Little Bookham's War
Memorials - All Saints' Churchyard - War Grave
There is one war grave
in the churchyard at All Saints, NE of the church, that of
Captain Thomas Herbert Helme.
His CWGC record is:
HELME, THOMAS HERBERT
Initials: T H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles)
Unit Text: 16th Bn.
Age: 35
Date of Death: 03/11/1918
Additional information: Son of Herbert and Annie Helme, of
"Downside", Salvington, Worthing, Sussex. Born at Cobham,
Surrey.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: North-East of Church.
Cemetery: LITTLE BOOKHAM CHURCHYARD
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/401182/
His headstone says he died 'of wounds received in Palestine.'
The inscription is DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.
In this photo the poppies at the grave were laid by the
Bookhams Residents Association.
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please click the image for a closer view |
Thomas Herbert Helme was born in 1883
in Cobham, Surrey, a son of Herbert and Annie Helme. His father, Herbert,
was an East India Merchant, also a Director of the East London Waterworks,
born in Mountnessing, Essex in 1852. He died in 1933. His mother Annie
(née Chater), was born in Hampstead, Middlesex in 1852; she died in 1944.
He was baptised on 16th September 1883 at
All Saints', Little Bookham, the church where he was buried.
He had four sisters: Beryl, Emily, Vera and
Eleanor and a brother, Francis In the 1891 and 1901 Census records he was
living at Cobham Lodge House, Cobham Park, Surrey.
He was educated at Ashdown House Preparatory
School, Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford.
He worked in Barclays Bank Inspection
Department. In the 1911 Census he was recorded at 8 Malvern Street,
Newcastle-on-Tyne, boarding with Noah Pritchard, a Market Gardener, and
his family of three unmarried adult daughters and a son. Thomas was listed
as Thomas Herbert Helme, Boarder, Single, Male, 27, Local Director's
Assistant with Barclay & Company Ltd Bankers, born Cobham Surrey.
The Barclays Bank Active Service Register 1916, in the section for Head
Office, lists T.H. Helme, from the Inspection Department. His
rank/regiment was recorded as 2nd Lieutenant & Ass. Adjutant, 2/16th
Queens Westminsters; single, normal full salary £350, Army pay per annum
£136 17s 6d, and nett salary paid by the bank £213 2s 6d per annum. In
other words Barclays made up the difference between what the Army paid and
what the Bank paid.
His Probate record, 1918, states:
HELME Thomas Herbert of Downside Salvington Worthing captain H.M. Army
died 3 November 1918 at Hamilton Officers' Hospital 75 Harrington Gardens,
Kensington, Middlesex Probate London 28 December to Herbert Helme esquire.
Effects £4410 0s 1d.
So he died in hospital in London and his
headstone states 'of wounds received in Palestine'.
A Roll of Honour was published by Barclays Bank in January 1919. It is
headed Barclays Bank Limited. List of Local Directors and Members of
the Staff killed in action, or who have died whilst serving with His
Majesty's Forces. 1914-1918. His entry reads:
Helme T. H. Captain, 16th London Regt. (Q. Westminster
Rifles) Inspection Staff.
After WW1, Barclays erected memorial panels in the banking hall at their
Head Office at 54 Lombard Street. The panels were headed “In honoured
memory of the members of Barclays Bank Limited who gave their lives for
King and country during the war A. D. 1914-1919”. Pictures of them were
published in the first official history of Barclays in 1926, and posters
of them were also made. The panels included the name T H Helme.
After WW2 it was decided that the permanent
official Barclays memorial should be an illuminated inscribed book
of remembrance, one for each war. The books were then put on display in
the new head office building in the 1990s, and when the head office moved
in 2005 to 1 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, the books were put on display
in cases there.
What is the Helme connection with Little
Bookham? Although buried at All Saints, Little Bookham, Thomas Helme
not listed on the War Memorial in the churchyard.
