Henry Hambroook Hammond

Henry Hambroook Hammond  1894 – 1984

Henry was born on 12th February 1894 in Shepherdswell, to George and Mary Ann (née Tickner), and was the youngest of their eight children. It is likely that he was known as Harry, as this was the name that Higgs used for him. 

In the 1901 Census, Harry had only three of his siblings living at home in Railway Close, Shepherdswell. By 1911, with the family now living at 5 Hillside Cottages, Church Hill, Harry was working as a grocer’s assistant for Coppen & Sons in the village. Information found in the Dover Express in May 1915 when the newspaper reported that he had enlisted.

Searching for Harry’s War records was challenging, as there are several entries for different HH Hammond and many H Hammond. However the Dover Express provided the information that Harry was a casualty in May 1916 and again in December 1917, and gave his service number of 6957. 

This led to the discovery of his medals and awards record, showing that he had been a private in the 1st Battalion, East Kent Regiment (The Buffs), G/6957, although no other records appear to have survived.

Following the War, Harry returned to Shepherdswell. He married Kathleen Lucy Fagg, a 28 year-old from Dover, at St Andrew’s, Buckland-next-Dover, in the fourth quarter of 1925, following Banns.

There is a very faded copy of the marriage register available and one of the commercial family history websites states that the date on it is 25th December. Harry’s father had died earlier in the year. 

By the time of the 1939 Register, Harry was working as a grocer’s branch manager, living with his wife and two children at 1 Monkton Road, Eastry, and was a special constable. 

His death was registered in the first quarter of 1984 at the age of 90, in the Thanet district.