Albert Lancelot Haley was born on 11 October 1882, a son of James Alexander Haley (1828-1902) and Emma Haley née Harrison (1842-1913). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1882 in the Kingston Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London). On 9 January 1883 he was baptised in St Peter and St Paul Church, Upper Teddington, Middlesex (now Greater London), where the baptismal register confirms his date of birth, that his family lived in Upper Teddington and that his father was a beer house keeper.
In the 1891 census he was shown as Albert Haley, aged 10 years and a scholar. He was living at 3 Roseberry Cottage, Railway Road, Teddington, with his parents and three of his siblings: Emma Haley (1864-1943); Harry Haley (1870-1949) a watch maker and Frederick Harold Haley (1879-1954) a scholar. His father was listed as a pensioner.
He was still living at 3 Roseberry Cottage, Teddington, when the 1901 census was undertaken. He was shown as Albert Haley, aged 20 years and a watch maker, living with his parents. His father was described as an army pensioner.
He married Annie Gwilliam (1879-1963) in the 1st quarter of 1903 in the Kingston Registration District and they had three children: James Alexander Haley (1903-1998); Joseph Albert Haley (1905-1998) and Arthur Harry Haley (1908-2001).
The London & South Western Railway employment records, which also confirm his date of birth, show that he was appointed as a porter on 16 December 1903 at Waterloo, London, at the rate of 15 shillings per week. He was recorded as living in Teddington and on 28 December 1903 he was made a carriage cleaner at Kingston. He reverted to the grade of porter at Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) on 4 August 1904 and his weekly wage was increased to 16 shillings on 16 February 1905, to 17 shillings on 15 March 1906 and to 18 shillings on 14 March 1907. On 19 May 1910 he was moved to Addlestone, Surrey and his wage as a porter was increased to 19 shillings per week on 7 December 1911.
When he completed his 1911 census return form, he listed himself as Albert Haley, aged 32 years, married with three children, a railway porter living in three rooms at 106 Station Road, Addlestone, with his wife and their three children.
On 11 December 1915 he volunteered for army service and served in the 4th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), service number G/12697. He entered France on 2 January 1916 and was holding the rank of Acting Corporal when he was severely wounded on 17 August 1916 and died, aged 33 years, in the No.21 Casualty Clearing Station on 20 August 1916 in La Neuville, France. His body was buried in Plot 2, Row A, Grave 32, in the La Neuville British Cemetery, 80800 Corbie, France.
On 11 December 1916 his army effects totalling £3-18s-4d were sent to his widow who was also sent his £7-10s-0d war gratuity on 10 September 1919 and who by now was living at 18 Alexandra Road, Addlestone. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as HALEY. A.L. Cor. on the Teddington war memorial at Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0JL and as HALEY · ALBERT · L both on the stone pillars of the gates at the entrance to Victory Park, High Street, Addlestone, KT15 2UB and on the Rood Screen at St Paul's Church, Church Road, Addlestone, KT15 1SJ.
He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website who give his age incorrectly as 36 years, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the Surrey in the Great War website and on the Royal British Legion's Everyone Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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