Davis, Francis Madresfield

DAVIS,

FRANCIS MANDRESFIELD

BORN 21 JULY 1880

DAVIS, Francis Madresfield

was born on 21 July 1880, son of William Henry Davis (b 1817 in Abingdon), of Twyford House, Shirehampton and his wife Frances (b 1843 in London).

In 1851 William Henry was a Corn Miller in Wokingham, Berkshire, married to Hannah (b 1815 in Harwell, Berkshire). They had five children. Newton (b 1843) and Lawrence (b 1845) were born in Sandford, Oxfordshire, while Clement (b 1847), Marian (b 1848) and Humphry (b1850) were born in Twyford, Berkshire.

Sometime later William Henry Davis (presumably widowed) married Frances and by 1881 he was a retired miller living in Wotton St Mary, Gloucestershire, with his wife, baby son Francis Madresfield Davis and six children: Lawrence (b 1845), Florence (b 1857), Bertha (b 1862), Clement (b 1873), Sunnie (b 1875) and Thurston (b 1876).

The 1891 census shows William, a retired flour miller, wife Frances and five children living at The Hermitage, Main Road, Shirehampton, Gloucestershire. The children were Francis Madresfield, Rayner, an Engineer Apprentice (b 1871), Edward Thurston (b 1886) and Leslie N (b 1884) and a daughter Sunnie (b 1875). In all Francis Madresfield had 12 siblings or half siblings.

Francis entered the School on 13 January 1891, aged 10. His older brother Edward Thurston, born on 28 November 1876, had previously joined the School on 18 September 1888, aged 11. Francis and Edward both left in July 1891 aged 10 and 14 respectively. They transferred to Stamford School in Lincolnshire where Francis stayed until 1895.

On leaving Stamford, Francis moved to South Africa and served as a Trooper in Imperial Light Horse Regiment, a colonial unit in the Boer War. He was wounded in 1899 at Elandslaagte. He married Alice McLaren in 1906. When war was declared in 1914 he gained a commission as Lieutenant and fought during the German South West Africa Campaign. He rose to the rank of Captain in the South African Infantry,

2nd Regiment, saw action during the Battle of Delville Wood and was mentioned in dispatches. During his service he was listed as wounded in both July 1916 and October 1916.

He met his death at the Third Battle of Ypres on 20 September 1917, aged 37, and is remembered with honour on the Ypres (Menin Gate) memorial, Addenda Panel 57.

Fifth Panel 28