John Walter Kenward was born at
Mount Place, Chailey on 3rd October 1894, his birth registered at Lewes in the December quarter of that year.
He appears
on the 1901 census of England and Wales as a six year old living at Bevendean Cottage with his parents George Kenward (a 29
year old domestic gardener born at Chailey) and Adelade Kenward (aged 28, born at Wivelsfield). There are various spellings
of George's mother's name. On his birth certificate it is noted as Adelina Selina Isobel Kenward formerly Sweetman.
However her death certificate in 1945 records her first and middle names as Adelaide Selina Isobel as does the death certificate
of her husband George. A handwritten piece of family documentation gives her name as Adeliena
Chailey Parish Magazine first notes
John Kenward serving his King and Country in March 1915. In October 1915 it notes
Kenward, Private J, East Surrey, England and in December
updates this information with, Kenward, Pte J, MG, 3rd East Surrey, England. In April 1916 the parish magazine reports that he is in India
(still with the 3rd East Surrey Regiment although this is obviously incorrect) and in May 1916 that he is attached to the
1/5th Queen’s in India.
In June 1916 the parish magazine
notes that Private Kenward has been invalided but he nevertheless continues to appear in the parish magazine. By November 1916 he is reported to be in Mesopotamia and his name then appears continuously in the parish magazine up to and including July
1919 when the final roll call was published.
The 1/5th Queen’s (Royal
West Surrey Regiment) was a territorial battalion formed at Guildford on 4th August 1914.
On 29th October 1914 it sailed for India with the Home Counties Division
to which it had been allocated in August. It landed at Bombay on 2nd December 1914 where the Home Counties Division was broken up. On 7th December
1915 it arrived at Basra in the 34th Indian
Brigade and remained in Mesopotamia for the remainder of the war.
After the war ended, John appears
to have returned to Chailey. He was certainly living there in 1948 when his father, who had been working at Champfleurie,
Linlithgow (Scotland) as an estate gardener, died at the age of 77. John Kenward was the informant and gave
his address as Mount Place, North Common, Lewes, Sussex.
A G Kenward also appears in Chailey Parish Magazine but I am unsure at this point in time, whether this man is related to John Kenward.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- British Regiments 1914-18 by Brigadier E A James OBE TD (Samson Books, 1978)
- Patricia Dunn in Scotland for providing information about John Kenward and his family
