• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Roberts and Arscott family history

Four centuries of my ancestors in Devon

  • Home
  • About
  • Information
  • Newspapers
  • Latest
  • Contact

ON THIS DAY…September 16, 1916: William killed on Western Front

16 September 2023

On this day in 1916, William John Churchman (1887-1916) was killed in action on the Western Front. He was 29.

William was a private in the 6th Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.

He was initially reported as ‘missing’ in The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette on November 3, 1916.

His death was confirmed in the newspaper on May 18, 1917.

William, who previously served in the Somerset Light Infantry, is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

Paul Roberts

NOTES

William’s brother, Henry Thomas ‘Harry’ Churchman (1896-1916), also died in the Great War.

Born in Aldershot in 1897, William married Margaret Gigg (1894-1979) in the Honiton district in 1916. Margaret married again in 1918. And she was widowed a second time in her 20s just a year later when her husband, Frank Baker (1889-1919), died in Exeter in May 1919, aged 29. She had a son with Frank, Albert, who was just a few months old when his father died. Margaret married gardener Thomas Arthur Beech (1903-1992) in 1925. They lived at New Cottages, St Thomas for many years.

William’s brother, Henry Thomas ‘Harry’ Churchman married Edith Mary Snell (1896-1985) at St Michael’s Parish Church in West Hill, near Ottery St Mary on January 5, 1916. Edith was the daughter of Daniel James Snell (1862-1921) and Miriam Ellen Crooke (1860-1907). Daniel was the son of John Snell (1822-1865) and Sarah Pridham (1826-1898). John was the son of Robert Snell (1790-1854) and Ann Adams (1799-1824). Robert was the son of Sarah Roberts (1760-1837) and Robert Snell (1754-1838). Sarah was the daughter of William Roberts (1738-), my great-great-great-great-great grandfather.

Picture below

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing on which William is remembered. Picture taken by Chris Hartford of London on July 26, 2005 (source: Flickr. CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thiepval_Memorial_to_the_missing.jpg

 

Share this post:

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Rifleman Louis survived Great War after being shot in the head
  • Your family history – told in a unique newspaper
  • Unveiled: An extraordinary story that would have shocked the world
  • Boy who went to Australia served as field ambulanceman in WW2
  • Cook’s mate Ernest’s day of high drama in Battle of Jutland

Search

Data, Terms & Privacy Statement | Home | Contact Me

Copyright © 2025 · Roberts and Arscott family history
Website designed and hosted by Mid Wales Design

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Read MoreAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT