SOMMESOLDIER Posted 12 September , 2005 Share Posted 12 September , 2005 Hi There, Could anyone please help with any information on this chap whom I am researching ? This is what I know ! 4110 Pte Silas Edward Symons Honourable Artillery Company [ Infantry ] KIA 31-1-17 or 31-7-17 according to SDGW. Enlisted:- Armoury House Residence:- Lltord, Essex. I believe that he was born in 1874 in St Minver, Cornwall. The son of a farmer. The strange thing is, that he appears to be missing from the 1901 census ! Any help would be very much appreciated. Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 12 September , 2005 Share Posted 12 September , 2005 Hi There, Could anyone please help with any information on this chap whom I am researching ? This is what I know ! 4110 Pte Silas Edward Symons Honourable Artillery Company [ Infantry ] KIA 31-1-17 or 31-7-17 according to SDGW. Enlisted:- Armoury House Residence:- Lltord, Essex. I believe that he was born in 1874 in St Minver, Cornwall. The son of a farmer. The strange thing is, that he appears to be missing from the 1901 census ! Any help would be very much appreciated. Cheers Tim. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He enlisted on 26th July 1915 and first went overseas on 29th November 1915. According to the Regimental History, he was KIA at Beaumont Hamel on 31st January 1917. Nothing strange about not appearing on the 1901 census, Tim - not a single one of my ancestors do!!! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 12 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2005 Hi Dave, Thats a great bit of extra information. Many thanks. The 1901 census is indeed a very frustrating document !!!!! Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 13 September , 2005 Share Posted 13 September , 2005 Hey Tim The birth of Silas Edward Symons was recorded in the March quarter of 1874 in Bodmin. Volume 5c, Page 87. In the 1881 census, he is living at Roserrow, St Minver, Cornwall with his father Edward (39, a farmer), mother Anna (38), brothers Thomas (8) and Charles (1) and sister Annie (2). They also have 4 servants ! By 1891 they had moved to 12, Castle Street, Bodmin. Edward is now shown to be retired, Thomas is 18 and a medical student, Silas is 17 and a Draper’s Assistant, and in addition to Charles and Annie, they have a 7 year old daughter Mary. But just one servant ! In 1901, the family had moved to 5, Florence St, Falmouth, but only daughters Annie and Mary were still at home. But no sign of Silas !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 13 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 September , 2005 Hi Stephen, Brilliant stuff mate !! Fantastic insight into the family. I go on holiday to that part of the world every year, so I'll go and do some detective work !! I would love to know where Silas was in 1901 !! Thanks again. Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priv Posted 14 September , 2005 Share Posted 14 September , 2005 Tim, I myself saw that medal up for auction and was severely tempted - I collect HAC though mainly artillery, and am colpletely skint at the moment - a rather nice Ox & Bucks Star & Bar Trio got the better of me the other day !!! What struck me however, was that I have the Trio (as yet unresearched apart from MIC) to another Symons in the HAC: Silvanius J Symons No 2680 Overseas: 27th April 1915 Symons is an unusual name, and what struck me was the closenes of Silvanius and Silas - is one the abbreviation of another ? Given that your man was 43 years of age when he died, assuming he is the one on the Census, there is a posibility that he could be the father of my man - as sons were often named after fathers or similar in that time! I will watch this post with eagerness and if any other Pals can add anything on Silvanius J Symons I would be most appreciative. The other 3 Symons on the PRO site for HAC have more usual names, it was the Silas and Silvanius bit that caught me........... James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 14 September , 2005 Share Posted 14 September , 2005 James/Tim Symons isn't all that unusual. In the 2001 census, there were 5107 people in England & Wales with that surname. Silvanius, however, is certainly an unusual forename. I can only find two people on the 1901 census with that forename, although there were 6 back in 1881. Sadly, none of them has the surname Symons. I suspect, as you say, that it had been abbreviated. The name Silvanius doesn't show up on the list of Forenames used in the 2001 census, a list which only records entries used by 5 or more people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Nulty Posted 14 September , 2005 Share Posted 14 September , 2005 James After a quick check, I have found your man in the 1901 census. His forename has been incorrectly transcribed as "Silvann", but on examining the image, if you know his name you san see that it reads "Silvanius". He is 18 years old as living at 6, Dyers Court, St Mary Aldermanbury in the City of London and is shown to have been born in East London. The address seems to be some kind of lodging, as there are 10 people there, none of whom are related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 14 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 14 September , 2005 Hi James and Stephen, Really interesting information. this is all a fascinating subject. Thanks ! James, I initially bought the medals because he is buried on the Somme [ I go there every year ] and also because his name was unusual and researchable ! I like to collect and research. I tell my wife they are a good investment , but she doesn't know I would never sell them ! Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priv Posted 15 September , 2005 Share Posted 15 September , 2005 Stephen, Thank you VERY much for the Census info - a Silas and Silvanius Symons both in the HAC - one would have thought there may be some connection, only research when I get around to it will see - Thank you very much again. Tim, FYI a snippet from Goold Walker's HAC in the Great War that you may find of interest - sadly my scanner is kaput at present: "On the 30th the Battalion moved forward and occupied advance positions. There were no casualties during this move, despite shelling and rifle fire, and platoons moved at intervals of 100 yards. There were a series of posts to be held, of which "A" Company held the four right also the right of Suvla Trench, while "C" Company held the five left and also the left of Suvla. These positions required about half of each company and the remaining half were quartered in the Quarry dug-outs. "D" Company were given the Beaucrot Trench and three posts, and "B" Company were in reserve in the old German second line dug-outs. The whole line of forward posts was undoubtedly most unsatisfactory , and, at 6.10 a.m. on the 31st, a wounded man reported to the sentry outside Battalion HQ that the enemy had attacked and taken No. 3 Post, where he himself had been hit; he did not know what other posts had been taken. The S.O.S. signal was immediately sent by the liaison officer and our artillery put up a barrage. At this time the enemy was shelling SuvlaTrench, Battalion HQ, Beaucourt Road and the Quarries, and all telephone lines with the front were cut. The support company ("D") were in readiness to be advanced if necessary, and the Company Commander and Second-in-Command went forward to the Quarries to arrange for a counter attack, but they were unable to get any news of the attack or raid either from Suvla or the Quarries. At 6.50 the S.O.S. was cancelled, and Capt Spicer and 2nd Lieut Thorpe managed to reach the raided post, where one Lewis gunner was found stunned and lying on the body of a dead German, whom he had cut in half with his fire. Nine men were found to be missing. There is no doubt that the steadiness of the men in No 4 Post saved the Battalion from a bad experience, as the enemy were in great force and the position an extremeley hard one on men who were in the trenches for the first time. On February 1st the Drakes arrive to relieve us and the Battalion marched back to Forceville, a most trying march for troops already exhausted by exposure. For three miles the road was one sheet of ice. " James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 16 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 September , 2005 Hi James, Thank you very much for your time and trouble to type all that information for me, it is very much appreciated. It certainly makes it real when you hear the exact action he was involved in and then lost his life !! Thanks again. Very Best Wishes Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
priv Posted 16 September , 2005 Share Posted 16 September , 2005 Tim, No problem whatsoever. It shoudl certainly put a different slant on your next visit. All the best James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOMMESOLDIER Posted 18 September , 2005 Author Share Posted 18 September , 2005 Hi James, It certainly will. I'm hoping to visit his grave in the next couple of months !! Cheers Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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