Ernest Fulford was born on 5 July 1890 in Islington, London, the youngest of the three children of John Philip Fulford (1856-1938) and Isabelle Ann Fulford née Lee (1850-1895). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1890 in the Islington Registration District. He was baptised on 30 July 1890 at St Marks Church, Tollington Park, Islington, where the baptismal register shows that his family were living at 103 Corbyn Street, Islington and that his father was an upholsterer.
When he aged 4 years, his mother died, her death being registered as aged 42 years, in the 1st quarter of 1895 in the Islington Registration District.
In the 1901 census he was shown as aged 10 years and living in three rooms at 321 Hornsey Road, Upper Holloway, Islington, with his widowed father, aged 45 years, who was still shown as an upholsterer, his sister Isabel Fulford (1883-1940) aged 17 years and Philip Fulford (1885-1963) aged 15 years.
On 20 July 1907 his father married Frances Amelia Coombe (1867-1936) in the Parish Church of Emanuel, Holloway, London, where in the marriage register he was shown as aged 50 years, a widower and upholsterer living at 90 Tollington Road, Islington, whilst his wife was described as aged 38 years, a spinster residing at the same address, the daughter of Charles Coombe, a boot salesman.
In October 1909 he was appointed as a Postman in the London Postal Region (North).
When his father completed the April 1911 census return form, the family was shown as living in 5 rooms at 44 Landseer Road, Upper Holloway. He was described as aged 20 years, single and a postman employed by the Post Office. His father showed himself as aged 55 years, married and a grocer & provisions merchant (shopkeeper). His step-mother was listed as aged 41 years, married for 6 years but without children and assisting in her husband's business. His brother was recorded as aged 25 years, single and a Civil Service clerk in the Post Office. Also on the census form was a female domestic general servant.
In September 1911 he was transferred as a Postman to the London Western District Office.
In August 1914 he enlisted as a Rifleman the 8th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), service number 2031 and entered France on 18 March 1915. He was promoted to Corporal and in 1917 his service number was changed to 370429. He was killed in action, aged 26 years, on 19 February 1917 and his body was buried in Plot 1, Row C, Grave 6 in the Bedford House Cemetery Enclosure No.4, Waastensestraat, 8902 Ieper, Belgium.
On 12 May 1917 he was awarded a gratuity of £89-2s-6d by the Post Office that was paid to his father, the legal documents confirming his date of birth as 5 July 1890. Probate of his estate was granted on 23 July 1918 to his father who was still listed as a grocer. His effects totalled £186. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'FULFORD, E.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, on the A Street Near You website, on the London WW1 Memorial website and on Page 134 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
