Edward
HORNSBY
1880 - 1917
Early Life
EDWARD HORNSBY was born in November 1880 at Broads Green, Great Waltham, one of seven children born to George and Sarah Hornsby (née Janes). He was baptised in the Parish Church in Great Waltham on the 2nd January 1881.
His parents were married on the 11th April 1867 in the Parish Church in Great Waltham, George was a Labourer.
George and Sarah had four daughters, Emily Mary, Agnes Maria, Gertrude Ellen and Mary Ann, before two sons, Herbert Henry and Edward.
Laura, their youngest daughter was born in December 1883. She later married Ernest Clark(e) who also died in World War 1.
In 1891 Edward was 10 years old and at School and in 1901, he was a Carter on a farm.
Edward and Annie’s only son, Leslie Edward Hornsby was born on the 18th May 1908 in Great Waltham.
On the 20th October 1906, at the age of 25 years, he married Annie Portway, aged 23 years, at the Parish Church in Great Waltham. There was no father named in the Register entry for her marriage. She was the daughter of a single mother called Alice but lived with her grandparents at Broads Green. (Her mother married William Johnson on the 27th December 1892 in the village church).
Military Life
Edward enlisted as a Reservist, Service No. R/258456 on the 26th January 1917 at Chelmsford in the 8th Squadron Army Service Corps Remounts. He had been suffering from influenza at the beginning of January, so his recruitment was delayed.
The ASC Remounts Service was responsible for the provisioning of horses and mules to all other army units. It was not a large part of the ASC, despite the huge numbers of animals produced, amounting in 1914 to only four Remount Squadrons that ran four Remount Depots (Woolwich, Dublin, Melton Mowbray and Arborfield). A Remount Squadron consisted of approximately 200 soldiers, who obtained and trained 500 horses. They were generally older, experienced soldiers. During the war, four main Remounts Depots were established.
Death and Memorial
Edward served at Swaythling, the Army’s largest remount depot in Southampton from the 25th January until the 18th March 1917, when he was taken ill and admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley with acute bronchitis. It was also noted that he had valvular disease of the heart on admission which masked the symptoms of bronchitis. He died suddenly at 7.15am on the 23rd March, aged 36 years.
Edward was returned to Great Waltham for burial on the 29th March.
Edward is also remembered on the War Memorial in Great Waltham.
UK ARMY REGISTERS OF SOLDIERS’ EFFECTS 1910-1920
Annie, his widow received £2.13s.1d for herself and Leslie on the 14th June 1917.