Working with St Mary's School in Tetbury we started by looking at this gravestone that sits in Tetbury churchyard. The intriguing part about it is that it has the Canadian Maple Leaf and this obviously needed exploration.
We found the Lambley family on the census records for 1901 and 1911 with some marked differences that were spotted by the children.
1901 Census
William Lambley - Head- Aged 47 - Born 1854 Morton, Lincolnshire
Mary E Lambley - Wife- Aged 46- Born 1855 Stamford
Richard W Lambley - Son - Aged 22- Born 1879 Beverstone, Gloucestershire
Ernest W Lambley - Son - Aged 18 - Born 1883 Beverstone, Gloucestershire
John R Lambley - Son - Aged 16 - Born 1885 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Leonard H Lambley - Son - Aged 11- Born 1890 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Charlie G Lambley - Son - Aged 9- Born 1892 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Walter S Lambley - Son - Aged 7 - Born 1894 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Mary G V Lambley - Daughter - Aged 6 - Born 1895 Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
1911 Census
William Lambley - Head - Aged 57- Born 1854 - Married - Labourer On Farm
Annie Maria Lambley - Daughter - Aged 33 - Born 1878 - Single
Walter Stanley Lambley - Son - Aged 19 - Born 1892 - Labourer On Farm
Violet Mary Lambley - Daughter - Aged 16 - Born 1895 - Single
What the children spotted straight away was the difference in numbers between the 1901 and 1911 censuses. What had happened to the mother and all the sons? We knew that Leonard was going to go to Canada obviously but what about Richard, Ernest, John, Charlie and who was Annie Maria Lambley?
We found the Lambley family on the census records for 1901 and 1911 with some marked differences that were spotted by the children.
1901 Census
William Lambley - Head- Aged 47 - Born 1854 Morton, Lincolnshire
Mary E Lambley - Wife- Aged 46- Born 1855 Stamford
Richard W Lambley - Son - Aged 22- Born 1879 Beverstone, Gloucestershire
Ernest W Lambley - Son - Aged 18 - Born 1883 Beverstone, Gloucestershire
John R Lambley - Son - Aged 16 - Born 1885 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Leonard H Lambley - Son - Aged 11- Born 1890 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Charlie G Lambley - Son - Aged 9- Born 1892 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Walter S Lambley - Son - Aged 7 - Born 1894 Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Mary G V Lambley - Daughter - Aged 6 - Born 1895 Westonbirt, Gloucestershire
1911 Census
William Lambley - Head - Aged 57- Born 1854 - Married - Labourer On Farm
Annie Maria Lambley - Daughter - Aged 33 - Born 1878 - Single
Walter Stanley Lambley - Son - Aged 19 - Born 1892 - Labourer On Farm
Violet Mary Lambley - Daughter - Aged 16 - Born 1895 - Single
What the children spotted straight away was the difference in numbers between the 1901 and 1911 censuses. What had happened to the mother and all the sons? We knew that Leonard was going to go to Canada obviously but what about Richard, Ernest, John, Charlie and who was Annie Maria Lambley?
This picture appeared on a family tree labelled as Ernest Lambley (in uniform) so we needed to see whether these two brothers had both joined up in Canada - the cap badge is a Canadian cap badge.
After a bit more digging we found that Ernest had worked at Swindon Railway Works from 1903 and had left the works - having been trained as a fireman, moving to Cardiff and marrying - to go to Canada and work on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1913.
Leonard we then found out had gone to America a lot earlier than this date travelling out in 1906 and settling and being naturalised as an American a few years later. He then joined the American army and was sent to the Philippines before returning, leaving the army and then crossing the border into Canada at about the same time as Ernest was arriving.
Ernest Lambley set sail on the Royal Edward in 1913. In August 1915 the Royal Edward itself became a victim of the war and was torpedoed on its way to Gallipoli with the loss of 935 lives.
Leonard Lambley enlisted in the 28th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry on February 12th 1915. He arrived in France in early 1916 and in April of 1916 Leonard was admitted to the No 3 General Hospital in Boulogne suffering from a gunshot wound to the jaw. Invalided to England to convalesce, Leonard returned to France in July, spending time with the 2nd Entrenching Battalion before rejoining the 28th Battalion in August.