The church is mostly filled with memorials relating to the Pollen
and Willock families.
At the West End of the church, among the Hatchments, is a brass
cross.
Below it is a brass tablet inscribed:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF ANNA MARIA HELME
BORN 1 MAY 1845 DIED 8 APRIL 1912.
THIS CROSS IS PLACED HERE BY HER BROTHERS AND SISTER
"LORD I HAVE LOVED THE HABITATION OF THY HOUSE"
There is a brass plaque to an earlier Thomas Helme (who was a
JP) below the window to 'St John and Saint James ye great' on
the right hand side of the church as you face the altar:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF
THOMAS MASHITER (NÉ HELME) WHO DIED AT THE MANOR HOUSE
NOVEMBER 23, 1896 AGED 92 THIS WINDOW IS ERECTED BY
HIS CHILDREN
Also on the right of the church is
a window:
'In loving memory of Susan Emily Helme died Oct 4 1878'.
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Thomas Mashiter Helme was born in 1804 in
Middle Tower Hamlets. In 1841 he married Susan Emily Coope, whose
memorial window at All Saints is shown above. She was a daughter of John
Coope of London, the
brewing family. Their first child was Edward Thomas Helme né
Mashiter, born 1843. A later son was Herbert Helme,
born 1852, the father of Captain Thomas Herbert Helme.
The Essex Record Office explains the change
of surname http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/Result_Details.aspx?DocID=1003253
Edward Thomas Mashiter né Helme JP (1842-1921) was the son of Thomas
Mashiter né Helme JP (1804-1896) of the Manor House, Little Bookham,
Surrey, and Hornchurch Lodge, Hornchurch, and Susan Emily Helme née
Coope, daughter (d.1878) of John Coope of London. Thomas was a director,
and Edward was at one time chairman, of Ind, Coope and Company Ltd,
brewers of Romford.
Their change of surname stemmed indirectly from the marriage of Thomas's
father Robert Helme of Walthamstow to Blandina Mashiter, daughter of
William Mashiter of Romford. Thomas and his son Edward adopted the name
Mashiter under the terms of the will of Thomas's maternal uncle Thomas
Mashiter (1779-1862), of Hornchurch Lodge, Hornchurch. However, neither
did so immediately, Thomas waiting until 1884 and Edward until 1899 before
taking out the royal licence required.
Surrey Advertiser 9 November 1918
DEATH OF CAPTAIN T. H. HELME
The death occurred on Sunday week at the Hamilton Officers' Hospital, of
influenza and pneumonia, following a severe wound received in action, of
Captain Thomas Herbert Helme, London Regt., only son Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
Helme, of Salvington, Sussex, and formerly of Cobham Lodge, Surrey.
The late officer was born at Cobham in 1883, and was educated at Eton and
Magdalen College, Oxford, obtaining a commission in the Queen’s
Westminster Rifles in 1914. He served with his regiment in France,
Macedonia and Palestine, acting as adjutant for 13 months, until posted to
the command of a company. It was while landing his men in action between
Jericho and Es Salt on the 30th April that he was severely wounded.
The funeral took place at Little Bookham on Wednesday, the service being
conducted by the Rev. C.J. Vernon, rector of the parish. The hymns sung
were "Lead us, Heavenly Father," and “For all the saints," and Miss
Vernon, who was at the organ, played "Agnus Dei" (Mozart). Deceased was
buried in a grave adjoining that of his grandfather, Thomas Mashiter, late
of the Manor House, Little Bookham. A bearer and firing party of the
regiment paraded under the command of Lieut. Gibbon, and fired three
volleys over the grave. At the conclusion of the service the Last Post was
sounded.
The relations present were Mr. Herbert Helme. Miss Beryl Helme, Miss Emily
Helme, Miss Vera Helme, Colonel Sir George Helme, C.M.G., Mr. and Mrs.
