Arthur Sharp’s 1911 Census record
Joseph Arthur Sharp. Died 21st August 1918
The only Arthur Sharp we have so far been able to locate is a Joseph Arthur Sharp. He was born in Littlestead Green in Oxfordshire in 1878 to father, William and mother Harriet, both of whom had passed away by the beginning of the war. He was the second born and had three siblings, two brothers and a sister. By the age of 35, Joseph Arthur had become a Cowman on a farm in the 1911 census.
We do not know why Joseph Arthur joined the Cameron Highlanders, 11th Battalion, but by 1918 he had been killed on the 21st August.
Name: SHARP, JOSEPH ARTHUR
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Cameron Highlanders
Unit Text: 11th Bn.
Age: 39
Date of Death: 21/08/1918
Service No: 49873
Additional information: Husband of Mrs. Sharp, of Roseberry Cottage, Crown St., Reading.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: A. 1.
Cemetery: NIEPPE-BOIS (RUE-DU-BOIS) BRITISH CEMETERY, VIEUX-BERQUIN
Dunoden Green and Emmer Green, Oxfordshire
Roseberry Cottage, Crown Street, Reading (wife)
Re: Joseph Arthur Sharp
There are two records for Joseph Sharp and the top one (Joseph Arthur Sharp) is my great grandfather. Neither of these records matches age on the CWGC site of 39, but I expect this is a clerical error. Most of the dates for the second Joseph Sharp on the 1881 – 1911 Census give a date of abt 1876, so I believe he is the one that was the son of William Sharp and Harriett Sharp and the husband of Ellen and father of Daisy May.
1. Joseph Arthur Sharp 1882 Apr-May-Jun Henley Oxfordshire
2. Joseph Sharp 1875 Oct-Nov-Dec Henley Oxfordshire
There is a death record for Joseph Sharp, Birth Date: abt 1875, Date of Registration: Dec 195*, Age at Death: 76, Registration District: Wokingham, Inferred County: Berkshire, Volume: 6a, Page: 222. This could be number 2.
My Great grandfather was born in 1882 in Caversham, he was the son of Tom Sharp 1841 – 1914 and Martha Carter 1843 – 1887. On the 1891 Census they are living at Row Lane Cottages, Emmergreen, Caversham, Oxfordshire and on the the 1901 Census he is living with his father Tom at 2 kily Cottages, Emmergreen.
On the 24th March 1910 he married Florence Mary Crew at The Free Church, Caversham and the 1911 Census has them living at 49 Briants Avenue Caversham with their son Albert who was one year old. My Grandmother Nelly Doris Sharp, was born 27th April 1913 at 1 Star Cottages, Southview Avenue, Caversham, Joseph Arthur’s Profession is listed as a seed merchants labourer.
The family story was always that he died in the 1st World War. From what I can tell he joined up early in the War and his original regiment was the 2nd Hampshires. I would imagine that this is because his Mother was born in Hampshire. This fact is backed up by the only picture we have of him dressed in military uniform. He is listed on the Sutton Seeds War Memorial (J. A Sharp 2nd Hampshires) which was rescued form the Sutton Seeds site and is now housed in Brock Barracks, Reading http://www.pottsvctrust.org/WM5214.pdf
11th (Service) Battalion of the Cameron Highlanders was formed in France in 1918 from fragments of other regiments and was initially mainly made up of English Soldiers which explains why Joseph Arthur ended up in the Cameron Highlanders. The 2nd Hampshires were involved in action around Nieppe Forest as were the Cameron Highlanders and this is where he is buried.
I look forward to your thoughts on this.
Best regards,
Steve Gray
Hi Steve, yes we have a bit of an issue with Arthur Sharp being on the Wokingham Memorial in the Town Hall. Most of the names are there either because they lived in the area or a relation moved to Wokingham after the war and wanted the name of their loved one to be remembered. We couldn’t find a connection for Arthur except one who would have been a little too old (40 in 1911). If you send me your email address, I’ll send over some links to the research on this elder Sharp. I’ve placed your excellent research on JA Sharp’s biography on our website: http://www.wokinghamremembers.com/sharp-arthur-1918/ I hope this will encourage others to contribute. If you would like to send over any photos, I will ensure they appear on the page with the appropriate credits. Anything you would like me to change or pull out, just let me know. Thanks Steve, regards Mike Churcher
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for updating the page, I showed it to my mother today and meant so much to us both.
My research is a work in progress and I will of course let you know if I discover any more. I hope to visit the war grave in France next year.
What you were saying about interchanging names is certainly true in the case of my great grandfather. I have documents that he has signed Joseph Arthur Sharp & Arthur Joseph Sharp and he is down on Censuses as Arthur Sharp. My guess would be that he was known as Arthur Sharp, but reverted to the name he was christened with for official documents. The Joseph part of the name comes from his Grandfather.
I have not found any connection with Wokingham but his widow Florence married James Gray Lock (No blood relation) in 1920 and the 1891 census has him living at 66 Peach Street, Wokingham so it is not inconceivable that they could have moved there after getting married, but Florence did go on to marry Henry C Nash in 1935 and she died in Reading in 1945.
Best regards,
Steve.
Steve made a good comment about JAS’s wife, in 1920 marrying a James Gray Lock who lived in Peach Street in 1891 (aged 30). This means there could have been a connection with Wokingham in 1920 had she moved there. It would certainly have matched the date perfectly, as the Memorial was unveiled in 1924. However, James moved to Reading in 1901 and Burghfield 1911 and the 1920 marriage took place in Reading and his death in 1933 was again in Reading. All these areas are quite some distance from Wokingham and certainly outside of the close community that built the names for the Memorial. But it does at least as Steve says, show there is some sort of link with the town and we know there was a Sharp family living in Carey Road in Wokingham in the 1911 census.