The 28th Battalion was involved in the battle of the Somme and by the 14th of September had moved up to the front lines at Fleurs-Courcelette. With the 27th Battalion on its right and the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles on its left, the 28th was ordered to attack and take a section of the Sugar Trench along the Bapaume Road with the support of at least three tanks, two that became stuck behind the front line. With so many men, there was mass confusion in the trenches but the attack commenced at 6:20 the morning of the 15th, to continue throughout the day. From the war diaries of the 28th for September 15th: although "attack successful and objective obtained", the cost was high for the 28th Battalion with "our estimated casualties 300 OR, Officers 3 killed, 1 missing believed killed, 6 wounded". It is likely that Leonard was one of the wounded.
Leonard was admitted to the No 1 Canadian General Hospital in Etaples on the 18th of September, suffering from gunshot wounds to the leg as well as compound leg fractures. By the 8th of October he had been invalided to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol. Private Leonard Herbert Lambley died on 04 January 1917.
After a bit more digging we found that Ernest had worked at Swindon Railway Works from 1903 and had left the works - having been trained as a fireman, moving to Cardiff and marrying - to go to Canada and work on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1913.
Leonard we then found out had gone to America a lot earlier than this date travelling out in 1906 and settling and being naturalised as an American a few years later. He then joined the American army and was sent to the Philippines before returning, leaving the army and then crossing the border into Canada at about the same time as Ernest was arriving.
Ernest Lambley set sail on the Royal Edward in 1913. In August 1915 the Royal Edward itself became a victim of the war and was torpedoed on its way to Gallipoli with the loss of 935 lives.
Leonard Lambley enlisted in the 28th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry on February 12th 1915. He arrived in France in early 1916 and in April of 1916 Leonard was admitted to the No 3 General Hospital in Boulogne suffering from a gunshot wound to the jaw. Invalided to England to convalesce, Leonard returned to France in July, spending time with the 2nd Entrenching Battalion before rejoining the 28th Battalion in August.
The 28th Battalion was involved in the battle of the Somme and by the 14th of September had moved up to the front lines at Fleurs-Courcelette. With the 27th Battalion on its right and the 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles on its left, the 28th was ordered to attack and take a section of the Sugar Trench along the Bapaume Road with the support of at least three tanks, two that became stuck behind the front line. With so many men, there was mass confusion in the trenches but the attack commenced at 6:20 the morning of the 15th, to continue throughout the day. From the war diaries of the 28th for September 15th: although "attack successful and objective obtained", the cost was high for the 28th Battalion with "our estimated casualties 300 OR, Officers 3 killed, 1 missing believed killed, 6 wounded". It is likely that Leonard was one of the wounded.
Leonard was admitted to the No 1 Canadian General Hospital in Etaples on the 18th of September, suffering from gunshot wounds to the leg as well as compound leg fractures. By the 8th of October he had been invalided to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol. Private Leonard Herbert Lambley died on 04 January 1917.
Leonard wasn't the first of the Lambley sons to have died. His brother Charles was show as being on the 1901 census but not on the 1911 census.
He had died in Tetbury workhouse of "tuberculosis of the iliac bone and exhaustion" in February 1908.
Mary, their mother was also missing from the 1911 census and had been replaced by an older daughter Annie.
Mary Eliza Lambley was buried on 26th January 1903 according to church records for Tetbury. Her cause of death is something which we need to research.
The pupils had many areas which they want us to look into and find out more about such as Mary's cause of death, where Annie the daughter had been and why the two brothers went to Canada, especially Leonard who went earlier than Ernest who definitely had work out there. They also want us to see if there are any existing Lambleys in Tetbury, people who are direct descendants of this family.
As we carry on working through the project we will see what we can find but all of this with these marvellous stories is part of the excitement of historical research.
He had died in Tetbury workhouse of "tuberculosis of the iliac bone and exhaustion" in February 1908.
Mary, their mother was also missing from the 1911 census and had been replaced by an older daughter Annie.
Mary Eliza Lambley was buried on 26th January 1903 according to church records for Tetbury. Her cause of death is something which we need to research.
The pupils had many areas which they want us to look into and find out more about such as Mary's cause of death, where Annie the daughter had been and why the two brothers went to Canada, especially Leonard who went earlier than Ernest who definitely had work out there. They also want us to see if there are any existing Lambleys in Tetbury, people who are direct descendants of this family.
As we carry on working through the project we will see what we can find but all of this with these marvellous stories is part of the excitement of historical research.
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