Harding, Lionel George

HARDING,

LIONEL GEORGE

BORN 16 JANUARY 1888

Lionel George Harding

was born on 16 January 1888, son of Frederick George Harding, a hat manufacturer (b 1853) and Sarah Ann Harding (b 1852). Lionel was the youngest of three children. Archibald Frank Frederick was born (b 22 September 1882), followed by Gwendoline Violet (b 1885). Parents and children were all born in Bristol.

Lionel entered form I of the School on 11 January 1898, aged 9, at which time the family lived at 14 Edgecumbe Road, Redland, Bristol. He left in June 1900, aged 12. His brother Archibald also joined the School, entering Upper Mercantile on 14 January 1892, aged 9. He left in April 1897, aged 14.

The 1901 census shows Archibald as a hat manufacturer, following in his father’s footsteps. Archibald was married on 16 July 1919 in Bishopston to Ruby Gertrude Lovell.

Lionel served as a Gunner in the Army, with the Royal Field Artillery, “D” Battery, 242nd Brigade.

He lost his life on 22 September 1917, aged 29. He is buried in the Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Belgium.

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HARDINGHAM,

FRANCIS GEORGE

BORN 11 JUNE 1890

Francis George Hardingham

was born in Marylebone, London, on 11 June 1890, second child of a solicitor Arthur Shortridge Hardingham (18511908 born in London) and Georgina Margaret Hardingham, (neé Walker, 1858-1928 born in Shepton Mallet, Somerset). Arthur and Georgina were married in 1881 in Hanover Square, Westminster, London. Francis had four siblings: Robert Cecil (b 1886 in London), Cyril Arthur (b 1891 in London), Vivian Charles (b 1893 in Coggeshall, Essex) and Margaret (b 1897 in Coggeshall, Essex).

The book ‘Leaving Home to Fight’ (1) by Liz Tomlinson and Jenny Weeks records the stories of the men listed on the various WWI War Memorials in Stoke Bishop. Francis is one of those men and by kind permission the summary below shows some of the details of Francis, his life and his war experience.

The father, Arthur, retired early and by 1901 the family had moved to 21 Westbury Road, Westbury on Trym, Bristol. Francis was initially educated at Braidlea School. The school was founded in 1899 by Evelyn H V Elliott and by 1901 was situated at 42 Downleaze. It moved to 16 Ivywell Road (now Well House) sometime in the early 1900s and later moved again to Goodeve Road.

Braidlea School recorded on a brass shield the name, rank and regiment of 18 of its past pupils that had served in WWI, including Francis. When the school closed in 1971 the Braidlea School Shield was given to the church of St Mary in Stoke Bishop, where it is now displayed.

Francis subsequently moved to Bristol Grammar School on 4 May 1904, joining form Shell A, at which time the family were living at 145 Westbury Road, Bristol. The School records show he was also present in 1905, however he is absent in 1906 and so it is likely that he left School during 1905, aged about 15. His father, a retired solicitor, died in 1908 and his mother moved the family back to London.

All four brothers fought in WWI. Francis emigrated to Canada where he settled in Toronto and worked as a mechanical engineer. His younger brother, Vivian, (1893-1973) was a civil engineer and joined him in 1913. Francis and Vivian enlisted in Toronto on the 22 December 1914. They were both in the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and left

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