Category: Remount Depot

July 30, 2024July 30, 2024

48 – Melton’s Rich History Commemorated in Week Long Pageant

Melton Mowbray has a rich and varied history that can be traced back hundreds of years. Archaeological remains from the Bronze Age (c.600BC), Roman (43-409AD), Anglo Saxon (500-650AD), and Viking/Danelaw (800-900AD) periods have all been found in the town and surrounding area.

There is lots of evidence of the Danes in the area as all along the Wreake Valley, the Danish suffix “-by” is common in the viilage names, e.g. in Asfordby, Dalby, Frisby, Hoby, Rearsby and Gaddesby.

However, the first documented evidence of Melton was in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as “Medeltun”. Medeltun or “Middletown” comes from it being a central township with a mother Church (St Mary’s) surrounded by 5 hamlets: Burton Lazars, Eye Kettleby, Sysonby, Welby & Freeby.

Another version of where Melton comes from is that it ortiginally was known as Milltown due to having a couple of watermills.

Whatever the correct origins of Melton are, I suppose we will never know, but over the years, the name “Medletun” or “Milltown” has morphed into what we know today as Melton.

The Mowbray part of the name comes from the Mowbray family who were granted the land after the Norman Conquest and became Lords of the Manor.

Another major part of the town’s rich history is the Melton Mowbray Town Estate which has been in existance since 1549 as a result of the dispute between King Henry VIII and Rome.

In 1549 in Melton, ther had been for almost two hundred years, a cell of the Priory of Lewes and it maintained a chantry house for the priests next door to St Mary’s Parish Church. This building was known as the Priory, but today we know it as the Anne of Cleves House. For more information about the Anne of Cleves house and one of it’s occupants, William Gonson who was a Vice Admiral in King Henry VIII’s Navy, see my blog Vice Admiral William Gonson.

These priests that stayed at the Priory, served the chantries of the parish church of two local gilds of Our Lady of Mary the Virgin and St. John Divine. They were abolished in the next decade and their properties confiscated by the Crown.

Just how some of the lands owned by these gilds passed into the hands of what we know today as the Town Estate and not the Crown has been lost into the mists of history. But what we do know is that on the 29th September 1549, the land formerly owned by the Gilds passed into the ownership of William Gyles and Michael Purefey, who in turn sold them onto Christopher Draper. Christopher Draper was a Meltonioan who in 1569 became Lord Mayor of London.

Draper subsequently sold the land to the Churchwardens and their accoiunts dated 23rd November 1549 record: “Paid by Nicholas Cowlishaw to Christopher Draper of London this xxi day of November ffor a parsell of land with appertennces lately called the cheippal hosue in Melton bought to the town of Melton use xxi1” (£21.) It is thought that the money for this purchase came from the sale of Church silver.

In turn, Nicholas Cowlishaw and Thomas Postern conveyed these lands by the enfeoffment of 20 townsmen. The trusts deeds state that the income from the lands were “annually and for ever to pay and contribute to the support of a schoolmaster to teach and instruct boys in grammar in Melton Mowbray.” This is the foundation deed of the Melton Mowbray Town Estate and is dated 30th November 1549.

As part of the Melton Mowbray Town Estate 400^th Anniversary Celebrations in 1949, during the Whit-week (6^th – 11^th June 1949), Melton Mowbray put on a huge birthday party known as the Melton Mowbray Whit Week Pageant celebrating the rich history of our wonderful historic market town.

Preparations for the event started months earlier with a public meeting being held in the Corn Exchange on Tuesday 22^nd February 1949 at 7:30pm.

Nearly 200 people attended the meeting, and they not only expressed their interest in a historical pageant to celebrate the Town Estates 400^th anniversary, but they also authorised the Town Wardens to spend £1,500 on the event.

Pageanat advert from the Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette adted 11 March 1949.

The pageant celebrations lasted a week as local businesses, townspeople, villages, schools and the whole community from across the Borough marked the occasion.

Thousands of visitors came to Melton to watch the celebrations that made an appearance in the national press who wrote about the anniversary and one of the first outside BBC broadcast crews came to Melton, filming for the Around and About programme. Naturally, this news caused great excitement amongst locals who were keen to make sure that the town looked good.

