Fredrick Charles Henry Kitchener (1876 - abt. 1941)

Born 9 Aug 1876 in Islington, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of May (Dewbery) Kitchener — married 28 Jul 1906 in Tottenham, England

Descendants

Died about 23 Sep 1941 at about age 65 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Frederick Charles Henry Kitchener was born on August 9, 1877, in Islington, Middlesex, the child of Fredrick Thomas and Ellen A. He had two sons, two daughters, and one other child with May Dewbery between 1907 and 1925. He died in September 1941 in Surrey, at the age of 64. [ancestry.ca]

DOB sometimes appears as 1876

1881 UK Census, 27 Coleman Street, Islington, London, England: 4 years old, born Islington. father, Frederick T., 25, Waiter; mother, Ellen A, 25; sisters Eleanor, 2, and Ann A, <1 year

1891 Census, Arlington St., Islington, London: 14 years old, Printers Taker Off. Living with uncle, James R Nesbitt, 37, Photographers Assistant; aunt: Emily, 42; children: Henry G, 8, scholar; Margaret, 6, scholar; James R, 4; Annie, 2.

1901 Census: a Frederick Kitchener, 24 years old, Military Store Assistant, still with his aunt and uncle, now at 9 Tenterden Road, Tottenham. Henry, 18, now a Mechanical Engineers Apprentice; Margaret, 16; James R, 14; Annie not listed ^[1]

On 28 July 1906, Parish Church, Tottenham: married May Drewbery. He was living at 9 Kingmere Road, Tottenham, and was a Salesman.^[2]

1907: Frederick born, died 1909

17 Oct 1909: Leslie Cecil born

1910: Bertie born

1911 Census, 46 Sutherland Road, Tottenham: now 34, Hardware Salesman; married to May, 24 (b. 1887, London, Hoxton); one child: Leslie Cecil, 1 year, born Newington, Green. ^[3]

29 June 1916: daughter May born, Tottenham

[Lived at 134 the Avenue,]

Served with the 1/4 Northamptonshire Regiment in WWI, with EE Force, 19 Aug 1917 to 1 Feb 1919. Private, company WO 329, Regimental Number 39258.

[The 1/4 Battalion of the Northamptonshire was formed 4 Aug 1914 as part of the East Midlands Brigade of the East Anglia Division. It was first at Northampton, then moved to Bury St. Edmunds. In May 1915 it became part of the 162 Brigade, 54th Division, moving to St. Albans area. In July 01 1915 they embarked at Liverpool, and on to the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign, until it was evacuated 19 Dec 1915. It was then sent to Alexandria to defend the Suez Canal, and then on to the Palestine Campaign. 1917 saw the First, Second, and Third Battles of Gaza; the capture of that place, and the Battle of Jaffa.]

On his Attestation form there was a declared age of 40, occupation: Representative with Officer Outfitters; 5'4"; 117 lbs.; and a note he had upper and lower dentures, which would not be considered an issue. Address given was 134 The Advance, Bruce Grove, Tottenham. He was classed: A1.

1918: The fight at Ras el'Ain; operations at Berukin; Battle of Sharon

31 October 1918, the campaign ended in Beirut, Palestine.

Listed as Disabled, 2 Nov 1918

Two items on medical report: 1) fracture of left Lateral Malleolus [the boney projection on the outside of the ankle]; 2) Influenza. The former was noted as occurring off-duty. Note: union good, full movement in ankle, no displacement, walking very well, no pain in walking. [stamped 25 April 1919]

Left EEF 1 Feb 1919

6 March 1919, given a class Z and demobilized/discharged. No provision for an immediate pension. Downgraded to "T-1"

1919, awarded Victory Service Medal for service with 1/4 North'n Regt.^[4]

After war he purchased shop at 153 Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham. He was a tobacconist, confectionary and news agent. The family lived in rooms over the shop, a large corner building.

Listed in the 1922 Electoral Register for London: Tottenham, West Green Ward, confectioner,153 Mt Pleaseant Rd., marked with a 'J'. May Kitchener also there. (153 appears to have been shared with Florence Cooper (J), and Millard. ['ancestry]

11 Jan 1925, sister Edna Dorothy born, Tottenham.

[In November 1925 sold the business and moved to Torquay in Devon. Likely stayed there four months.], then moved to Brighton. He purchased another shop, 2 Prince Albert Street.]Moved back to London, early 1930. Lived with Will and Amy at 99 Langham Rd, Woodgreen, for a few weeks until he purchased a new store at 7 Green Lanes, Newington Green.

1926 Middlesex City Directory: Kitchener, Frederick C, Confectioner, 153 Mount Pleasant Road ^[5]

[Moved back to London, early 1930. Lived with Will and Amy at 99 Langham Rd, Woodgreen, for a few weeks until he purchased a new store at 7 Green Lanes, Newington Green.]

