Selected Biographies

Belsham, Charles John – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 11.12.1884.[1]  Parents: Charles Belsham (Agricultural Labourer) and Selina Jane [née Ling] (Horsehair Trimmer).  Family Connections: Brother to Horace Bernard Belsham [b1886] and Harry Thomas Belsham [b1889].  Home: Station Road, Long Melford (1891 and 1901), Police Station, Grays, Essex (1911), 30 Macdonald Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex (1939).  Occupation: Coconut Mat Maker’s Labourer (1901), Police Constable (1911), Radio Watchman and Police Reserve (1939).  Married: Nellie Flood [d1926] in 1911 and Grace Strachen in 1953.  Service Record: Charles enlisted in 1904 as Private, later L/Cpl.8578 with 1^st Battalion, Cameronians [Scottish Rifles],[2] being posted to France from 15.8.1914 as part of 19^th Infantry Brigade, transferring as Acting L/Cpl.P/6100 to the Military Foot Police.[3]  Died: Runwell Hospital, Wickford, Essex on 8.4.1965.[4]

Belsham, George ‘Samuel’ – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1840.  Parents: Samuel Belcham [sic] of Long Melford (Agricultural Labourer) and Mary.  Family Connections: Father to George Samuel Belsham [b1879]; also, brother of John Henry Belsham [b1837] and uncle of Henry Charles Belsham [b1870].  Home: 5 Barnsley Street, Bethnal Green, London [1869], Military Barracks, Aldershot, Hampshire (1871), 14 Moody Street, Mile End, London [1887], 130 Devonshire Street, Mile End [1897].  Occupation: Compositor [1869], Soldier (1871).  Married: Mary Kathleen Soper in 1869.  Service Record: George enlisted in 1861 as a Pte.232 with 4^th King’s Own [Royal Lancaster] Regiment of Foot and posted to Kurachee [Karachi in modern day Pakistan] and the port of Aden in Yemen, receiving his discharge in 1878.[5]

Belsham, George Samuel – Born: Mile End, London in 1879.  Parents: George Samuel Belsham of Long Melford [see above for details] and Mary Kathleen [née Soper].  Family Connections: Nephew of John Henry Belsham [b1837] and cousin of Henry Charles Belsham [b1870].  Home: 130 Devonshire Street, Mile End, London [1897], 6 Garden Villas, Woodville Road, Islington, London (1911), emigrated to Canada circa 1919.  Occupation: Baker (1911).  Married: Kate Amelia Smith in 1901.  Service Record: George enlisted in 1897 as Dvr.19910 with 43^rd Field Battery, Royal Artillery.  He was posted to South Africa, seeing action in the 2^nd Anglo-Boer War, being discharged prematurely in1901 as ‘medically unfit’.[6]  It is not known if he served in the First World War as no definitive record has been found.  Died: British Colombia, Canada on 24.4.1973.

Belsham, Henry ‘Charles’ – Born: Portsmouth, Hampshire in 1870.  Parents: John Belsham of Long Melford (Soldier) [see above for military details] and Mary Ann [née Mungeam].  Family Connections: Nephew of George Samuel Belsham [b1840] and cousin of George Samuel Belsham [b1879].  Home: Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth, Hampshire (1871), recorded as Charles Belsham living in Military Barracks, Halifax, Yorkshire (1881), 20 Atwell Street, Peckham, London (1911) to [1931].  Occupation: Labourer [1888], Postal Porter (1911).  Married: Mary Ann Prebble in 1906.  Service Record: Henry enlisted under the name Charles Belsham in 1888 as Pte.2335 with 97^th [The Earl of Ulster’s] Regiment of Foot, deserting in May 1889.  He may have served in the First World War under the alias George Charles Burton, if so, he was a soldier at the outbreak of war, being posted to France on 22.8.1914 as Gnr.35392 with 58^th Battery, 35^th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.[7]  Died: Peckham, London on 9.1.1931.[8]

Belsham, Harry Thomas – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk on 17.10.1889.[9]  Parents: Charles Belsham (Agricultural Labourer) and Selina Jane [née Ling] (Horsehair Trimmer).  Family Connections: Brother to Charles John Belsham [b1884] and Horace Bernard Belsham [b1887].  Home: Station Road, Long Melford (1891 to 1911), 73 Sperling Road, Tottenham, Middlesex [1913], 108 Town Road, Edmonton, Middlesex [1917], 58 Barbot Street, Edmonton [1925] to (1939).[10]  Occupation: Agricultural Labourer (1911), Railway Porter [1913], Railway Signalman [1917] Passenger Guard for the London and North-eastern Railway (1939).  Married: Mabel Ettie Payne in 1913.  Service Record: No definitive military records found.  Died: Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey in 1973.

Belsham, Horace Bernard – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1887.  Parents: Charles Belsham (Agricultural Labourer) and Selina Jane [née Ling] (Horsehair Trimmer).  Family Connections: Brother to Charles John Belsham [b1884] and Harry Thomas Belsham [b1889].  Home: Station Road, Long Melford (1891 to 1911).  Occupation: Coconut Mat Maker’s Labourer (1901), Agricultural Labourer (1911).  Service Record: Before 1914 Horace served as Sgt.3/6560 in 2^nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, posted to France from 15.9.1914 and transferring to 1^st Suffolks as part of 84^th Brigade, 28^th Division.[11]  He was later transferred as Cpl.24748 to 1^st [Garrison] Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, then as A/Sgt.26973 to 2^nd [Garrison] Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.[12]  Died: Horace was killed in action on 8.7.1917 during the Mesopotamian Campaign and is buried in Basra War Cemetery [grave ref: IV.G.6], Iraq, and commemorated on the Long Melford War Memorial.[13]

Belsham, John Henry – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1837.  Parents: Samuel Belcham [sic] of Long Melford (Agricultural Labourer) and Mary.  Family Connections: Father to Henry Charles Belsham [b1870]; also, brother of George Samuel Belsham [b1840] and uncle of George Samuel Belsham [b1879].  Home: Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth, Hampshire (1871), Military Barracks, Halifax, Yorkshire (1881).  Occupation: Soldier (1871, 1881).  Married: Mary Ann Mungeam in 1870.  Service Record: George enlisted in 1854 as Pte.3417 with 82^nd Regiment of Foot [Prince of Wales’s Volunteers], seeing action at the Siege of Sebastopol in the summer of 1855 during the Crimean War.  In February 1857 his unit was sent to India taking part in the Relief of Cawnpore and reinforcing Lucknow until it too was relieved in November of 1857.  Belsham served for twenty-eight years rising to the rank of Colour Sergeant by the time of his demise in 1882.[14]  Died: Halifax, Yorkshire on 4.1.1882.

Notes – [1] Date of birth taken from Baptism Register 1.2.1885 of Holy Trinity, Long Melford and the 1939 Register for Southend-on-Sea District in Essex. [2] For details of 1^st Cameronian’s movements see War Diaries [WO 95/1366/1 and WO 95/2422/2]. [3] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [4] Date of death taken from the National Probate Calendar.  [5] Belsham’s unit was later retitled 1^st Battalion, King’s Own Royal Regiment.  [6] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363].  [7] For his military career before 1889 see [WO 25/542C 97th Regimental Register of Service].  Following his desertion Belsham may have changed his name to George Charles Burton; all entries after this date are based on this assumption. [8] For his possible date of death National Probate Calendar.  [9] Date of birth taken from the 1939 Register. [10] Electoral Register for Edmonton, Middlesex.  [11] For details of 1^st Suffolk’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/2277/3]. [12] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [13] Commonwealth War Graves Commission record. [14] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363].