Humphrey was born on 6th September 1891, the son of Alfred and Bertha Bracey, of 30 Seymour Gardens, in Ilford. His brother, Reginald also attended Ilford County High School. His father, Alfred, was a builder’s foreman. Humphrey joined Ilford County High School from Grocer’s Company school in September 1905.
He worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland and is remembered on their RBS Remembers 1914-18 website (along with a photograph). He had volunteered for the army on 8th August 1914, leaving his job at the bank’s head office in Bartholomew Lane in London.
He joined the 21st Battalion of London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles) and died on 25th May 1915, aged 23. He is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial.
An obituary in the RBS staff magazine referred to his generous and jovial disposition and how he could lighten heavy work with his ‘ready wit and humour.’
Research by Andrew Emeny, History Teacher at ICHS
Sources:
Ancestry.com
ICHS school records and magazines
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The RBS Remembers website
Note
Ilford County High School started life as the Park Higher Grade School in 1901 in Balfour Road, Ilford. It was renamed Ilford County High School (or initially County High School, Ilford) in the years after the school’s management was transferred from Ilford School Board to Essex Education Committee in 1904.