Rehearsals took place in fields, gardens, village halls and churches across the Borough in preparation for the opening day on 6^th June 1949. The pageant involved the whole community and cost £1,500 to put on.

The Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette published on the 27^th May 1949 published a small article about the recent Urban District Council meeting “Be Festive!” The chairman at Wednesday’s Urban Council meeting requested townspeople to make Melton look as festive as possible for the 400^th anniversary of the Town Estate during Whit week. Most people would have flags left from previous highdays and holidays, and he suggested they were looked out and hung out.

As this was only four years after the end of the second World War, and food rationing was still in existance, Mr Anthony Nutting MP informs the “Melton Times” that he has done his best by persuading Dr. Edith Summerskill, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Food under Clement Attlee’s Government, to grant an extra allowance of tea, sugar and margarine so that light refreshments may be provided on each night of the Pageant.

Among the activities were agricultural shows, sports events, art shows and exhibitions and special church services. But the main event was a huge pageant telling the history of Melton Mowbray from the Saxon times to the Victorian era.

Owing to previous engagements, the Duke of Edinburgh was unable to accept an invitation to perform one of the opening ceremonies on one of the 6 nights of Whit week. The Duke & Duchess of Rutland accepted as well as the Baroness Ravensdale.

The pageant took place in Egerton Park where there was a grandstand for 1,500 people along with plenty of standing room. There were 200 seats at 5s, 300 at 4s and 1,000 at 3s. Marquees were also erected providing refreshment facilities.

Played against a tall green black-cloth of trees – trees that could have shaded Danes and Saxons, one thousand years of Melton’s history swept by in glorious pageantry.

The huntsmen and hounds of the Belvoir, Cottesmore and Quorn hunts, which through the century and a half of their existence had made Melton the centre of the hunting world, were seen at Melton’s Whit week pageant taking part in the conclusion of the Midnight Steeplechase scene. A meet of the hounds will include the traditional ceremony of the stirrup cup.

Civic Service

The Town Estate’s 400^th anniversary celebrations opened on Whitsunday with a Civic Service in the Parish Church, at which the Bishop of Leicester preached. Prior to the service taking place, the past and present Town Wardens, the Feoffeees, the Executive Committee, the Member of Parliament, the Chairman and Members of the Urban and Rural District Councils, together with their principle Officers were received by the Vicar in the Colles Hall and escorted to the West door of the Church into their seats.

Part of the procession of the Guild of Our Lady in the Pageant

Before the service, a Chain of Office that was presented to the Town Estate by Mr. W. E. Katz, was handed by the Bishop of Leicester to Mr. R. W. Brownlow J.P., who placed it on the Senior Town Warden, Mr. R. Gates. The Chain consisted of a handsome, silver gilt ornament with a circular medallion carrying the town crest, a red lion rampant on a blue ground. It had an inscription around the medallion that read “Melton Mowbray Town Estate 1549-1949”. The medallion was on a guilt chain, supported by St. John of Jerusalem on one side and the Virgin Mary on the other, both of which recalled the two Melton guilds.

The service was conducted by the Rev. C. M. S. Clarke, M.M., M.A., Vicar, and the lesson was read by Mr. R. W. Bronlow, Senior Feoffee of the Town Estate.

Cricket Match and Exhibition

Whit Monday’s activities began in the morning with a cricket match between Egerton Park C.C. and Hawks C.C. (Yorkshire) on the ground adjoining the pageant arena. The match commenced at 11:30am, with a lunch break at 1:30-2:15pm and concluded when the stumps were drawn at 6:30pm.

The Hawks opened the innings with the President of the Yorkshire League, Mr Herbert Robinson opening with Mr Brian Sellers. Sellers played in 334 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1932 and 1948.

In the afternoon, Mrs. J. Burns Hartopp officially opened the exhibition of hunting pictures by John Ferneley, Sir Francis Grant and others and the exhibition of local photographs in Egerton Lodge. The original “Melton Hunt Breakfast” by Sir Frances Grant was loaned to the exhibition by the Duke of Rutland.

Among the many photographs and other artifacts on display, several stood out including local tradesman’s account books. Mr. E. Hayes, the fishmonger from the Market Place welcomed more donations from local tradesmen, but stipulated that they had top be at least 100 years old. Other documents included records from the Town Estate that were nearly 400 years old.

