Lawrence Reddrop Lewis

Laurence (Redrop) Lewis.

Personal Details:

Born in Edmonton, Middlesex on 21st July 1881 (christened on 28th September 1881 in St Oswald’s Church, Malpas.)

Fifth son of the Joseph and Louisa Lewis of Crouch Hill House, Hornsey, Middlesex.

Brother of Percy Lewis, of Coventry House, South Place, Finsbury, London.

The 1911 Census records Laurence as a solicitor.

He applied on 18th November 1902 to be admitted into the Freedom of London in the Company of Saddlers. (after his Father.)

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Military Details:

Regiment:           11th Battalion, South Wales Borderers.

Rank:                 Captain.

Serial Number:   None allocated.

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Record of Death:

Killed in action in France on 11th July 1916 (Battle of the Somme). Aged 34.

Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Belgium. Pier & Face 4A France.

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Medals and Awards:

Laurence was awarded the Campaign Medals (1915 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal).

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Further information:

Laurence Lewis became an early victim of the Battle of the Somme in July 1916 when he was killed in action by high explosive shrapnel only minutes before his unit was due to be relieved.

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Laurence's father Joseph, had a country house and estates in the Malpas area (Ebnal at the time of Laurence's baptism, and The Beeches, Tilston Road, Malpas in 1887, prior to his own death in 1889.)

Joseph Lewis was a "generous benefactor" in Malpas, funding the building of the Jubilee Hall, presenting a carved oak pulpit to St Oswald's Church in 1887, funding the rebuilding of the Alport School in the late 1880's and building cottages at the Oathills for the "less wealthy" of Malpas.

Joseph, is honoured for his generosity to the village in a plaque inside the Jubilee Hall entrance.

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Andrew Dawson, a Bickley farmer, has two letters to his grandfather relating to the death of a Mr. Lewis in the Battle of The Somme.

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Note*

Laurence is not currently recorded on the Malpas War Memorial or any other UK civic memorial.

It is assumed that this is because the family had left Malpas after 1889.

Remembered with Honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Belgium.1915 Star, British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal.Extract from the 1884 Cheshire Observer.