WW1

What happened to Abingdon morris dancers during World War 1?

Those who joined up in 1914 and 1915 were volunteers.  Conscription came in early 1916 for men aged 18 to 41 unless unfit or in a special occupation.  In 1918 the age limit was raised to 51, and conscription was extended to 1920.  So most of the Abingdon dancers would probably have been conscripted unless they were born before 1867, or were unfit, or in a special occupation, or had volunteered earlier.

According to Jonathan Leach’s history of Abingdon morris, the people in the famous 1910* photo were:

  • Dancers: James Hemmings, Tom Hemmings, Joe (aka John) Hemmings, Bob Martin, Stodger (George) Hudson and Bertie (Albert) Hudson.
  • Sword and box: William Hemmings
  • Horns: Willie Belcher
  • Mace: Jack Hemmings (actually Ernest John Hemmings, son of William)
  • Fiddler: ‘Gypsy’ Lewis (aka Tommy Boswell)

(* often stated to be taken in 1912, but Gypsy Lewis died on 5th August 1910.  His funeral on 13th August in West Challow is recorded in the North Berks Herald of 13th August 1910 and also in less detail in the Reading Mercury of the same date.)

 Gypsy Lewis was not from Abingdon and died in 1910.  James and William Hemmings were born before 1867 so would have been too old for service.  So the possible conscripts or volunteers were:

  • Tom, Jack, Joe Hemmings – Jonathan Leach’s history says only Joe Hemmings died in WW1, but Jack (actually Ernest John) was also killed in action.  Tom was in the Royal Flying Corps, which became the RAF.
  • George and Albert Hudson.  George Hudson was lost at sea and Albert was wounded but survived the war.
  • Bob Martin, wounded in 1918.
  • Willie Belcher survived service but may have been wounded.

There is a  document that lists all Abingdon men who served in the forces between 1914 and 1919  http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Databases/Abingdon/ and we have searched it for entries for the dancers from the 1910 photo.

Here are the entries for Hemmings / Hemming:

  • Tom Hemmings was in the army (Royal Flying Corps) and then the RAF from 1915 until 1919. At the time he was living in Marcham Road, just past the end of Ock Street.
  • Joe (Joseph) Hemmings from 123 Ock Street joined the 8th Royal Berks in Feb 1916 and was killed in France 22nd July 1916 aged 25. His brother Walter, who did not dance as far as we know, was killed in action in 1917, aged 34.
  • The John or Jack Hemmings who was the macebearer in 1910 was actually Ernest John Hemmings of 38 Winterbourne Road, who was the son of William Hemmings. He joined the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment in October 1916 who and was killed in action in France 23rd October 1918, having the rank of Lance Corporal.
  • There is an entry for a Percival Hemmings from 172 Ock Street who was the Percy Hemmings who danced in the 1930s, and from the same address there are also entries for Charles, Frederick George and Walter James Hemmings, who all survived the war.

George and Albert Hudson

There are 2 Albert Hudsons listed, both with an Ock Street address.  Both survived the war but both ended their service before the end of the war, so were probably invalided out.  The * next to their names indicates they were wounded.  The only George Hudson listed had a Thames Street address and was lost at sea in June 1916.  Hudson was also the name of the Happy Dick landlady that Mary Neal wrote to in 1909, and there is an Ernest Hudson from the Happy Dick who served from 1918 (presumably conscripted, either at age 18 or 51).

Bob Martin

There is an entry for a Robert Martin from Cemetery Road who was wounded in Sept 1918.

Willie Belcher

There are 2 entries for a William Belcher, neither of whom came from Ock Street.  Both survived the war.  One was wounded but served until 1919, so not invalided out.