Harry Chatfield was probably born around March 1891 as the census return for that year records him as “infant
Chatfield aged under one month”.
He was the second eldest son of Alfred and Mary Chatfield and at the time the 1901 census appears, was living with his
family at Newick. The household comprised Alfred Chatfield (aged 42, head of
the family, born at Fletching and working as a domestic gardener), his wife Mary (aged 42, born in Newick) and their six children:
Mabel Chatfield (aged 14, born Fletching), Emily Chatfield (aged 13, born Fletching), Harry (aged ten, born Uckfield), Frank
Chatfield (aged eight, born Fletching), John Chatfield (aged four) and Thomas Chatfield (aged two, born Newick).
There were other children as well. The 1891 census shows the family living
at Church Street, Uckfield.
Alfred Chatfield (aged eight, born at Fletching) and Alice Mary Chatfield (aged six, born at Fletching) had obviously
left the family home by the time the 1901 census was taken.
Chailey Parish
Magazine first notes Harry Chatfield in a military context in February 1917 when it reports that Private H Chatfield is serving
as a private with the 3rd Royal Sussex Regiment. It had however previously
reported his marriage, on 9th June 1915, to Maude Alice
Waterman.
In January 1918
the parish magazine notes that he is serving with the Machine Gun Corps and records his rank as gunner. In October 1918 it notes that he has been wounded and this information is then repeated up to and including
the final published roll call in July 1919.
The National Archives’
on-line medal information card index gives his service number with the MGC as 98183.
Three
of Harry Chatfield’s brothers – Frank, John and Thomas – also served their King and Country during the First World War.
Sources and
Acknowledgements
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- The National Archives’ on line medal information card index
