Thomas Chatfield was the youngest son of Alfred and Mary Chatfield of Newick.
He appears on the 1901 census living with them and his brothers and sisters at The Rough in 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 Chatfield (aged ten, born Uckfield), Frank Chatfield (aged eight, born Fletching),
John (aged four) and Thomas (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. Harry Chatfield is
recorded as “infant Chatfield aged under one month”.
Soldiers Died in The Great War and The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s (CWGC) Debt of Honour register
note only one regiment that Thomas served with – The 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers.
Chailey Parish Magazine however, first notes him in December 1917 serving with the 25th Training Reserve Battalion
and then, the following month, reports that he is with the 3rd Royal Suffolks.
Soldiers Died tells us that he enlisted in Croydon and that his number with the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers was 52513. He was killed in action on Sunday 25th August 1918 aged 19 (a fact noted for the first
time in the parish magazine in November 1918).
Thomas Chatfield is buried in Houchin British
Cemetery in France; grave reference: II.A.23. CWGC additionally reports that he was the son of Alfred and Mary Chatfield of Alverstone House, Chailey, Sussex.
Thomas’ brothers Frank, Harry and John Chatfield also served their King and Country during the First World War. All three survived.
Sources and
Acknowledgements
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- Chailey Parish Magazine
- Soldiers Died in The Great War
- The Commonwealth War Graves’ Commission’s Debt of Honour
Register
