John Henry Cornford was born in Plumpton, Sussex in 1889.  He appears on the 1891 census as a one year old infant, living at what looks like Gurrs Lane, Plumpton with his parents: Henry Cornford (a 24 year old carter) and Ellen M Cornford, aged 20.  Henry had been born at Wivelsfield, Ellen at Chailey.  Also at the family’s address on the day the census was taken in 1891 was a visitor: 35 year old baker Frederic C Stone from Somerset.

 

By the time the 1901 census was taken, the family had moved to Spenses Farm, Chailey.  The household now comprised Henry Cornford (head, married, aged 33, still working as a carter on a farm), his wife Ellen Maria Cornford (aged 29), four children and Henry’s parents.  The children were: John (aged 11), William Trayton Cornford (aged nine and known as Trayton), George Thomas Cornford (aged four and known as Tom) and an adopted son, Edward Mitchell, aged 11.  Henry’s parents are noted as John Cornford, aged 73 but still working as an agricultural labourer, and Caroline Cornford aged 70.

 

At some point prior to the First World War, the family moved away from Sussex and Trayton, Tom and their father had been working at Warfield Hall in Berkshire, home to General Brownlow between 1890 and his death in 1916.  Here they had helped train horses.  John though, had joined the regular army, enlisting as a gunner with the Royal Horse Artillery on 6th October 1910.  He was given the number 63120 and was in India the following year with V Battery.

 

According to his Medal Index Card, John arrived in France on 15th December 1914.  His rank was still gunner at this stage but later on he would be promoted to corporal and it is this latter rank which appears on his British War and Victory medals whilst “Gunner” is inscribed on his 1914-15 Star. 

 

John served throughout the war and by the time it had ended he was attached to the 137th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery.  In 1920 he was also given a new number - 1020822 - and had been appointed lance-sergeant.  He married in 1919 but tragically died at the Connaught Military Hospital in Farnborough in 1920.  He is buried under a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone at Deepcut Barracks, Surrey.  His son, born just two months before his father died, never knew his father.

 

Sources and Acknowledgements

• The National Archives: Medal Index Card
• 1891 Census for England and Wales
• 1901 Census for England and Wales
• John Cornford's nephew Stan Cornford with whom I have communicated over many weeks and who kindly sent me much information and privately printed family histories detailing the war service of John and his two brothers.