Hendley Family

Strictly speaking the only relationship between Grandad, Ernest John Conway, and the Hendley family is by marriage, in that his son, Ernest Conway (my father), married my mother, Doris Hendley on 25th July 1936 at St Werburgh’s Church, Derby.

In their wedding photo (left), my father stands with his best man, his brother, Cyril Conway.

My other grandfather, William Hendley, is standing next to the bride, his only child, Doris Hendley.

Research is still going on, but now (2026) the following family members, from the Hendley family, have served their country in times of War:

Private 15397 William HENDLEY (1st Garrison Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment)

My maternal grandfather (Grandpa Hendley) was born on 31st January 1878. He married Frances Sarah Wilkes on Christmas Day 1900, but my mother, Doris Hendley, was not born until 14th May 1914.

An older daughter, Hilda May, was 3 when she died of Tubercular meningitis, on 26 May 1912. She was buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery, Grave 49055, on 1 June. My mother, therefore, grew up as an only child.

Grandpa was 37 years old when he enlisted in the Lincolnshire Regiment on 17th February 1912. Perhaps unsurprisingly he was posted to a non-combat unit. The 1st Garrison Battalion was formed in September 1915. The next month it moved to India and remained there, under command of the Presidency Brigade in 8th (Indian) Division.

Garrison Battalions were not front-line combat troops. The army formed these units to hold safe areas at home or overseas. This allowed healthy, regular soldiers to go fight on the battlefields. The army mainly assigned older men or soldiers who were medically unfit for active duty to these battalions. Two garrison battalions were formed for the Lincolnshire Regiment during WW1.

Grandpa’s Service, however, was short lived and he was discharged on 2nd April 1916, as indicated by his Medal Index Card (right).

The family is in possession of his medals – the British War Medal and Victory Medal, as well as ‘souvenirs‘ he brought back for the family.

One of the souvenirs was a War Office Map of India, with the town of Allahabad circled – always assumed to be where he was stationed. A larger photo of Grandpa of the one above is stamped with the name of the photographer and “Allahabad“.

Just 6 months after my parents married, Grandma Hendley died (31st January 1937, aged 59). Grandpa moved in with them in their new home at 22 Rutland Street, Derby, where he died on 6th July 1953, aged 75.

William and Frances now rest together in Grave 49055 Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby, along with first daughter, Hilda.

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Able Seaman 166872 Frederick WILKES (Royal Navy)

Frederick was the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Wilkes. She was the sister of grandpa Hendley’s father-in-law, Arthur Wilkes. Frederick was born on 25 September 1876, in Kensington Street, Derby, where his mother was lodging, with her other son, James Wilkes, born in 1869.

In the June quarter 1880 33 year old Elizabeth married William Tattershaw. William had been married to Elizabeth’s older sister, Miriam, who had died the previous year, aged 41, William and Miriam had had 10 children (see below). William and Elizabeth had one more, Ann, born 2 December 1880.

Frederick enlisted in the Royal Navy on 17 May 1892 at Devonport, Devon, for a period of 12 years. He was 17 years 8 months and at 18 he was listed as being 5′ 3″ [1.60 m.] tall, with Brown Hair, Blue eyes, and a ‘Fair’ complexion.

His first posting was to H.M.S. Impregnable (right), a training establishment for Royal Navy boys, built in 1810 and based in Devonport, whose purpose was to provide young recruits with practical and theoretical training in seamanship, rather than to prepare them for War.

After a number of other postings, on 1 December 1898 Frederick was posted to HMS Philomel (left), a ‘Pearl Class’ cruiser, launched in 1890. After a re-fit in 1898 she returned to Cape of Good Hope Station. The Philomel served throughout the Second Boer War.

Some of her complement of 220 men served in the field with the Naval Brigade. Two of her 4.7-inch guns were disembarked and used in the Battle of Colenso. Frederick’s Service Papers record that on 9 April 1900 he was killed in action at Elandslaagte, Natal, South Africa.

The Battle of Elandslaagte was a significant early engagement of the Second Boer War, fought on 21 October 1899 and resulted in a British victory, though the British ultimately retreated from the area soon after. 

Some months separate the date of the battle and Frederick’s death and the Elandslaagte Battleridge Cemetery Memorial explains why. Frederick is one of those named as having died in one of the field hospitals after the Battle. Originally buried elsewhere, all the casualties were later reburied in this Cemetery.

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Private 6932 Richard TATTERSHAW (Kings Royal Rifles)

As stated above, William and Miriam Wilkes had 10 children and their 8th child was Richard, born on 21 January 1872 at Kensington Street, Derby. 

On 29 December 1891 he enlisted in the King’s Royal Rifles, and was posted to the in 3rd Battalion, with Service No. 6932.  The Regiment was deployed during the Second Boer War from the outset playing a key role in the first battle at Talana Hill.

After the War  Richard married Harriett Smith on 6 August 1906 at St. Luke’s Church, Derby, and they had 2 further children (in addition to 2 from Harriett’s former marriage to James Wilkes). Richard James was born on 19 July 1907, and lived until 1983, and Elsie Prudence, who was born and died as a baby at 6 Kensington Street, Derby, in 1911.

By then (1911 Census) Richard and Harriett were publicans at the Globe Tavern, Kensington Street, before moving to manage ‘The Vine’, 119 Abbey Street, Derby (left), by the time of the 1939 Register.

Harriett died there on 20 May 1945, aged 76. Richard was 87 when he died on 4 February 1959 at 207a Uttoxeter New Road, Derby. They are buried together on Plot A38, 51284, Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby.

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Driver 815068 Joseph HENDLEY (Royal Field Artillery – 298 Brigade)

Great uncle Joseph was even older than Grandpa Hendley when he enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery. He was born in Derby on 7th February 1875, so was probably over 40 years old when he was posted to the 288th Brigade.

In 1894 Joseph married Nellie Carter, and in the next 20 years they had 3 sons and 5 daughters, Harriett (1895-1977), Sarah Ellen (1897-1995) [see below], Frederick William (1899-1979) [see below], George Henry (1901-1959), Mary (1905-1984), Nellie (1908-1992), Annie Elizabeth (1911-1932) and Joseph (1914-1974)

His Unit was also the 4th North Midland Brigade, sometimes known as the ‘Derbyshire Howitzers‘, was a part-time unit of Britain’s Royal Field Artillery created in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force.

The order to mobilise was received on 4th August 1914. Shortly afterwards, the men were invited to volunteer for overseas service. The new brigade established its headquarters (HQ) at 91 Siddals Road in Derby, which it shared with C and D Squadrons of the Derbyshire Imperial Yeomanry, very close to where his future in laws lived.

The North Midland Division began embarking for France on 25th February 1915, and by 8th March had completed its concentration at Ploegsteert in Belgium – the first complete Territorial Force Division to deploy to the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

It is not known where Joseph received the wounds from which he died on 19th September 1918.

It is possible that it happened during the Battle of Épehy, the previous day. Joseph is buried in Grave I.D.4., Brie British Cemetery.

His widow, Nellie, continued to live in Derby until her death, aged 66, in the June quarter 1941.

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Gunner 880825 Alfred Joseph BONEHILL (Royal Field Artillery – 2nd [Minden] Battery, 13 Anti Tank Regt)

Joseph and Nellie’s second daughter, Sarah Ellen (left), was born on 14 April 1897 at House 3, Court 6, Willow Row, Derby.

On 5 November 1917, at St George’s Church, Brinsworth, Rotherham, Yorkshire, she married George Alfred Bonehill (right) and the following year, on 1 June 1918, their son Alfred was born at 7 Duncan Street, Brinsworth. Alfred had two younger sisters, May, born in 1922, and Kathleen in 1924.

It is not known when Alfred joined the Royal Field Artillery – like his grandfather, Joseph, before him. It could have been before the start of World War 2, as his Battery, 2nd (Minden), part of the 13th Regiment, served as the anti-tank regiment of 2nd Infantry Division from the outbreak of war until 2 July 1942.

It left the United Kingdom on 20 September 1939 and moved to France. On 27 May 1940, it was engaged against the tanks of 3rd, 4th and 7th Panzer Divisions on the La Bassée front. It left France and Belgium on 31 May 1940 and returned to England.

Alfred was killed in action on 20 May, however, at a location not known. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, Column 10. His home was still with his parents at 86 New House Road, Marton, Blackpool, Lancashire.

Alfred’s father, George Alfred, died in Blackpool, in September 1945, aged 49. His widow, Alfred’s mother, Sarah Ellen (left), remarried James H Bamber, in Blackpool, in the September quarter 1953. The were living at Cherrytree Lane, Marton Blackpool.

She was 98 when she died on 12 December 1995 on board a plane, flying from Chicago. Sarah Ellen was flying back to her daughter, Kathleen’s home with granddaughter, Beryl, and died during the flight. Her funeral was in Chicago before the family returned home.

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A.B. 78850 Frederick William HENDLEY (Royal Navy)

Frederick was the third child and eldest son of Joseph and Nellie Hendley (see above), born on 14 July 1899. On 31 July 1917, aged just 18, he enlisted in the Royal Navy “for the duration of hostilities“. His medical described him as 1.71 m (5ft. 7.5 ins.) tall, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a fresh complexion.

His first “ship” was HMS Victory”, a shore establishment, where he trained until 20 November 1917, when he was posted to HMS Hecla,  a Depot ship moored at Buncrana, Norther Ireland. From September 1917 to December 1918 she was the Depot Ship for the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla and Auxiliary Patrol. He was demobbed on 5 March 1919.

After the War Frederick returned to live at 20 Sowter Square, Derby, and work as a “Brickmaker”.  On 23 December 1922 he married Mary Kelly at St Alkmund’s Church, Derby, and their son, Thomas Joseph, was born on 14 April 1923 also at 20 Sowter Square.

Fred died on 11 November 1979 at 16 Margreave Road, Chaddesden, Derby, aged 80. He was cremated at Markeaton (Derby) Crematorium 9 days later. His widow, Mary, died three years later.

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