1937 Electoral Register, West Division, Willesden, England: Roundwood Ward, 139 Forrtunegate Road. Kitcheners: Alice Mary Rw Dw; Edna Rw --; Frederick Henry R O; Robert James NM - . Also at 139: Welch family: Alice Dorothy, Richard^[6]

1939 Register, 257 Victoria Av, Uxbridge, Middlesex: gave DOB of 09/08/76, occ. "incapacitated"; wife, Mary b 3 Apr 1886, also incapacitated

Death: 23 Sept 1940, Hillingdon, Middlesex, England.^[7][8]

Sep 1940, died Uxbridge, Middlesex [Civil Reg'n Death Index]

Recollections

Mae (Kitchener) Withers' memories, 1998:

“I know very little about my father’s family. Maybe because his parents died before my mother and father were married.... My father had a brother Ernest who was killed during the war. His wife Polly had a son shortly after his death, Ernie, who was about the same age as me.

"They had five children: Frederick (Sonny) who died of meningitis in infancy and was born probably in April 1007; Leslie Cecil who was born October 17, 1909: Bertie (Albert or Herbert?), who also died of meningitis in infancy. [Possibly at same time during an epidemic?] May (me-Maisie) born June 29, 1916; Edna Dorothy born January 11, 1925. as a point of interest - Ellen's daughter, Winnie, and May's son, Sonnie, were born on the same day andher next daughter, Kass, and I were born within a few hours of each other."

Served WWI in Egypt. Maisie recalls being afraid when he returned home, thinking he had wooden legs.

Lived at 134 the Avenue, then after war he purchased shop at 153 Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham. He was a tobacconist, confectionary and news agent. The family lived in rooms over the shop, a large corner building. Maisie adored him, in part because he spoiled his children. Interesting and funny. Later business suffered, and it was mother who worked to support family. He often suffered from asthma attacks. In November 1925 sold the business and moved to Torquay in Devon. Likely stayed there four months, then moved to Brighton. He purchased another shop, 2 Prince Albert Street (likely a few weeks, although it seemed longer). Moved back to London, early 1930. Lived with Will and Amy at 99 Langham Rd, Woodgreen, for a few weeks until he purchased a new store at 7 Green Lanes, Newington Green.

“We lived in rooms behind and over the shop. It was a very large corner building. My brother, who was nearly seven years older than me, and I had the whole top floor to play in. I guess my mother used to help run the business because I know we had three house servants. There was a maid, who used to do light housework and dishes, etc. She also waited on the table and various other things. Another woman did the heavy cleaning and laundry. Then there was always a nurse girl to look after us children, first my brother and me and then later the new baby, Edna. By this time my brother was sixteen and in high school. I think my mother did the cooking with the maid's help. I just know that I never had to do anything."

"As I said we were comparatively wealthy and I know I had beautiful clothes. My best dresses were embroidered, white voile, imported from France. As I was a plain, hefty child, very athletic and a real tomboy, this seems rather ludicrous, but I swear it was true. Sometimes on a Friday, when I came home from school for lunch, my father used to decide to go to Brighton for the weekend and take me with him. He spoilt me outrageously on these weekends, fed me all the things I loved, like strawberries and cream and chocolate and take me on roller-coaster rides, which I had a passion for when I was young. I adored my father who was interesting and funny. My mother, I thought was mean and nagging, always making me do things I didn't want to do. Later, I realized that she was really the good one. After we lost or money, she was the one who worked and kept us all comfortable, well fed and clothed, but when you are young, of course you don't think about things like that. I thought then that she would rather be cleaning and washing than go out and enjoy herself with us. Come to think of it, she probably had to stay home and run the business while dad and I were having a wonderful weekend in Brighton." .... “In November, 1925, when Edna was 10 months old, my father, who had always suffered from asthma attacks, sold his business and the family moved to Torquay in Devon. I think that we were there for about four months, just one winter and then we moved to Brighton in Sussex. He never did buy a business in Torquay and we lived on capital all that time. I have only vague memories of Torquay. I remember Christmas there, it was so quiet with just our family, no grandparents or aunts, uncles or cousins. My brother came down for the holiday. He was taking an apprenticeship in a lawyer’s office in London and didn’t come to Torquay with us when we moved. Also Rudolph Valentino and Queen Alexandera (Edward VII’s wife) both died while we were there. I went to a small church school there, but was rather a special problem because they didn’t have a class advanced enough for me. They let me sit for a special exam to give me an early entrance to High School. We went to High School when we were eleven, and I was only nine at that time. I passed the exam alright, but we moved before the new term started and when we got to Brighton I went to ordinary Elementary School.”

“I don’t know how long we were in Brighton before he brought another shop, 2 Prince Albert Street. It seems a long time but it was probably only a few weeks. We were quite prosperous at first but when the depression came in the late 20s times got very bad and my hard working mother turned her beautiful home into a boarding house. Brighton was a year round tourist area and as we were only a short block to the seafront we had lots of boarders. I remember that in the summer, when the house was full, I was sent to the country somewhere, taking Edna, still then a very young child, with me. I never thought about why at the time but now I realize that our rooms were needed for boarders and I’m sure my mother had no time to look after us ad of course we had no help then. During one of these visits to the country, I remember wearing a mauve summer coat. Mauve was the traditional mourning colour for very young children, so I am pretty certain that was when my grandfather (Drewbery) died, most likely 1929.” .... We moved back to London early in 1930. We lived with my grandmother (Dewbery) and Uncle Will and Aunt Amy at 999 Langham Road, Woodgreen, just for a few weeks until Easter when my father bought a shop at 7 Green Lanes, Newington Green. Kath and Daisy Withers both worked in the shop, for the previous owner, and that is how I met the Withers. The first member of the family that I met was Peg, who was nearly seven and had just been a bridesmaid at Daisy’s wedding. Edna was five and the two of them became fast friends. I think we must have lived in Wood Green at first because I remember that the apartment behind the store had no furniture at all. I guess ours was in storage.”

The shop was in a row of shops, what we would call a ``strip mall`` now but in England it was called a ``Parade`` for some reason. Over the shops were apartments, three floors over each shop. There were also small apartments behind the shops. There was a garden running right along the back. These apartments were called `Newington Green Mansions`, (mansions they were not). I guess at one time they may have been quite good class. People used to tell about the beautiful gardens, with peacocks, no less.

We lived in very cramped quarters behind the shop for a short time and then we moved into a house right opposite the shop and next door to the Withers. I loved the Withers family, there were so many of them, it was like a party all the time.” “Mr. Withers (Robert George) died in 1932 and for some reason Peg and I exchanged places…. My brother was seven years older than me and Edna was 8 ½ years younger. I did spend quite a lot of time with Peg and Edna though. I took them to the show almost every week, sometimes standing at the back with Edna in my arms and Peg on my back, when it was crowded and standing room only. Also, I used to take them to dancing lessons and make all the clothes for the dancing classes.” “I think we lived next door to the Withers for about two years and then my parents managed to get an apartment over our shop…..”

My father was a very clever man, although I don’t think he had much education. He was manager of the Military Equipment Company which supplied uniforms, equipment, etc., to high ranking Army and Navy officers. He often talked of Winston Churchill, Lawrence of Arabia and Lord Kitchener (no relation). He told us he outfitted the South Pole expedition while he worked there.

Anyhow, jobs were very hard to get then and my father pulled a few strings and got me a job at the Army & Navy Store....

c. Nov. 1936, sold shop and moved to Godalming, Surrey. Her became a manager of the Military Equipment Co., supply uniforms, etc. to high ranking officers. (Got to know Churchill, L of Arabia, Lord Kitchener, and outfitted a South Pole expedition.) Pulling strings (when jobs were tight) he landed Maisy a job at the Army & Navy Store..

(Daughter Mae, married Leslie Withers, in a Registry Office on a Thursday afternoon, March 25, 1937.) My mother turned up at the last minute, although she was very annoyed with me for getting married. She must have been annoyed with my father too (he was home minding the shop, of course), because I wrote down for his occupation, that he was a tobacconist. My mother said, “Don’t call him a tobacconist, that’s the lowest form of life” and added “assistant”. So although he had owned his own business for 20 years, he’s down on the Marriage Certificate as a tobacconist’s assistant....

[During the war.] Next my parents and Edna came and we found them an apartment at 22 Victoria Avenue [Uxbridge], very close to us. Then Mum Withers, Norman, Kath and Peg came and rented at 30 Victoria Avenue. Very soon, Mom Withers had half the family living with her. The wives anyway, the men were all in the army. Norman, by the way, got a job at Express Dairy with Les until he went into the army.

Sources

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/family/L2KB-R4M
• https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/157318293/person/312067236501/facts - LindaWright5566
• https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/101813055/person/310011754584/hints
• https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/101813055/person/310011754584/facts - rje
• Recollections of May (Kitchener) Withers
• 1881 British Census: RG11 0265/111, p. 65
• E-mail from Linda (Withers) Wright (1st cousin), 16 Jan 2016

1. ↑ http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbc%2f1881%2f0001312147
2. ↑ Marriage: 28 July 1906, #131, at the Parish Church, Tottenham, Middlesex : Fredrick Charles Henry Kitchener (bachelor, 29), Salesman, residing 9 Kingmere Road, son of Frederick Kitchener (deceased), Labourer) & My Dewbery, (Spinster, 20), no occ., residing 71 Church Road, daughter of Joseph George Dewbery, letter carrier; by Banns, [Denton?] Jones, presiding; witnesses: Mark Dalmer, -- Sparrow
3. ↑ http://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbc%2f1911%2frg14%2f07318%2f0287%2f1
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
5. ↑ Ancestry database
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2007.
8. ↑ Linda Wright (nee Withers), grandaughter

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