Bertram Horace W. Peckham was born on 20 June 1883 in Winton, Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1883 in the Christchurch Registration District, Hampshire. His mother was Eliza Jane Peckham (1853-1925).
In the 1891 census he is shown as Bertram Peckham, aged 7 years and residing in Hordle, Hampshire, in the home of his blind grandfather James Peckham, aged 71 years, a retired agricultural labourer and his grandmother Mary Peckham, aged 65 years.
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was shown as Bertram H. H. Peckham, aged 17 years and a gardener, living at Ashley Manor Farm, Milton, Hampshire, with his mother and his step-father, Robert Lowman (1838-1929), an insurance agent.
On 9 September 1902 as Bertram Peckham, he signed on for 12 years in the Royal Navy, service number P/301582 as a Stoker 2nd Class. He was promoted to Stoker on 11 February 1906, to Stoker 1st Class on 1 July 1906 and to Leading Stoker on 22 February 1907. On 11 November 1908 he purchased his release from his Royal Navy service and was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve, service number RFR/PO/B/2854.
On 8 October 1910 he married Rose Myrtle May Corbin (1890-1962) in the parish church in Milton, Hampshire, where in the marriage register he is shown as Bertram Horace Peckham, aged 27 years, a bachelor and a gardener residing in Ashley, Hampshire. The details of his father's name and occupation have been left blank. His wife was shown as aged 20 years and a spinster living in Bashley, Hampshire, the daughter of Charles Corbin, a labourer.
He was listed in the 1911 census as Bertram Horace Peckham, aged 27 years, a nursery garden labourer, boarding in the six roomed home of Mary Ann Wheatley, a 63-year-old widow, at Station Road, New Milton, Hampshire, with his wife and their under 3-month-old son, Bertram Robert Victor Peckham (1911-1940).
In September 1913 he was, as Bertram H. W. Peckham, appointed as a postman in the Post Office's London Western District Office.
With the approach of World War One he was, on 13 July 1914, recalled to active service and was posted to , a Drake class armoured cruiser. He, along with all the 926 officers and men of the ship were killed in action on 1 November 1914 at the Battle of Coronel, off Chile, South America, when the ship was sunk. As he has no known grave, he is commemorated as 'PECKHAM B.' on Panel 4 of the , Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO5 3SB.
He is shown as 'PECKHAM, B.H.W.' on the Western Postal District war memorial, Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the , Ashley Common Road, New Milton, BH25 5AJ, on the , Ashley Road, New Milton, BH25 6DT, on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them