This exhibition remained open throughout the week and Mr. Guy Dixon, presided at the formal opening of it.

Before the pageant got underway, there was a display of folk dancing, singing, discus and javelin throwing by the residents of the Melton and Ashby Folville Polish Hostels.

On Monday, the pageant was opened by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, who were introduced by Mr. Gates.

On Tuesday evening, a demonstration by the Poles again preceded the pageant and was opened by the Bishop of Leicester and introduced by Mr. A. Bramley, J.P.

Toy Soldiers

On the park greens on Wednesday evening there was a bowls drive organised by Melton and District Bowling Association for which novices were encouraged to enter.

In the evening, the pageant was preceded by a display by the Melton Mowbray Toy Soldier’s Band and again by the Poles. The pageant was opened by Lady Newtown Butler, and introduced by Dr. J. M. Manson.

Thursday’s events were again preceded by the Toy Soldier’s and the Poles display, and it was opened by the Earl and Countess of Gainsborough, who were introduced by Mr. A. P. Marsh, O.B.E.

After the pageant on Friday, which was opened by the Baroness Ravensdale who was introduced by Mr. R. W. Brownlow, J.P., there was a pageant costume dance in the Corn Exchange.

On the final day, there was another cricket match on the adjoining ground, this time between Egerton Park and Oakham. Following the display by the Poles, the pageant was opened by Mis Burns Hartopp, County Officer of St John Ambulance Brigade whow as introduced by Mr. Frank Easom.

Polish Handicrafts

From Monday to Friday, in the Girl’s Modern School on Wilton Road, there was an exhibition of Polish handicrafts in embroidery, wood and leather.

There was nearly 500 actors in the pageant, some of whom took part in more than one episode.

Spokesman in the prologue and epilogue, the figure of Time, was portrayed by the Vicar, Rev. C. M. S. Clarke, M.M.

The Episodes

Leading characters in the episodes were:-

Episode I

Saxons: Mr. L. Carter, David Downing, Derek Green, Brian McNeil, Miss Marjorie Craig, Mr. T. A. Bodycote, Mr. Stanley Jones, Rosemary Burditt, Miss Joan Jenkins, Dick Whittington.

Danes: Don Moss, Jocelyn Dry, Peter Dunckley, Gordon Hart.

Episode I depicted the Saxon settlement at Melton. As the largers buried their chieftain, Cealwin, the Danes swept down and overcame the Settlement.

Saxons with shields and womenfolk walk onto the arena with the body of Caelwin for burial

The centuries go hand in hand in Meltons Pageant. These Victorian ladies and gentlemen were photographed at a rehearsal and were watching the arrival of the Danes.

Episode II

Scene I: Mr. J. Mead, Mr. G Seagel, Mr. A. Healey, Mr. T. W. Pacey, Mr. E. Heawood, Mr. A. C. Shepherd, Mr. E. White, Mr. C. Poage, Mr. J. Smith, Mr. C. Broxholme

The scene, in the year 1160, shows Roger Mowbray, played by Mr. J. Mead, recently returned from the Crusades, making a grant of land to the Knights Templars in Melton for a hospital for the town, and land at Burton for a lepers hospital.

Sir Roger de Mowbray granting land to Knights Templar, watched by Lords and Ladies

Scene II: Mr. M. J. Knights, Mr. M. Marsh, Mr. T. Gildove, Mr. G. Seagel, Mr. A. Stapleford, Mr. W. Hopkins, Mr. T . W. Pacey, Mr. A. Healey, Mr. C. Page.

In the courtyard of Melton Castle in 1194 A.D. Prince John’s partisans took William Mowbray as their prisoner (Mowbray is played by Mr. Maxwell Knights). Richard Coeur de Lion arrived on horseback (the part was played by Mr. Michael Marsh) and rescued the Lord of the Manor of Melton.

16^th Century Grammar School Boys

Episode III

Mr. A. Bennett, Mr. J. R. Holton, Mr. A. Goddard, Mr. C. Foyster, Mr. M. Sweeney, Mr. A. Nudds, Mr. A. McDonnell, Mr. Plummer, Miss D. Buckley, Miss J. Toon, Mr. J. Griffin, Mr. R. Brown, Mr. P. Bolger.

