William Mainwood - Chailey 1914-1918

Chailey Parish Magazine notes William Mainwood for the first time in a special list of attested men published in March and April 1916. In October 1916 he is recorded as Pte W Mainwood, 9th Royal Berkshire Regiment, England and in December 1918, the additional information that he has been wounded is included. This information is then repeated up to and including July 1919.

This is possibly the same William Mainwood whose medal information card at The National Archives gives the army number 27043. This card also gives a number for the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry – 33201. It is possible that he transferred to this regiment after being wounded although there is no mention of this in the parish magazine. The number, 27043 for the Royal Berks dates to June 1916; the Ox and Bucks number to Autumn 1917.

It seems plausible that Wiliam is the same William Mainwood who was born around 1893 in Fletching, Sussex. He was the youngest of three children born to William Mainwood (born in Fletching in 1844) and Harriet Mainwood (nee Stevenson, born in Chailey in 1854). He appears on the 1901 census living at Ivy Cottage, Fletching. The household comprised: William Mainwood, (head, aged 54, working as an agricultural labourer), his wife Harriet (aged 48) and their three children: Harriet (aged 12), Lily (aged ten) and William (aged eight).

If this is the same William Mainwood who appears in Reverend Jellicoe’s lists of local serving men then he was also related to Frank George Mainwood, both men sharing common great
grandparents.

Sources and Acknowledgements

1901 Census of England and Wales
The National Archives’ on-line medal information card index
Chailey Parish Magazine
I am grateful to David Mainwood for contacting me and providing details about William and Frank Mainwood as well as other general details about this particular branch of the Mainwood family tree.