Cartoonist. WW1 artist. Born Murree, India. He was serving on the western front at the time of the Christmas Truce of 1914 and drew and wrote about it. An article in the 21/9/11, prompted by the erection of a plaque to Bairnsfather in Colwall, gives some details of his life and work.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that in addition to the information on his that Charles Bruce Bairnsfather was born on 9 July 1887 in Murree, Bengal, India (now Pakistan), the eldest of the three children of Thomas Henry Bairnsfather (1859-1944) and Emilia Jane Eliza Every Bairnsfather née Clayton (1860-1958). He was baptised in Murree on 10 August 1887.
His two siblings were: Malcolm Harvey Bairnsfather (1890-1891) and Thomas Duncan Bairnsfather (1897-1949).
He was shown as aged 13 years when the census was undertaken on 31 March 1901. He was living in a house in Buckleigh, Abbotsham, Devon, with his parents and his brother Thomas Duncan Bairnsfather, together with three female domestic servants. His father was described as a Major. Indian Staff Corps, Retired.
He was described as aged 23 years and an electrical engineer on the census return form that was completed by his father on 2 April 1911. He was living in a ten roomed property at Bishopton, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, with his parents, together with a cook and a housemaid. His father listed himself as a Major, Indian Army - Retired, and also confirmed that his wife had given birth to three children, but that only two were still alive.
On 1 March 1907 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment (formally the 1st Warwick Militia). The confirms that he had been a Second Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and that on 11 September 1914 he was transferred to the regiment's 3rd Battalion. He entered France on 29 November 1914 and was later promoted to the rank of Captain. Following the end of the war his application for the award of the 1914 Star was refused as he had not entered France before the cut-off date of 22 November 1914. He was therefore awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
Electoral registers in 1920 and 1921 list him at 1 Sterling Street, London SW7 and from 1920 to 1923 at Upper Waldridge, Dinton, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
On 15 January 1921 he married Cecilia Agnes Bruton (1886-1966) in the London City Registration District. His wife had recently become divorced from the Honourable Michael Scott (1878-1959) - the youngest son of the Earl of Eldon (1845-1926). Their daughter, Barbara Bruce Bairnsfather (1922-2013) was born on 26 December 1922.
Electoral registers in 1923 and 1924 show him and his wife listed at 17 John Street, London, WC2. In the April 1924 London A-Z telephone directory he is shown as Bairnsfather, Bruce 17 John Street, WC2, Gerrard 4010 and in the October 1924 edition he was listed at 38 Tedworth Square, SW3, Kensington 3978.
Electoral registers show him and his wife also listed in 1925 and 1926 at 38 Tedworth Square, London, SW3, from 1934 to 1938 at Piltdown Cottage, Maresfield, East Grinstead, East Sussex, in 1938 at 7 Scarsdale Studios, Stratford Road, London, W8, in 1939 at 4 Pembroke Studios, Pembroke Gardens, London, W8, from 1947 to 1948 at Old Forge, Northchapel, Petworth, Chichester, West Sussex, from 1948 to 1952 at Barn Close, Northchapel, Petworth and in 1956 at Two Rivers, Palace Estate, Thames Ditton, Surrey.
Probate records show that when his mother died on 31 December 1958 at Mount Alvernia, Godalming, Surrey, he was her executor and he was described as an artist. Probate was granted on 1 April 1959 and her effects totalled £59-3s-4d.
His death was registered as aged 71 years in the 3rd quarter of 1959 in the Worcester Registration District, Worcestershire. Probate records confirm that his address had been Chapel Cottage, Littleworth Norton, Worcestershire, but that he died on 29 September 1959 at The Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Worcester. The gives his date of birth as 9 July 1888 and that he is commemorated by a bronze kerb plaque in Cheltenham Cemetery and Crematorium, Bouncers Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 5JT. Probate was granted on 14 December 1959 to Henry Charles Wanstall - a solicitor and his effects totalled £3,154-8s-8d.
He also commemorated as 'BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER 1888-1959' on the Greater London Council's memorial plaque attached to 7 Sterling Street, London, SW7 1HN.
There is obviously a conflict as to his year of birth. His officer service record shows his date of birth as 9 July 1887 and his ages that are given on the census returns in 1901 and 1911 would also imply he was born in 1887. If this is his correct date of birth then he was aged 72 years when he died and the plaques are incorrect. We have opted to use the 1887 year of birth.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them