A group of 16^th century Melton Grammar School boys were on the scene when the King’s Commissioners stopped processions of the Melton Guilds, led by priests and lay members carrying banners. The guilds were suppressed and it was suggested that their lands were to be purchased on behalf of the town with the income being used to support the school and be administered by a town estate.

“Lord Mayor” in Coach

Episode IV

Mr. Brander-Rimmer, Mr. Barksby, Mr. L. Routh, Mr. Clarke, Mr. C. A. Plumb, Mr. P. Cox, Mr. P. Maher, Mr. R. Sutton, Mr. D. Lark, Mr. A. Bewley.

A colourful Elizabethan faire scene that included the arrival of a Meltonian, Alderman Sir Christopher Draper, Lord Mayor of London, in his coach. The part was played by Mr. Brander-Rimmer.

Sir Christopher Draper was the son John Draper & Agnes Gunston being born in Melton Mowbray circa 1511. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers and became their Master, being elected for the last time in Apr 1581. He was also the Sheriff of London in 1561 and the Mayor of London in 1566.

Taking part in the Elizabethan Faire must have been the youngest performer, two-and-a-half-year-old Christine Lowesby who skipped around happily with her mother, although she was wheeled home in her pushchair after the event.

Girls with their recorders accompanying country dancing at the Elizabethan Fair

Thirteen-year-old William Pycroft, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Pycroft of 7 Brookfield Street was to have taken part in the Elizabethan Faire as a “tumbler”, but disappointingly for him, before the event started, he fell from a tree in Egerton Park which prevented him from taking part as he was taken to Melton’s War Memorial hospital suffering from concussion as was admitted with a suspected fracture to the base of his skull.

Episode V

Mr. J. L. Smith, Capt. W. Richey, M.B.E., Private J. Rogers, Capt. W. Harris, Sgt D.H. Smith, Sgt G. R. Bennett, Capt. D. E. Harris, Sgt R. Smith, Pte F. H. A. Pocock and members of the Boy’s Brigade.

FHA Pocock, one of the many characters on horseback in the Melton Pageant

Two short scenes featuring Roundheads and Cavaliers took place culminated in a battle that took place at the top of Ankle Hill in 1645 and resulted in heavy casualties. The R.A.V.C. horses were seen in great advantage during the action.

Pie for Queen Victoria

Episode VI

Was mainly crowd scenes showing the cheese market. Queen Victoria was played by Mrs. Mayo, and the R.A.V.C. were responsible for the Midnight Steeplechase, after which Queen Victoria was presented with a Melton Pork Pie.

The steeplechase was held in honour of Lady Augusta Fane’s birthday and was won by Major Burnaby, with Count Zbrowski coming secoind after being thrown at the last fence. The riders from the R.A.V.C. would wear white nightshirts over their red coats.

Mr. H. L. Barnes, A.R.C.O. composed the music for the pageant and the Pageant Master, Mr. George Irving, wrote the words of the pageant song.

The Melton Town Band under direction of their bandmaster Cyril Walker took part and the choir, conducted by Mr. Barnes consisted of members of St Mary’s Parish Church Choir, Melton Choral Society, Melton Singers, Sage Cross Methodist Choir, Sherrard Street Methodist Choir, Baptists Chapel Choir, Asfordby and Hinckley Choral Societies and the Townswomen’s Guild.

In addition to the choir, there were over 450 costumed performers in the pageant including boys from the Grammar School, as well as tradesmen, solicitors, clerks, typists, accountants, farmers and a tax inspector. Horses and riders were provided by the R.A.V.C. and hounds from the Belvoir, Cottesmore & Quorn hunts.

It was reported that the number of visitors far exceeded expectations with holiday makers from Leicester, Nottingham and other towns flocked into Melton. A total of 13,301 visitors attended the pageant with 9,856 watching the agricultural show; 5,000 supporting the Polish exhibitions and 2,209 visiting the art exhibition.

But what did people remember of the celebrations?

Would it have been the enthusiastic Saxons building their pea stick fires, burying their chieftain and the battle with the helmeted Danes?

