This article was first published by the Pirton Magazine in October 2005, and is provided courtesy of the magazine, the editor Derek Jarrett. Further acknowledgments appear at the end of the article.

In writing about the men whose names are on our War Memorial, there are great variations in the amount of material available on which to build their stories. With some of these men killed in the First World War, parts of their story have been learnt from family descendants. Information has also been available through articles or snippets which appeared in local papers; strangely, the war-time parish magazine carried little about these individual men. Other information can be gleaned from the remarkable book of contemporary cuttings which is held by Denise Marshall. Official documents, such as census studies and baptismal or marriage records, are also helpful. However, with some of the victims of the First World War, little information has emerged.

For Private Fred Anderson , who was killed in the final year of the War, little is known. He was not born in the village, didn't spend his childhood here nor attended the village school. Apart from the briefest mention of one in a Parish magazine, we find no reference in any local paper, nor has contact been established with any descendant. Indeed, apart from his name being on our memorial, his association with Pirton remains a partial mystery.

It can only be hoped that in writing the little that is known, someone in the future will be able to contribute more. Certainly, the census details for 1911 (to be made available in 2011) will reveal a little more, for the known story of both Fred Anderson  virtually stops with the last census made available – in 1901. That is, apart from the awful detail of both their deaths in 1918. Let us recount the little that is known so far.

Fred Anderson

Just as most of the men on the Parish War memorial, were from families who had lived in Pirton for many generations, Fred Anderson was from a family who had, for years, lived and worked in the Norton, now part of Letchworth. Thomas, Fred’s grandfather, and John, his father, were both agricultural workers in Norton, mainly working on Wilbury Farm. Fred was born in 1883, a second son to John and Elizabeth Anderson. He had an older sister, Margaret, and Minnie who was five years his junior. It seems likely that Fred’s mother died in childbirth when Minnie was born; certainly she died before Fred was eight years old. Fred and his siblings probably attended Norton school next to Norton St Nicholas church.

Life must have been hard for John, the father, bringing up the family on his own although the financial burden may have been eased when he became farm bailiff.

On leaving school, Fred followed the same route as most young men in North Hertfordshire villages, becoming an agricultural worker. He moved from the Norton family home to the farm at Willian (on the other side of present day Letchworth). He lived in one of the Lordship Farm cottages in Wiillian with the Harper family.

Living next door was the Worbey family and towards the end of 1905, Fred, then 22, married Lillian Lizzie Worbey. Aged 25, she was one of a large family. A few years before her marriage, she and her brother John had tried their luck moving to the Midlands, both working in the potteries; Lillian was a lithographist, working on earthen pottery in Tunstall, Staffordshire.

Lillian and Fred were married in Hitchin, and we have no record of them living in Pirton. The lone record that we have showing a Pirton connection is that Fred is listed in the Parish Magazine of September 1915 as one of the Pirton men serving in the army. Perhaps, he and Lillian moved to the village some time after their marriage. Nor do we have any detail of them having children. Lillian’s maiden name, Worbey is a common local name but we have not been able to trace any living relative.

Fred was over 30 when he joined the 8th Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private Frederick Anderson, 18618 sometime before September 1915. He was later transferred to the 141st Company of the Labour Corps. Of his war time experiences we again know nothing, other than that he died on 8th July 1918. At the time of his death, his wife Lillian was living in the family home at 5 Periwinkle Lane in Hitchin.

Looking at the War Memorial by St. Mary’s Church in Hitchin we can read the name of Frederick Anderson. It seems likely that through his association with both Hitchin and Pirton, he is on both War Memorials. He is buried in the Aubigny Communal Cemetery extension at Pas de Calais in France (Rev IV J 41).

So, here are two names on our War memorial – George Charlick and Frederick Anderson – about whom so little is known. It can only be hoped that in time, details of their lives, particularly their link to our village, will become known. If a reader has any information, however small the detail, please make contact.

For their help with this article we thank: Clare Baines, Margot Anderson, Jonty Wild www.pirton.org.uk, Helen Hofton & Lynda Smith www.roll-of-honour.com

Points of contact are:
Pirton Website Jonty Wild via jontywild@pirton.org.uk

We would like to ask for your help, if you have any information, photographs or artefacts:

Please get in touch jontywild@pirton.org.uk

Also if anyone would like copy of any Pirton WW1 war grave or memorial please contact Jonty Wild, digital copies for personal use will be provided free of charge to relatives, photographs can be provided for a small charge.

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