Wife's Great Grandfather: Handsford John Bramble LAMBSHEAD (1887 - 1963)

Handsford John Bramble LAMBSHEAD (1887 - 1963)

Handsford's childhood

My wife's great grandfather Handsford Lambshead was born in Battersea, London on 2nd October 1886.  Handsford was the youngest of four children, with a 12 year older brother Walter, 10 year older sister Edith and 4 year old brother Percie who had all been born in Battersea.  Handsford's 41 year old mother, Elizabeth Lambshead nee SKEWES, was originally from Gwennap in Cornwall.  Handsford's 45 year old father, Thomas, was a Drapers Shopman from Ilsington in Devon.  Currently it is unclear when and why they both moved from their homes to London.

On 31st March 1888 Handsford was baptised in Wandsworth district of London.

In 1891, on the night of the census, Handsford aged 5 was living with 49 year old father Thomas, 45 year old mother Elizabeth, 15 year old brother Walter, 13 year old sister Edith and 7 year old brother Percie in Battersea, London.

On 26th and 27th May 1891 Handsford's brother Walter entered in an open competition by the Civil Service for boy clerkship in London.  On 14th July the London Gazette published a list of successful candidates including Walter who came 26th of 153 successful candidates.

On 4th February 1896 Handsford's brother Walter entered in an open competition by the Civil Service for clerkships of the Second Division.  On 27th March the London Gazette published a list of successful candidates including Walter who came 21st of 75 successful candidates.

On 21st December 1900 Handsford's brother Percie entered in an open competition by the Civil Service for the role of Male Learner.  On 28th December the London Gazette published a list of six successful candidates including Percie.

In 1901, on the night of the census, Handsford aged 15 was living with 59 year old father Thomas, 55 year old mother Elizabeth, 23 year old sister Edith and 17 year old brother Percie in Battersea.  Handsford was listed as a school boy and his father was living on own means.  At some point in 1901 Handsford's 26 year old brother Walter died in the Wandsworth district of London.

In 1908 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1909 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1910 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1911 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1911, on the night of the census, Handsford aged 24 was living with 69 year old father Thomas, 65 year old mother Elizabeth, 33 year old sister Edith and 27 year old brother Percie in 176 Mitcham Road, Tooting, London.  Handsford and his sister were both working as grocers, his brother as a bank clerk and his father Thomas was living off his own means.

The First and Second Balkan Wars and WWI

In 1912 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Putney.

On the 8th October 1912, 6 days after Handsford's 26th birthday, the First Balkans War began when Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia attacked the Ottoman Empire.  On 30th May the following year the Treaty of London was signed dealing with changes in territory during the war.  The countries involved our unhappy with the distribution and on 17 days after signing the treaty, on 16th May 2013 the Second Balkan War began.  On 10th August 1913 the Second Balkan War ended.

In 1913 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1914 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

On the 28th June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated.  On the 4th August Britain, Handsford was aged 27 and Britain was at War. 

In 1915 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

On his service record it states that from 1916 to 1918 Handsford served as an Air Engineering Mechanic  on HMS President II, a shore establishment of the Royal Navy Reserve used primarily for accounting.  His record states that on 24th July 1916 he was involved in hostilities though more information is lacking.  His was described as 5 foot 6 inches tall, with a 38 inch chest, brown hair, blues eyes and a fresh complexion.  He also had a scar on his right forearm.  Throughout his service his character was listed as Very Good and his ability as Satisfactory.

Marriage and fatherhood

On the 9th April 1917, when Handsford was 30 he was married at the Cubert parish church in Cornwall to 25 year old Florence Mitchell.  Handsford was working as a grocer, living in Tooting in London and his wife was living in Cubert, Cornwall.  Handsford's father's profession was listed as Gentleman and his father-in-law was a farmer.  The witnesses at the wedding were William Mitchell and William Pascoe.

In the third quarter of the 1918 the birth of Handsford's first son was registered in the London district of Croydon. 

Handsford, aged 32, saw a truce declared on 10th November 1918.

In 1918 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1918 Handsford's brother Percie married Mary Whitaker in the Christchurch district of Hampshire.

Meanwhile on the 16th January 1919 in the United States of America prohibition began.

On the 28th June 1919 the controversial Treaty of Versaille was signed.

In the last quarter of 1919 the birth of Handsford's second son was registered in the Wandsworth district of London.

In 1919 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1921 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1922 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Balham and Tooting and Central.

In 1923 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

In 1924 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.  The death of his father, Thomas, aged83, was registered in the same year in the nearby district of Croydon.

In 1925 Handsford was listed on the electoral register in Wandsworth.

Move to Plymouth

At some point after 1925 Handsford's family moved to Plymouth in Devon where, in 1927, Handsford's third son was born.  This was 8 years after the birth of his second son.

In the third quarter of 1929 Handsford's fourth and last son was born in Plymouth.

In the first quarter of 1934 the death of his youngest son, aged only 5, was registered in Plymouth.

Move to Cornwall

At some point Handsford and his family moved to Cornwall.

In the third quarter of 1943 Handsford's eldest son was married in the Truro district of Cornwall.

On the 13th June 1944 the London Gazette published a list of medal recipients which including Handsford's second son who, as a Sergeant in the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry (Newquay) was awarded the Military Medal.

In 1944 Handsford became a grandfather for the first time when the daughter of his eldest son was born in Cornwall. 

In 1947 Handsford became a grandfather for the second time when the son of his eldest son was born in Cornwall.

On the 18th April 1949 Handsford's second eldest son was married to a ten year younger wife at her local parish church St. John, in Taunton, Somerset.  His son was working as an estate agent and lived at Whyteleafe, Arundel Way, Newquay, Cornwall.  Handsford at this point was listed as retired.

In 1950 Handsford's older sister died aged 73.

In 1952 Handsford became a grandfather for the third time when the son of his second son was born in Cornwall.

In 1955 Handsford became a grandfather for the fourth time when the son of his second son was born in Cornwall.

In the second quarter of 1958 Handsford's third eldest son was married in the St. Austell district of Cornwall.  And at some point their son was born (year and location to be confirmed) and Handsford became a grandfather for the fifth time.

In 1958 the death of Handsford's brother Percie was registered in the Wandsworth district of London.

In 1963 Handsford became a grandfather for the sixth time when the daughter of his youngest son was born in Cornwall.

In 1963 Handsford's death was registered in the St. Austell district of Cornwall.