Lives of the First World War

12th March 1892 - 15th March 1966

Frederick's brother Reginald is named on the Little Gaddesden Roll of Honour. His entry reads PURTON, Frederick, 1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regt. However, no records for a man of this name have been found in the Hertfordshire Regiment, so he cannot be assigned an independent life story and details of his life have been added to his brother Frederick's story. Reginald was born in Little Gaddesden on 12th March 1892, the third child of Elizabeth and Heber Purton. He entered Little Gaddesden School as an infant aged 3 on 22nd April 1895. He is shown, aged 9, at 5 Hudnall in 1901 with his parents and siblings Ellen, 13, Edwin, 11, Frederick, 6, Daisy, 3 and Lizzie, 8 months. On February 12th 1905, aged nearly 13, he left school from Standard 5 with a Labour Certificate. He is shown still living at 5 Hudnall in 1911, by then aged 19, a Bricklayer's labourer on the Ashridge Estate. In 1919, Reginald is on the Electoral Register with his parents at 5 Hudnall. On 16th July that year, Reginald, aged 27, married Kate Baker, aged 21, in Little Gaddesden Church. The address for both was Hudnall. Kate was born on 17th September 1897. At her marriage, her father's name was recorded as Charles. It may be coincidence, but the 1911 Census for Reginald's sister-in-law Ada, wife of his brother Edwin, shows a Kate Baker of the right age as a granddaughter in the household of Ada's parents Charles and Mary Ann. It has not been possible to find records for Kate with her parents but it is possible that Charles recorded as her father was, in fact, her grandfather. Electoral Registers from 1920 to 1930 show Reginald at 12 Little Gaddesden; from 1929, Kate is named too, being by then eligible to vote. Reginald and Kate had two sons: Gordon Frederick, born 30th September 1922 and Maurice J born 1925 (2nd Quarter). In 1939, they were living at 9 Council Cottages, Hudnall, now Chapel Close. Reginald was a jobbing gardener and "A.R.P. Demolition Party", Kate a part time laundry hand, probably at Jim Whitman's laundry in Hudnall Lane (site now occupied by housing in The Lye) and Gordon a Private Gardener. In "7th Hertfordshire Battalion Home Guard. A History of the Battalion 1940-44" Private Reginald Purton is listed as a member of B Company, 7th Hertfordshire Battalion, Home Guard. He was a member of No 5, Little Gaddesden, Platoon whose area included Ringshall, Little Gaddesden, Hudnall and Great Gaddesden. He is shown on a 1942 Home Guard photo in uniform and was still a member when the 7th Battalion was stood down on 3rd December 1944. By 1955, the family was living at 5 Chapel Close. That year Kate died, aged 57; she was buried in Little Gaddesden Old Churchyard on 7th July. There is no headstone. Reginald remained living at 5 Chapel Close until his death on 15th March 1966. His funeral service took place at Little Gaddesden Church and a note was added in the Burial Register by the rector: "Certified under the Burial Laws Amendment Act by B Holiday, Methodist Minister."

Created by: , Jane31029