William Thomas Black

Rank 
Lieutenant
Regiment 
Essex Regiment
Date of death 
24 September 1917
Age of death 
38
Address 
St Ann's
Buckingham Road
South Woodford
Woodford
E18 2NJ
Address source 
1911 Census
Cemetery / Memorial 
Belgium
Biography 

Born in 1879 at West Derby Liverpool, the son of George Ralph (Chemical Brokers Clerk) and Charlotte Black.

1891: Living with his family at Munton Villa Buckhurst Hill. 1901: A Clerk to a Chemical Manufacturer, living with his family at 1 St John’s Terrace, Buckhurst Hill. His mother was now a widow. 1911: A Boot & Shoe Merchant’s Clerk with his mother and family “St Ann’s” in Buckingham Road, South Woodford. The family home subsequently moved to 9 The Terrace, Woodford Green where his sister Charlotte, and mother Charlotte died in 1920 and 1930 respectively. In all he had seven siblings, one of whom sadly died early.

An Old Bancroftian, former Head Boy and player of the violin, he joined up in 1915. A Christian man, he worked with the North East Branch of the Telegraph Boys Association, and the Boy Scouts for whom he was Commissioner for north east London. The Hackney Scouts Association erected a memorial in his memory in the YMCA Gym, 65 Stamford Hill on 14th October 1917.

Nominally with 4 Essex, he went to France on 3rd October 1916, but he was duly attached to a Royal Engineers Signal Section in support of artillery. He so attached when Killed in Action during 3rd Battle of Ypres.

X/R: Sub Lieutenant Leslie Gordon Black (Brother).

Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian

Principal Sources:

Ancestry.com

FindmyPast.co.uk

Woodford Times

The Bancroftian

For more information on this individual please see The Old Bancroftian website.