Lives of the First World War

Source information

ID: 4297370

Reference: WO372/19

Title: Medal Index Card

Description: Medal index cards were created by the Army Medal Office towards the end of the First World War. They record the medals that men and women who served in the First World War were entitled to claim.

UPP: GBM/MCI/4301474

Credit: © The National Archives

Source information

ID: 5486389

Reference: bmd_births

Title: England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription

Connected by: Melanie24

UPP: BMD/B/1896/2/AZ/000562/169

Additional: Edward was my grandmother's brother. This birth year is confirmed in the family bible.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 5486390

Reference: bmd_deaths

Title: England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 Transcription

Connected by: Melanie24

UPP: BMD/D/1969/4/AZ/001226/108

Additional: Edward was my grandmother's brother. The date of birth is confirmed in the family bible.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 5487085

Title: Edward Stratford

Description: Edward Stratford in uniform

Connected by: Melanie24

Source information

ID: 6169019

Reference: 1911gbc

Title: 1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

Connected by: Clive466

UPP: GBC/1911/RG14/01040/0537/5

Additional: The surname on the census return is Stratford but it has been wrongly transcribed for two family members as Strafford.Ted Stratford was my uncle and also on the census form is my mother Eleanor whose given name is also wrongly transcribed as Elenor.

Credit: © The National Archives

Source information

ID: 6169036

Reference: bmd_marriages

Title: England & Wales marriages 1837-2008 Transcription

Connected by: Clive466

UPP: BMD/M/1921/1/AZ/001085/007

Additional: Ted Stratford was my uncle and I knew his wife who was known as May. Her given name, single name and the date of the marriage has been confirmed from family papers by their grandson Christopher Stratford.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 6169254

Reference: bmd_deaths

Title: England & Wales deaths 1837-2007 Transcription

Connected by: Clive466

UPP: BMD/D/1972/4/AZ/001219/063

Additional: The given name and surname match. The date of death and other details have been confirmed by Ted Stratford's grandson Chris Stratford using family papers in his possession.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 6169268

Reference: bmd_births

Title: England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription

Connected by: Clive466

UPP: BMD/B/1923/1/AZ/001325/138

Additional: The surnames of Ted Stratford and the maiden name of his wife Emma Johnson match and so does the place. I know Edna Stratford who is my cousin, the birth year matches approximately her current age and I know she is the daughter of Ted Stratford.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 6169282

Reference: bmd_births

Title: England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription

Connected by: Clive466

UPP: BMD/B/1926/4/AZ/001168/044

Additional: The surname of Ted Stratford and his wife Emma Johnson match as does the place of birth. I know Ted Stratford who is my cousin and the date of birth matches approximately his current age. I also know he is the son of Ted Stratford.

Credit: © General Register Office

Source information

ID: 6653871

Title: Trawler 'Scouter' transport to Mersa Matruh

Description: The trawler 'Scouter' flying the White Ensign and Union Flag , used to transport troops along the North African coast in late 1915

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Ted Stratford kept a personal dairy in which he records that he travelled along the North African coast from Alexandria to Mersa Matruh on this trawler on 6th/7th December 1915 together with others of 2/7th Middlesex .

Source information

ID: 6653894

Title: Troopship 'Grantully Castle'

Description: The Union Castle Steamer 'Grantully Castle' shown shortly before war was declared , used as a troopship in the first 2 tears of the war , then converted to a hospital ship

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Ted Stratford's personal diary records that he travelled as part of the 2/7th Middlesex from Britain to Gibralter on 22nd July 1915 . The name of the ship appears in the book 'Diehards in the Great War ' E Wyrall published London 1926

Source information

ID: 7933236

Name: London Metropolitan Archives

Reference: Ancestry Website

Title: London Marriages and Banns 1754 - 1921

Description: Entry for marriage of Edward John Stratford to Emma May Johnson 27 Feb 1921

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Edward Stratford was my uncle , I knew him and his wife Emma ('May') and the address was the family home - 13 Ivy Terrace Hackney

Source information

ID: 7933330

Name: 5 Elizabeth Terrace Hackney London England

Reference: Findmypast Website

Title: 1901 England Wales and Scotland Census

Description: Entry for Stratford family (misspelt as Shatford) including Edward J Stratford

