Blencowe Francis D 1895

Francis Drake Blencowe [3538]

1881-1958

Father Nm: Francis Blencow [3584] born 04 Nov 1846 in Peckham, Camberwell D.Q.mother Coldman died on 16 Feb 1917 in 171 The Grove, Denmark Hill, Surrey. .

Mother Nm: Minnie Jane Drake 1858–1880. BIRTH 29 JUL 1858 • St Pancras, Middlesex, England. DEATH OCTOBER 1880 • Camberwell, London

Marriage Dt:

1. 14^th Nov. 1908 to Helena A. A. Skeat at Camberwell
2. Common law relationship with Lucy Ellen Draper

K Comments:Half brother Sydney Fenner Blencowe was killed in action: Cousins Francis Drake who served with County of London Regt. and Royal Army Medical Corps was wounded in WW1. Francis Drake was to lose his son Arthur in WW2. Cousins; Charles Edward Blencowe who he was travel companion in the early 1900s died in the war in Clytte Belgium in 1918; John Frederick Blencowe who served in the Merchant Fleet,   Arthur James Blencowe who served with the Royal Artillery; Thomas Horn Blencowe served with the Royal Engineers in East Africa

WW1: Half brother to Sidney Fenner who was KIA in 1917.  Cousins, Frederic John was a Captain 1st Mate in the Merchant Navy during the war.,  Thomas Horn Blencowe served with the Royal Engineers in East Africa, Charles Edward Blencowe was killed in action 1918, Arthur James Blencowe served with the Royal Artillery

WW2: Son Arthur Frank killed in in action on 24 April 1942 when serving with the 103 Squadron RAF on a bombing mission.

Spouse Comments:

1. Helena Amelia Alice Skeat [7867] born 17 July 1887-1975.
2. Lucy Ellen Draper born 1894 died 1972 Lewisham

Children: Arthur Frank 1909., Audrey Blencowe born 15.07.1925 Greenwich mother Draper , Joan Blencowe born 27.04.1923 Greenwich mother Draper no marriage for mother found. Died 2Q 1988 Bournemouth

(Research): GR[B] Camberwell Dec 1880 GR[M] Camberwell, Dec 1908 GR[D] Wandsworth vol 5d pp 762 Dec 1958.

1881 Census Oglander Road 1 Fern Villas Camberwell

1. Francis Blencowe 34 Widower Shopmans Hosier
2. Francis Drake Blencowe 4 months
3. Thomas Blencowe 77 Father
4. Ann Blencowe 65 Mother

1891 Census 3 Wyatt Road, West Ham, Essex

1. Francis Drake Blencowe (son of Minnie Jane)

Living with maternal grandparents, Thomas and Maria Drake, Father with new wife Elizabeth M Fenner and her son Sydney Fenner

1911 Census 128a Copleston Road Grove Vale, East Dulwich, London S E

1. Blencowe Francis Drake Head Clerk In Electrical Contractor’s Office 30
2. Blencowe Arthur Frank* Son 1
3. Blencowe Helena Amelia Alice Wife 23

1915 Occupation Clerk

	21st London Regt. (Surrey Rifles)	Royal Army Medical Corps

WW1

Blencowe Francis Drake, Private, 655822, 137829, 1/21^st Battalion London Regiment (Surrey Rifles), Royal Army Medical Corps.

The 21st Battalion, London Regiment, was a pre-war Territorial battalion in the 6th London Brigade, 2nd London Division, based on Camberwell. In 1915 the 6^th Brigade was renamed 142nd Brigade, the 47^th Division.

1915

• 7^th Dec. Attestation County of London Regt. ( First Surrey Rifles) 1/21st Battalion. Occupation: Clerk. Home until Aug 1917 on Reserve.

1917

• 22^nd Aug. Embarked for France.
• The Battle of Messines (7 – 13 June)

  

• 25^th Oct. Wounded in France (Gunshot wounds to right hip ). There appears to be no major action for the Bn. or the Brigade on this day, it is one day before the main attack of the Passchendaele battle but the Bn. are not mentioned as taking part in this action.

Note: Gun Shot Wound (GSW) used generally for flesh injuries including shell shrapnel wounds which in this case may be the most likely cause.

• 2^nd Nov. Taken to hospital in Rouen with a severe right hip wound.
• 6^th Nov. Invalided Home.
• 7^th Nov. Admitted to Metropolitan Hospital, Kingsland Rd. London.

1918

• 16^th Feb. Posted to London Regt. Reserves
• 1^st Mar. Transferred to RAMC and served with them until 26^th March 1919.

  

1919

• 26^th Mar. Sent home to address 105a Copleston Rd, E Dulwich SE
• 15 Sept. It’s clear that Francis was suffering with what was called Shell Shock in WW1. This note from wife Helena to Army and subsequent note to file show the diagnosis “fatigue derangement”

1919

• 22^nd Apr. Final discharge.

Medals

Awarded British and Victory these claimed in 1922

Francis was entitled to wear a wound stripe on his dress uniform

After the War

1921 Census

 

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship to head	Sex	Birth year	Age in years	Birth place	Occupation	Employer
Francis Drake	Blencowe	Head	Male	1881	40	Dulwich, Surrey, England	Electric Construction Engineers Clerk	Callenders Cable & Contractor Co Ltd
Helen Amelia Alice	Blencowe	Wife	Female	1887	33	Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England	Home Duties	–
Arthur Frank	Blencowe	Son	Male	1909	11	Dulwich, Surrey, England	–	–

Note: WW1 address is given as 105a Copleston Rd, E Dulwich SE 15

1921-1925 Electoral register at 105a Copleston Rd

In this period he was to have two daughters with Lucy Ellen Draper.

1926-1939 Electoral register at Montcalm Rd Greenwich

Francis either divorced or was to leave Helena and appears to have a relationship with Lucy Ellen Blencowe (Draper) 1894 who in 1939 census appears as Lucie E Blencowe born 4.9.1894 housekeeper unm. 43 living 53 Sandringham Drive Bexley

1958 Death at age 77

Wandsworth, London, Volume: 5d, Page: 762.

Further Reading

War Record of the 21st London Regiment (First Surrey Rifles) 1914-1919, Naval & Military Press (Author).

Gallery

Note: there are 13 service records for this man that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.