Charles Leonard Harrup was born in 1885 in Chigwell. He was the third son of Alice Harrup. In 1901, Charles was working as a servant but he lived with his family at 5 Watkins Cottages, Snake Lane, Woodford. His mother, Alice, was a charwoman (house cleaner).
Charles married Ellen Louisa Judd in 1910 and they had two children. In 1911, the couple lived at 7 Hawksworth Terrace, Smeaton Road, Chigwell, and Charles was working as a domestic gardener.
Charles joined the 1st Battalion, Dorset Regiment, and was sent to France in the early weeks of the war. The Dorsets were involved in holding the line against a German advance during the Battle of La Bassée. The German attack petered out, but by the time they began withdrawing, the Dorsets had lost 22 men and 101 were reported wounded or missing as of 22nd October 1914. Charles Harrup was lost during these actions and has no known grave, but his name is recorded on the Le Touret Memorial in Richebourg.
Research by Adrian Lee and Redbridge Museum
Sources:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Ancestry.com