How about the minstrel’s song and King Richard’s visit or the messenger’s swift leap from his horse?

Could it have been the unspectacular but yet pleasant procession of the Melton Guilds?

Or what about the Elizabethan Faire which was most colourful of all the scenes played out with its small, agile tumblers, maypole dancing and playing boys?

Was it the youthful verve and vigour of the battle between the red-coated white collared Roundheads and romantic Cavaliers?

Or maybe the 19^th Century scene with its cheese fair, Queen Victoria’s visit and the acrobatics of nightgowned Midnight steeplechase riders, or the huntsman’s horn as the hounds nosed around the crowds while riders in red coats were handed a stirrup cup?

A reporter who “sampled” the comments of the audience found fairly general agreement that the Elizabethan fair, the mounted battle and the hounds with riders in hunting red were the most outstanding events of the pageant.

One woman said that when she saw the two opposing forces of horsemen beginning to gallop towards each other, she shut her eyes, afraid of the consequences – a tribute to the realism of the affray. One of the R.A.V.C. Roundhead riders in the Civil War scene was thrown from his horse as the two sides charged. He was not hurt but his horse received a ‘slight’ sprain to one of its legs.

Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette 17 June 1949

Following the appeal from the Urban District Council meeting for the town folk to be festive, townspeople and tradesmen hung out flags and bunting from their homes and businesses.

Shop keepers took part putting displays in their shop windows ranging from fish to old records and most shops dressed their windows with backgrounds of coloured crepe paper, bunting or flags.

A butcher’s shop had a fish tank in which tropical fish swam alongside aquatic plants. A plumber’s shop also adopted the idea of an aquarium for the central feature of its unusual display.

A firm of bootmakers displayed boots and shoes in different stages of manufacture as well as miniatures of shoes and hunting boots on display next to a 200-year-old leather bottle. On a 100-year-old shoemaker’s bench was perched a foot high model of a shoemaker wearing a blue apron and nodding as he hammered nails into the sole.

The display in a chemist’s shop included old professional books, one of which was printed in 1776. They also displayed samples of medicines made from foxgloves and a metal pestle and mortar that was 100 years old which together weighed more than a hundredweight.

One office window displayed a deed from 1668 that related to a property in Sherrard Street from the reign of King Charles II. In the window of a ladies’ wear shop was a gracefully gowned figure of a lady gowned in rose pink crepe paper trimmed with half d’oyleys for lace.

A B.B.C. reporter that went to the Monday pageant, after absorbing the background of the celebrations, saw the performance of the pageant at night. The result was an 800 word broadcast after the 6 O’clock Midland Regional News on Wednesday. It was a compact, mellifluous word picture of the pageant that was interesting to listen to and smooth with praise for those involved with the creation of the show.

October 3, 2020October 14, 2021

26 – The Death of a Melton WW1 ‘Ally Sloper’

The men of the Army Service Corps (ASC) were jokingly referred to as Ally Sloper’s Cavalry, after the scruffy, vulgar, gin-swilling loafer Victorian comic strip superstar famous for sloping off down the alley to avoid the rent collector. It was a good choice – the men in its ranks needed the same cheerful disregard for danger as they ducked and dived around the fighting soldiers,

Soldiers can not fight without food, equipment and ammunition and during the Great War, they could not move without horses or vehicles. It was the job of the ASC to provide them. In the Great War, the vast majority of the supply, maintaining a vast army on many fronts, was supplied from Britain. Using horsed and motor vehicles, railways and waterways, the ASC performed prodigious feats of logistics and were one of the great strengths of organisation by which the war was won.

A Remount Squadron consisted of approximately 200 soldiers, who obtained and trained 500 horses. The soldiers of the Remount Depots were generally older, experienced soldiers.

The Central Remount Depot was based at Aldershot with additional Remount Depots (No.1 at Dublin, No.2 at Woolwich, No.3 at Melton Mowbray and No.4 at Arborfield).

The acquisition of horses for the war effort was an enormous operation. In his book, The horse and the war, Sidney Galtrey states that 165,000 horses were ‘impressed’ by the Army in the first twelve days of the war alone. Records show that during the course of the war some 468,000 horses were purchased in the UK and a further 618,000 in North America.

