Melton Constable – St. Mary’s (Burgh Parva) Old Church : Grave of HWT Stimpson
Located at St. Mary’s church is the gravestone of Henry William Thomas Stimpson, the son of Henry Thomas Stimpson and Deborah Stimpson.
Henry was born in 1891, but wasn’t baptised until 18 October 1894 when he lived in Briston. He signed up to the military in 1911 when he was 18 on a 4 year territorial force contract, when he was still living in Briston but he was working as a coach painter at the railway works. Above is the 1911 census record for the family.
As he reached the end of his territorial contract, he was discharged from the military on 14 January 1916 when the documents note him to be 24 years old and 5’6″ tall. He lived at 5 Gordon Road in Melton Constable and he worked as a coach painter at the railway works. His character was noted to be “steady and sober”, but he wasn’t sent overseas to fight as it was noted he was serving at home from 5 August 1914 until 14 January 1916, I assume on what was defined as war work. He committed some minor offence on parade in Dereham on 30 November 1914 and was fined one day’s pay. He joined the National Union of Railwaymen in 1916 at the age of 24.
He served as a Private in the Norfolk Regiment, with service number 1385. I’m unsure how he died, but I’m going to take a guess that it was at the railway works as his body is located here and he doesn’t seem to have travelled overseas at any stage during his military career. I might well be wrong, I often am…..
According to his grave, he died on 13 November 1918 at the age of 28, although I’m really not sure that age is correct as it doesn’t fit in with the other dates and the death register notes him at 27 which seems correct.