Stanley William Brook 1899-1916

PrivateStanleyWilliamBrook(203488)ofDCompany,1stBattalion,DevonshireRegimentwasbornin1898inWestBlackdown

anddiedon27October1918aged20.HeisburiedinBrentorMethodistCemetery.

HewasthesonofHenryandMartha(Ley)BrookofWestBlackdown.

StanleyWilliamBrook,sometimesBrooks,wasbornin1899,thesecondsonofHenryandMarthaBrook.Henrywas the sonof a farmer, ThomasBrook (b1835) andhiswife Susanna (b1856). In1891Henry(23)waslivingathomeinthefourroomedfarminVealeDown,Bridestowewithhisparentsandbrothersandsisters,Rhoda(20),Richard(18),John(14),Maria(12),Jessie(10),Louisa(8)andClara(6).HenryandRichardworkedonthefamilyfarmwiththeirfather.

HenryandMarthaLeyweremarriedin1894.In1901HenrywasaplatelayerwiththerailwayandthefamilyhadathreeroomedhomeinWestBlackdown,closetotherailwayattheendofBurnLane..Henrygavehisageas31andMartha32.Their twochildrenwereSydney John,whohadbeenbornin1895andStanley,1898.

By1911,whenHenryandMarthahadbeenmarried17years,fourdaughtershadbeenaddedtothefamilylivinginWestBlackdown;EdithM(b1904),Dorothy(1906),Leona(1908)andFlossyMwhowasonly2monthsoldat the timeof thecensuson2April.Stanleywas12andattendingschool.Sydney,theeldestson,wasnotshownathomeoncensusnight,ashewasworkingasagenerallabourerforJohnJackmanatRowdenFarm.Jackmanwasalandagentandauctioneer.ItispossiblethatSydneymarriedamemberoftheBondfamilyinPlymouthinthesummerof1920.

WhenStanleyleftschoolheworkedasalabourer,butwhenheenlistedinthearmy,inMay1916at Sidmouth, hewasdescribedas abaker.Hewas5ft 3in tall andweighed113 lb.HewasnotactuallycalledupatPlymouthuntiltheendofJanuary1917.Aftertraininghecrossedthechannel

Stanley William Brook 1899-1916

and arrived at Rouen on 12th October 1917 and a week later joined the 1st Battalion, theDevonshire Regiment. They had just been decimated at Polderhoek near Passchendaele, soStanleywouldhavebeenamongadraftofreplacements.

Afteronlyamonthorsohewastwiceadmittedtohospitalsufferingfromdiarrhoeaandduringthat timehisbattalionmoved to Italywhere theyheld the linenearVicenzaandservedon thePiavefront.WhenhewasdeemedfitenoughhereturnedtohisunitinMarch1918.Bytheendofthemonthhewasinhospitalagainwithasprainedankle.Whilehewasthereaurinetestrevealedthat he was suffering from nephritis and treatment didn’t improve his condition. He was inhospital atGenoabeforebeing repatriated to this country inMaywherehewas treatedat 1stWesternGeneralHospital,Fazakerley,Liverpool.Atonestagehewasonamilkdiet, thena fishone.On1stOctoberhewasdischargedasbeingunfitformilitaryserviceandgiventheSilverWarBadgetowear,butinrealitywasbeingsenthometodie.

Hewasgranteda50%WarPensionfor12monthsinthefirstinstance,butbeforethemonthwasout,on27thOctober1918,hehaddied,fromseverenephritisorkidneyfailure,aged20.BythistimehisfatherhaddiedandhismothermovedtoliveatSouthgateinLydford.Stanleywasburiedin the south part of Brentor UnitedMethodist Cemetery. He qualified for the BritishWar andVictorymedals.

Both his sisters lived in Lydford. EdithmarriedHarry Athertonwho laterworked as a postmanbased inOkehampton. FlossiemarriedMelville Cooke and lived in the villagebeforemoving toValeDown.

.

BROOK JohnmEsther

Farmerof14acresb1806Marystoweb1794Beaworthy

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JohnThomas Richardb1831 b1833 b1838 Farmer

m1869

SusannaMillmanb1843

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HenryRhodaRichard JohnMariaJessieLouisaClarab1868 1871 1873 18771879 1881 18831885mMartha1869|________________________________________________________________| | | | | |

SydneyStanleyEdith DorothyLeonaFlossyM JohnWilliam1895 1898-1918 1904 1906 19081911