This massive increase in numbers required a rapid expansion of the Remount Service. Four additional main Remount Depots were established at the following locations:– Shirehampton (for horses received at Avonmouth), Romsey (for Southampton), Ormskirk (for Liverpool) (depot situated at Lathom Park) and Swaythling (a collecting centre for horses trained at the other three centres for onward shipment overseas).

As you wander around Thorpe Road cemetery in Melton Mowbray, you will see the familiar gleaming white Portland stone grave markers/headstones. Standing proudly above the graves of military personnel, they mark the graves of those who had died whilst serving their country, some through enemy action but the majority through accidents. Some are in tended plots whilst others are scattered and isolated. This is no different to the other war graves throughout the UK.

One of the scattered war graves is that of an Ally Sloper – Strapper George Essex, Service Number TS/4251 of the Army Service Corps who died 10^th February 1915. The TS prefix to his service number means that George was specially enlisted for his trade: in other words, he came from civilian employment in a trade that was of direct value to work in the Horse Transport.

CWGC Headstone of TS/4251 Strapper George Essex ASC

A Strapper is the same rank as a Private and is essentially a groom working with horses. This is certainly no surprise seeing as there is an Army Remount depot in Melton.

There are, however, a couple of anomalies:

Firstly, the inscription on the headstone shows his unit as the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and the Regimental badge displayed on the headstone is also of the RASC. George died in 1915 and the Army Service Corps was not giving the Royal assent until 1919 by the King in recognition of its efforts during WW1.

Admittedly, the CWGC casualty record does display his unit correctly as the Army Service Corps (ASC). They are aware of this error and when the headstone is replaced, the correct Regimental crest will be engraved on the new stone.

Secondly, according to his casualty record on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, he was the husband of M.G. Essex of 13 New Street, Melton Mowbray. As a serving soldier from Melton that has died whilst serving their country, you would expect to find his name on the towns war memorial. Unfortunately, this is not the case, so why does George Essex not appear on any of Melton’s war memorials?

Let’s take a look at who George Essex was.

George was born 1878 to William Essex and his wife Fanny (nee Draper). He was baptised on 11^th August 1878 by Reverend William Colles. According to the 1881 census, William was a brick labourer and George was the middle child, with an elder sister, Esther, and a younger sister, Fanny.

In 1889, Georges mother Fanny died, and William later re-married in 1892 to Ellen Wooding.

By the time of the 1901 census, William had become and engine driver, George was a bricklayer labourer and there was now Elizabeth and William in the family.

At the time of the 1911 census, the Essex family were living at 4 Bentley Street. Georges’ father, William, had passed away, Ellen was the head of the household as a widow. George was listed as aged 32, single and his occupation was a Furnaceman (Labourer).

George married Mabel Grace Winters on the 21^st March 1914 at the Register Office. When they got married, Mabel already had an illegitimate child, Lillian May Winters. The family made their home in a small three bedroomed house, not far from the centre of town at No.5 Bentley Square, Melton Mowbray.

When the 1911 Census was taken, Mabel was residing at No 9 Wilton Terrace with her sister Violet Pearson, her husband Alfred Pearson and their daughter Zara.

Mabel’s daughter, Lillian May was born 11^th October 1911 and the birth certificate listed her address and occupation as 24 Scalford Road, Melton, a Doubler in a Spinning Mill. The birth certificate did not name the father, consequently it is unknown as to whether Lillian is the child of George.

As soon as war was declared, George started working as a civilian Groom at the Melton Remount Depot. He subsequently enlisted into the Army on the 5^th November 1914.

According to his attestation papers, he was aged 36 years and 158 days and his height was listed as 5ft 5in. His occupation was listed as Groom and his answer to Question 15, “Are you willing to be enlisted for General Service?” was “Yes Remount Depot Only”.

Shortly after enlisting, George was transferred from the Melton Depot and attached to the Romsey Depot to help train horses being received in Southampton following purchase in the USA.

George had been home on leave since Friday 5^th February 1915. Prior to that, he had been hospitalised for about a month with injuries to his leg following being kicked by a horse he was training.

