos of their war memorial. As far as I can see, he is not on it

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He entered Uppingham in Jan 1899 - see click

hebble1.jpg.eccf93515358aab3d1c1ba25b9ea44fd.jpg

 

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There seems to be gaps in his career ie he doesn’t seem to have gone up to Uppingham until he was 15 where was he before. Another gab before going up to Trinity college Cambridge. I also know he was an engineer in Nigeria before the war and was killed there in 1915. Does anyone have any information on his career? Many thanks 

Edited by wet255
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A lot of the information she posts is spot on. Are you able to leave a message for her giving her my email address. (removed by moderator, please use PM to send information like this) 

great find many thanks Nigel 

Ikley remembers 

that is so helpful many thanks and for making the effort. Nigel 

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10 hours ago, Michelle Young said:

Hebblethwaite was at Uppingham from January 1899-December 1901.

He shows up in the 1901 England and Wales census as being a boarder at Uppingham, Rutland, England.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X91D-L5K

According to the Gazette he was granted the temporary rank of Lieutenant on 14 September 1914.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29337/supplement/10479

His name on his medal index card appears to have been recorded as C S Hebblethwaite, with a first date of entry into a theatre of war of 14 September 1914 with the Nigeria Regiment, which matches the date of his appointment as a temporary Lieutenant.

 

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In the UK Outgoing Passenger Lists there is a record of a Chris J Heblethwaite travelling to the Cape, South Africa in 1905 on the Athenic while employed by the B S A Police. The transcription on FamilySearch says he is 27, from which his inferred birth year is around 1878, but it might be worth checking the original document on either Ancestry or Findmypast, because if 21 has been mistranscribed as 27, this would make his inferred birth year around 1884 which then fits. Certainly the occupation and location would seem to match what is known about his career after this time.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68G4-1PPM

He can also be found in the 1891 England and Wales census living with his parents in Oxton, Cheshire, England.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:43M4-RPZ

Edited by Tawhiri
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Sorry to not reply earlier, been out at cricket. Would appear that you have your query sorted? 

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Tawhiri

thanks for that and the document very kind. I have his DofB 1-4-1884 which I think is right because it’s the same in three sources. Thanks again for all the help Nigel

Thank you Michelle. Nigel 

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It seems that you need to find whatever he was doing in Africa. That Zambian link posted certainly looks good

  • Born Apr 1884
  • Left Uppingham Dec 1901 to go to South Africa Police. Aged 17
  • To Trinity, Cambridge in  October 1903.
  • Degree in Law & Languages (Preumably in 1906)
  • Northern Rhodesia between 1906 and 1910. He served as a District Commissioner at a place in Barotseland (now Western Province of Zambia).
  • He resigned from the Colonial Service in 1910 after it was found out he had children with a local woman
  • Upon resignation he probably  moved on to Congo presumably as an Administrator
  • Apr 1910 travels UK to Capetown from UK . He is a Miner . This is probably him. Note he appears to be a mining engineer on his tombstone
  • Sep 1914 commissioned in Nigeria Regt
  • KIA Apr 1915
  • ANOTHER 100-YEAR GRAVE IN JADA
    Less than 140km away, in a lonely grave surrounded by grass and building blocks at Mayo Kalaye Village in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State lays another soldier killed in battle just three weeks before Captain Pawle. On his tombstone was the inscription LIEUT C.J. HEBBLETHWAITE, MINING ENGINEER, KILLED IN ACTION, 7TH APRIL 1915. Facebook
    On that day at dawn, Lieut. C.J. Hebblethwaite led a British border patrol of 30 men to attack a notorious German fort. Their attack was repelled and Hebblethwaite was killed. He was recorded in the General List and 1st Battalion, Nigeria Regiment, West African Frontier Force, (W.A.F.F.) as - killed in action on Wednesday, 7th Apr 1915 and buried at MAIO KALEI MILITARY GRAVE, Nigeria.
  • This is the photo of the grave that the writer gives, but it is too blurry to read
  • grave.jpg.a385f12911c6dc02ed259e140b953cfb.jpg
  • This is as on CWGC, and presumably cleaned up grave site. Wonder why he does not have a CWGC headstone Capt Pawle has an official gravestone a hundred yards away
  • Untitled-1.jpg.2fbe2b26a470f472733602a388b466f4.jpg
Edited by corisande
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There appears to have been an obituary of sorts printed in the Grantham Journal of Saturday, 17 April 1915 if you have access to either Findmy past or the British Newspaper Archive. It might allow you to fill in a few more details of his life in Africa beyond those already known.

From search results for "Christopher" and "Heblethwaite" on the British Newspaper Archive site:

Lieut. Christopher John Heblethwaite, Ist Nigerian Field Force, who was killed in action near the Nigerian frontier, south of Yola, April 7th, was onlv child of Mr. and Mr*. J. H. Heblethwaite, late of Hoylake, Cheshire. Lieut. Heblethwaite was educated ...

Edited by Tawhiri
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5 minutes ago, Tawhiri said:

an obituary of sorts printed in the Grantham Journal of Saturday, 17 April 1915

This is it. Just confirms he was at Uppingham

obit2.jpg.72cf1f5547cc433a906eecd3821cf55a.jpg

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Thank you both so much for all your help. You will now all go into the book with a big thank you. You all really wonderful people. I was struggling with this one. Nigel 

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Just realized that I forgot to add the date of the entry on the passenger list that I found. It was 1905, so he was presumably travelling out to Africa to take up his appointment in Northern Rhodesia.

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@wet255

If you want to contact someone about the family, then look at this Ancestry Tree .

It seems to be done by a direct descendant

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To ad credence to the family information on his living in Northern Rhodesia as a District Commissioner, I found this in a PhD thesis showing him as and ANC (assistant native commissioner) in Oct 1908 in Nanolo

  1. NAZ: BS 2/21, admissionby C.J. Heblethwaite, ANC. Nalolo, of having administered 50 lashes to two askari, Kadiwere and Matongo, 10/10/08
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