No.17261, Private, Rubby John LANGLEY
Aged 39
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Rubby Langley was born in Soham on 8th April 1877 (Newmarket Q2-1877 3B:588), baptised in Soham on 24th June 1878, son of Thomas and Ann LANGLEY
(née MURKIN) of Waterside, Soham.
1881 census...Aged 3, John was at St John's Square, Soham with his father Thomas LANGLEY, [38] farm labourer, born Moulton, Suffolk; his mother Ann [36] born Lidgate, Suffolk; sister Mary A [12] born Newmarket and sister F Ellen [9] born Newmarket. (This was incorrectly recorded in the census as..brother Allen [9] whereas in fact if was Frances Ellen, born 1872) 1891 census... 14, farm labourer, Rubby was at Bushel Lane, Soham with his father and brother William [10] born Soham at the house of his brother in law William POWELL [28] millwright's labourer born Stetchworth and his wife Ellen {Frances Ellen Langley} [20] and their children Thomas [2] and Mary Ann [3 months], all born in Soham. Here it may be noted that Frances Ellen LANGLEY was married at age 15 in 1887 (minimum age for marriage was 14 for a boy and 12 for a girl providing they had either a licence (for orphans) or parental consent. His mother was away visiting the Leonard family in Grantchester In Q4-1899 he married Julia PEACHEY [12-12-1878]. 1901 census...Aged 23, a farm stockman, he was at Qua Fen Common with his wife Julia [22] born Burwell and their daughter Elsie [8-3-1902] born Soham. 1911 census...Aged 33 a farm labourer, he was at Bushel Lane, Soham with his wife, and daughters Elise and Lily [9] born Soham. They had lost one child. |
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Enlisted in Newmarket.
Dying from his wounds it would be almost impossible without his Army records to say where or when he was wounded,but for the scrap book of Bert Pollard which is crammed full of newspaper cuttings at the time and most of these reports give valuable clues as to where and when the men were hit.. The 11th Suffolk were in reserve in May 1916, in the Fricourt Ridge - La Boiselle region, near Albert. Rubby's cemetery was used by field ambulances and suggests he was wounded not long before the 23rd. Local press report:- SOHAM SOLDIER KILLED News was received on Friday last of the death of Pte.Rubby John Langley, of Qua Fen Common, Soham. The deceased soldier enlisted at Christmas 1914, in the 11th Suffolk Regt.,and has witnessed a considerable amount of fighting during the past few months. His letters home have always been of a cheerful nature and fully characteristic of the man himself when in civil life. During his Army service he has also been attached to the Royal Engineers, doing duty as a pioneer and a sapper. The official intimation was conveyed in the first instance to the bereaved widow by the Sister in Charge of the Casualty Clearing Station, whose sympathetic letter reads as follows :- "I am greatly grieved to tell you that your husband was brought in here dead at 7:30 this morning, having been hit by a shell. He was doing sentry duty with some others in a part of the trench, and they were just being relieved by another party, when a shell fell among them. He became unconscious very soon and had passed away before he could be brought to us here at the Casualty Clearing Station. He will be buried tomorrow by the Chaplain in the cemetery of the little town near this camp. I am distressed to think of your bereavement, and pray God to comfort you.Believe me to be in all sympathy -Yours very truly, M.E. Vernon Harcourt." The following letter has also been received by the widow from the Captain:- "Dear Mrs. Langley, I expect that you heard from the Matron the sad news of your husband's death. The 11th Suffolks have suffered the last two days. I am sending you a short note of sympathy and to let you know that I laid your husband's body to rest in a quiet little spot not far from where he fell. This war is very sad, but it may bring a great blessing to the world, then the feeling of loss will be lessened by the thought that our dear ones helped to bring a blessing to mankind.-Yours faithfully, Capt. G.L. Bates". The late Pte.Langley leaves a wife and two children, for whom much sympathy is felt
  Rubby rests beside Edwin Rayner from Freckenham photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