The Essex’s neighbour, Mrs Mary Cox, husband of Charles Cox at No. 3 Bentley Square believed George had got home late on the evening of Friday the 5^th. She saw George on Saturday morning and she asked him how he was getting on. He told her “quite well” and how kind the people at Southampton and the other various depots were.

According to Mrs Cox, she said he seemed to be himself but she noticed a ‘sort of wildness’ in his eyes. She had also seen him on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and he still had a ‘glassy’ excited look in his eyes. She knew he had been in hospital for about a month with his leg and he had been to France and back since he came out of hospital.

Mrs Cox believed that George was going to be returning to camp on the Wednesday as his wife Mabel had got in some provisions that he usually took back with him.

On Tuesday evening, George and Mabel retired to bed at about ten o’clock. About half-past six the following morning, Mabel heard George get out of bed, and asked him where was going? He said was going downstairs for a “fag” and went and returned immediately.

The next moment George struck Mabel on the head with a hammer that he had brought upstairs with him. She struggled with her husband, and, though he succeeded striking her about the head three or four more times, twice on the stairs whilst she was endeavouring to escape, none of the blows were of sufficient force bring her down.

It was about twenty to seven when a Mr Carlton was walking home from his night shift at the Holwell Iron Works and saw Mabel stood on her front doorstep in her night clothes. Her hair was matted with blood and her nightclothes were covered in blood from the injuries sustained from the hammer blows.

Mr Carlton got the attention of the Cox family, next door at No.3 and Mary Cox asked Mabel “What the matter?” she replied, “Oh my baby, never mind me, my baby”. The Cox’s eldest son, pushed by her and went upstairs and grabbed the child, brought her downstairs and put herein her mother’s arms.

As the son went upstairs, Mary Cox saw George sat at the kitchen table. When she said to him “George what have you done?” she noticed a wound in his neck from which blood was flowing and as he tried to speak, he could not and only turned his eyes. George walked around the kitchen table and collapsed on the hearth rug in front of the fire.

When Superintendent Hinton of Melton Police spoke to Mary Cox, he asked “Have you heard of any previous quarrel between the man and his wife?” the response was “No Sir, They have come into my shop together and have always seemed a comfortable pair.

The questions continued: “Was he a steady man, as far as you know?” Mary Cox replied “Yes, he had been a teetotaller for months, in fact, years.”

“Do you think he was jealous of his wife?” Mary again replied “No, I don’t think so. There is always one or two mischief makers who try to upset things, but I don’t believe the man was naturally jealous. He always spoke respectfully of his wife. There might have been a little trouble some months ago, but it was only hearsay, as far as she was concerned, and she did not take any notice of that.”

Dr. J T Tibbles examined the body of George Essex. He found him lying on the hearth rug, lying prone on his face and his feet towards the window. The Doctor could feel no pulse and pronounced him dead. He had a large wound in the neck, from beneath the left angle of the jaw right across the front of the throat to a point below the right of the jaw.

The wound and consequent loss of blood was sufficient to account for death. From the nature and direction of the wound he had no doubt that it was self-inflicted. On a chest of drawers Dr Tibbles saw a razor, it was open, and covered with blood stains. The actual cause of death was syncope from the loss of blood.

At the inquest, George’s sister, Sarah Pick stated that about fortnight ago she received a letter from George, which Mrs. Essex saw, and which she afterwards ascertained she had destroyed.

George wrote asking her to keep an eye on his wife. On a previous occasion when he came home on leave, he had said to Mabel that he knew about her as the talk was all over town. Sarah told him she had heard things, but he must not take notice of what people said, as possibly they made more of it than there was. He replied, “Well, seeing is believing, and if I hear any more you will not see me again.” She then asked him if he meant to keep away, and he nodded his head.

He was certainly very troubled about his wife and was very fond of her, but he thought she was going on in a different way from what she ought, and it preyed on his mind.

The incident was reported in the local press, the Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News. It was also published in other newspapers around the country such as Manchester Evening News, Birmingham Mail, Nottingham Journal, Nottingham Evening Post, Leicester Daily Post, Leicester Chronicle, Coventry Standard and Grantham Journal.

The verdict of suicide could well explain why George is not listed on any of the towns war memorials. There was no strict rule as to who was included on the war memorial or excluded from it. The list of names to be added to the memorials was approved by local committees and quite often, those service personnel who committed suicide were excluded.