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: The names of all family members are consistent and it known that the family lived at 5 Elizabeth Terrace Harrington Hill at this time

Source information

ID: 7933665

Name: London Metropolitan Archives

Reference: Ancestry Website

Title: All London , England , Electoral Registers 1832 - 1965 Edward Stratford

Description: Entries for Edward John Stratford various dates between 1930 and 1939

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Edward married Emma May Johnson in 1921 , She was living at 86 Cricketfield Road Stoke Newington at the marriage date . Also living at that address was Edwards sister Martha Stratford . Electoral Register entries show them living at the same address until 1939

Source information

ID: 7942055

Name: London Metropolitan Archives

Reference: Ancestry Website

Title: London England Electoral Registers 1832 - 1965

Description: Entry for Edward John and Emma May Stratford

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Edward Stratford lived at 86 Cricketfield Road for nearly twenty years up to 1939 . In 1937 his sister Martha , who probably was the landlady of no 86 ,which was multi-occupied ,married and moved to no 82 Cricketfield Road . Guinness Trust were building several blocks of flats at Stamford Hill at the time and it is probable that 34 Kenton Road Homerton was a temporary home for Ted and Emma while waiting for Guinness Flats to become available . They were only at 34 Kenton Road for approx 1 year .

Source information

ID: 7942066

Name: London Metropolitan Archives

Reference: Ancestry website

Title: London , England Electoral Registers 1832 - 1965

Description: Multiple entries for Edward John Stratford during the period 1945 - 1963

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: The entries show Edward and Emma Stratford living at 119 Guinness Trust Buildings Stamford Hill N16 from 1945 to 1963 . Edward's son known as Teddy confirmed to me that they lived at the address during WW2 and it is probable that they were the first tenants of the address as the Buildings were available for occupation by 1939 . I visited Edward and Emma known as May many times as a child with my parents (my mother was Edward's sister ) and from my personal knowledge Edward lived at this address until his death in 1969

Source information

ID: 7942151

Name: 18th London Regiment sheet 309 London May 31 1921

Reference: Ancestry Website

Title: UK WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914 - 1902

Description: Entry for Actg Corporal Edward John Stratford

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: The names are an exact match and the soldier number for the Middlesex Regiment matches an entry in Ted Stratford's personal diary .

Source information

ID: 7942163

Name: 18th Battalion London Regiment Sheet 13 London 17 October 1919

Reference: Ancestry Website

Title: Uk WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls 1014 - 1920 for E J Stratford

Description: Entry for E J Stratford 7/Mddx Service number 4421

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: The name and initials are an exact match and so is the service number

Source information

ID: 7944723

Title: Cap badge of the London Rifle Brigade

Description: The 5th Battalion of the London Regiment were known as the London Rifle Brigade .This cap badge was known to have been worn by Edward Stratford and has been in his family's uninterrupted possession since 1918

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Edward Stratford's service record shows he served in the 5th London from July 1916 to Jan 1918 with a break between these two dates not covered by his service record , but probably while he was hospitalised and recovering from wounds

Source information

ID: 7945158

Title: Middlesex badge on felt backing

Description: The badge and felt backing as worn on a Middlesex pith helmet courtesy of someone who served in a regular Middlesex battalion in WW1

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: Edward Stratford was my uncle .Edward's son told me that the profile picture of his father was taken in a photographic studio in Port Said . The photo shows Edward with a pith helmet which was not from the Middlesex Regiment , it has no badge and the coloured backing is the wrong shape and colour . This picture shows the badge and coloured felt backing as it would have been worn . The probably explanation for the anomaly is that the pith helmet in the profile photo came from the photographers box of props - many commentators suggest this was a common practise at the time .

Source information

ID: 7945161

Title: Bullet or shrapnel

Description: Family oral history has it that Edward Stratford was wounded in the neck either by a GSW or shrapnel in France or Flanders . The spent bullet or shrapnel pictured was removed by the surgeon who treated him and has remained in the uninterrupted possession of his family .

Connected by: Clive466

Additional: The wound left Edward seriously deaf . As child I recall him wearing a large hearing aid , and during family gatherings when the gossip and chatter went on too long he would often turn the volume control down to zero and drift off to sleep .

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