Percy Raymond Ireland was born at Handcross, Sussex about 1st April 1880, the oldest of six children. He appears on the 1881 census as a one year old living with his parents Raymond Ireland (aged 29) and Emma
Amelia W Ireland (nee Blackwell, aged 25) at Handcross. Raymond Ireland is noted
as a grocer and draper’s assistant.
I could find
no trace of Raymond or Emma on the 1891 census but their son appears living in a grocer’s and draper’s shop run
by his aunt in Handcross. She is listed as Ann Ireland (aged 50) and living with
her (apart from eleven year old Percy who is noted as a scholar) were her children : Harry H (aged 26, a grocer’s assistant),
Florence A (aged 20, a housekeeper), Kate E Ireland (aged 18, a dress maker) and Bertha (aged 13, a scholar). There were also two live-in grocer’s assistants: William
E Potter (aged 22) and Owen Wheatley (aged 20).
It seems certain that by the time the 1901 census was taken, both Percy’s parents had died. Raymond Ireland died
of pneumonia on 26th May 1899 at Great Bookham and on the 1901 census, his sister Ethel (born in 1886 and living in Nuneaton, Warwickshre) is recorded as an orphan.
By this time, Percy had moved again, this time to Eden Villa in the Parish of Laughton, East Sussex where he is noted as a 21 year old servant to Charles Hyland, a 45 year
old grocer and draper.
Percy married Karen Neale at Fletching, Sussex on 11th March 1907 and the couple had two children: Percy
James, born on 31st May 1908 and William, born on 7th November 1910. By the time the First World War
started, Percy was working as a grocer and on his short service attestation form which he completed at Eastbourne for the Royal Susex Regiment on10th Novermber 1915,
he declared that he was 35 years and 222 days old and living at South View, North Common, Chailey. He was five feet seven and a half inches tall.
He was given the number G/8195 and posted to the 10th battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment (15th
November 1915). He remained with this battalion until 3rd June 1916 when he was posted to the 8th battalion.
Percy sailed for France exactly two months later on 3rd August 1916 and he hadn’t been there long before he was
wounded in action. On 23rd September 1916, he received a gunshot wound to his scalp (the fact
that he had been wounded, noted in the November 1916 issue of Chailey’s parish magazine). It does not appear that this wound necessitated any treatment in England as Percy’s surviving service record
details indicate that he was in France between 3rd August 1916 and 16th April 1918.
On 17th April 1918 however, he was admitted to Bradford War
Hospital (although whether this was as the result
of a wound or sickness is unclear). He was granted leave on 22nd June 1918 until 2nd
July 1918; his battalion now given as the 7th Royal Sussex Regiment and his address as Clock House, Fletching.
On 7th October 1918 a daughter, Freda Mary Ireland, was born at Uckfield (which would indicate either that Percy had visited England prior to April 1918 or that his wife
had visited him in France).
On 18th October that year he was confined to barracks for three days for having a dirty rifle on parade and one week
later, received a further five days confined to barracks for having a dirty belt on the Commanding Officer’s Inspection
Parade.
On 22nd May 1919,
Percy was posted to the Royal Sussex Regiment depot and demobbed on 12th January 1920.
He was designated as medical category B2 and indicated on his protection certificate that he was still living at Clock
House, Fletching. In April 1926, his wife joined the women's section of the British Legion, Fletching branch.
Percy’s brothers and sisters were: Mabel A Ireland (born 1882 at Slaugham), Newton Ireland (born 1884 at Epsom), Ethel Ireland (born
1886), Harry Ernest Ireland (born 1887 at Great Bookham) and Herbert Traiton Ireland (born 1889 at Epsom).
To view Percy Ireland's service record on-line via the Ancestry site, enter his name in the boxes below:
Sources & Acknowledgements:
- 1881 census of England & Wales
- 1891 census of England & Wales
- 1901 census of England & Wales
- England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- Percy Raymond Ireland’s partial service record exists as a burnt
document at The National Archives in Kew, ref:
WO363/I78
- I am grateful to Mick Ireland and Debby Jarrett for providing me with
additional information about their relative, Percy Ireland, and his family.
- Thanks to Geoff Isted for information about the women's branch of the
British Legion in Fletching