Back in 2013, Princess Anne unveiled a new War Horse permanent memorial to commemorate the thousands of horses shipped into battle during WWI have unveiled a bronze model of their statue. Click here for more info.

About 120,000 of the 1.3 million horses and mules involved in the conflict passed through a giant military depot just outside Romsey in Hampshire.

Not everyone that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorate was killed by enemy fire. Consequently, all serving military personnel who died during the First or Second World War, irrespective of the cause or circumstances of their death are commemorated with a headstone where the burial location is known, hence why George has one of the familiar war grave headstones on his grave.

It would appear that around the time that George enlisted into the Army, his wife Mabel had fallen pregnant. Mabel gave birth to a baby boy on 7^th July 1915. Tragically George and his new born son, Montague Kitchener George Essex never got to meet each other.

In August 1915, Mabel was informed by the Colonel IC Army Service Corps Records that in view of the circumstances of the death of her husband, a pension for herself and child can not be granted from Army Funds.

Following an appeal, the War Office confirmed that “it has been decided that the widow of No TS/4251 Strapper George Essex, Army Service Corps, may be regarded as eligible under the usual conditions for the grant of a pension from Army Funds”.

According to the pension record card, the amount awarded was 18/6 a week from 1th July 15. Following the successful appeal, the Army were instructed to pay the arrears as a lump sum and to make enquiries as to whether Mabel would like to invest the money into the War Savings scheme.

On 17^th July 1919, the War Office issued a list of service personnel who had died on Active Service (A/S) and whose next of kin were to be issued with the Memorial Plaque, commonly referred to as the ‘Death Penny’ and Commemorative Scroll, the list contained the details of TS/4251 Strapper George Essex.

However, the Colonel IC RASC Records at Woolwich queried this in a letter dated 20^th September 1919 asking the Secretary of the War Office as to whether the circumstances in which George died should debar the next-of-kin from receiving the plaque and scroll. On the 5^th October, the War Office subsequently approved the issue of the plaque and scroll.

After the death of George, his wife Mabel continued living in Melton and never remarried. She passed away in 1948.

Lilian May went on to Marry Kenneth Daley in Melton and passed away in Macclesfield in 2000.

Montague Kitchener George joined the Northamptonshire Regiment during WW2. He married Joyce Weston in Northampton in 1943. He was taken Prisoner of War in 1943 in Germany held in Stalag IVG camp. He survived the war, returned to Northampton and passed away in 1981.

According to George’s service records, the cause of death was recorded as “Suicide self-inflicted wound during a state of temporary insanity due to A/S”.

What was the cause of this temporary insanity? Was it jealousy of his wife, was she having an affair? Was it a result of the injury sustained from being kicked by the horse? Was it the stress of military life, seeing the result of military action resulting in death and destruction in France?

I suppose that we will never know the truth behind this tragic incident in what the press reported as “Soldier goes mad – Suicide follows attempted murder at Melton” or “Another Domestic Tragedy at Melton”.

Soldiers described the effects of trauma as “shell-shock” because they believed them to be caused by exposure to artillery bombardments. As early as 1915, army hospitals became inundated with soldiers requiring treatment for “wounded minds”, tremors, blurred vision and fits, taking the military establishment entirely by surprise. An army psychiatrist, Charles Myers, subsequently published observations in the Lancet, coining the term shell-shock. Approximately 80,000 British soldiers were treated for shell-shock over the course of the war. Despite its prevalence, experiencing shell-shock was often attributed to moral failings and weaknesses, with some soldiers even being accused of cowardice.

But the concept of shell-shock had its limitations. Despite coining the term, Charles Myers noted that shell-shock implied that one had to be directly exposed to combat, even though many suffering from the condition had been exposed to non-combat related trauma (such as the threat of injury and death) like George Essex. Cognitive and behavioural symptoms of trauma, such as nightmares, hyper-vigilance and avoiding triggering situations, were also overlooked compared to physical symptoms.

Luckily for the sufferers of what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it has been recognised that it is these cognitive and behavioural symptoms that define PTSD. The physical symptoms that defined shell-shock during WW1 were often consequences of the nonphysical symptoms.