Leathley Chater, Capt. G. Chater, Capt. D. Chater, Miss M. Chater, Mr. and
Mrs. O. S. Gordon Clark, Mrs. Herbert Helme, Miss Eleanor Helme, and Mrs.
Burrell Fuller. Mr. E. T. Mashiter, Mrs. Chater and Miss E. Hull were
unavoidably prevented from attending.
Among others present were Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft, Mr. Oscar Ashcroft, Mrs.
Bowen Buscarlet, Miss Day, Colonel Gordon Clark, C.M.G., D.S.O. (late
commanding 2nd Batt. Queen’s Westminster Rifles), Capt. H. H. Gordon
Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Mrs. F. B. Eastwood, Colonel Guise. Miss
Henderson, Mr. S. F. Jackson, Mrs. Kitching, Mrs. J. Barnard Hankey, Mr.
and Mrs. H. Willock-Pollen, Miss Ross, Mrs. E. R. Still, Colonel G. H.
Trollope (Hon. Colonel Queen’s Westminster Rifles), the Misses Vernon and
others.
Among the wreaths sent was one from his brother officers in the regiment.
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Illustrated Sporting and
Dramatic News 30 November 1918
No kind of sport or game came amiss to Captain Thomas H. Helme,
2/16th London Regiment (Queen's Westminster Rifles), who died in
London on November 3rd from wounds received in action in
Palestine, followed by influenza and pneumonia.
The foundation of his unbounded
enthusiasm for golf was laid at Ashdown House Preparatory School,
the Royal Ashdown Ladies’ Golf Club encouraging the boys to play
over their course.
At Oxford he played for the ’Varsity
in numerous Trial Matches of his last year there (1904-5), but
without obtaining his Blue.
Whilst in business at
Newcastle-on-Tyne he represented Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Golf Club in
the “Chronicle” Cup, his partner being Mr. Norman A. Lee, brother
of the Hampshire cricketer. They won the event in 1911.
Captain Helme was also a member of
the Guildford and Burhill, both clubs rating him at scratch. At
Eton he got his house colours (R.C. Radcliffe's) at the field game
and cricket, won a number of fives cups and gained the school
shield at racquets, he and A.S.B. Tull beating the keepers after
they had played at Queen's.
At Oxford he played hockey and lawn
tennis for Magdalen. From 1913 he was whip to the Newcastle and
District Beagles. He was the only brother of the well known writer
and county golfer, Miss Eleanor E. Helme.
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CAPT. THOMAS H. HELME, 2/16 LONDON REGT.
who died in London on the 3rd inst. |
Source: List of Etonians who fought
in the Great War 1914-1919 (via findmypast)
First name(s) T H
Last name Helme
School / university name Eton College
Narrative 1902 Helme, T. H., Captain, London Regiment,
wounded twice. France, Balkans, Palestine (died of wounds 03.11.1918)
Notes Left Eton College in 1902
OXFORD UNIVERSITY ROLL OF SERVICE
(CLARENDON PRESS, 1920)
p267 MAGDALEN COLLEGE
Helme, T. H., B.A. (Nov. 23, 1914). Capt. and Adjt. 2/i6th London
Regt. (Queen's Westminster Rifles). France, Salonika, Palestine.
Died on Nov. 3, 1918, of wounds received at Es Salt on Apr. 30, 1918,
followed by influenza and pneumonia.
https://archive.org/stream/oxforduniversity00univuoft/oxforduniversity00univuoft_djvu.txt
Other Links
Surrey
in the Great War
IWM
Life Story - Thomas Helme
He is also listed on the Worthing
War Memorial and on the Lord's
Cricket Members' World War 1 Memorial.
Other sources: Ancestry.com, findmypast
Images: Frank Haslam
If you can add to this page please contact
the editor.
page added 15 Feb 2009: updated 24 Feb 2009: CWGC link updated 11 Nov 17:
memorial images and further research added 11 Feb 2018
