Frederick James Jeffers was born on 13 December 1874, one of the nine children of Thomas Edwin Jeffers (1842-1919) and Catherine Jeffers née Meredith (1846-1883). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1875 in the Marylebone Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 13 June 1875 he was baptised at St Mark's Chapel (now known as Mercato Mayfair), North Audley Street, Westminster, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the baptismal register his family address was shown as 5 Marylebone Lane, Marylebone and that his father was a wood turner.
In the 1881 census he is shown as aged 6 years and a scholar living 80 East Street, Marylebone, with his parents and six siblings: Thomas William Jeffers (1869-1895) - a scholar; Maria Kate Jeffers (1870-1949) - a scholar; Eliza Anne Jeffers (1872-1883) - a scholar; Edwin Herbert Jeffers (1874-1918) - a scholar; Catherine Mary Jeffers (1876-1954) - a scholar and Henrietta Julia Jeffers (1879-1966), together with a paternal aunt Ann Jeffers (1838-1910) who was described as an artificial florist, whilst his father was still listed as a wood turner.
In May 1889 he was appointed as telegraph messenger in West London. He was re-graded as a boy sorter in April 1891 and in February 1893 he moved to the Western District Office as a postman.
He was described as aged 26 years and a letter carrier in the 1901 census, living at 38 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London, with his widowed father, who continued to listed as a wood turner, together with three of his surviving siblings: Edwin Herbert Jeffers who was also shown as wood turner; Catherine Mary Jeffers and Henrietta Julia Jeffers.
On 23 July 1905, on 30 July 1905 and on 8 August 1905 marriage banns were read at St Mary’s Church, Paddington Green and on 30 August 1905 he was married there to Caroline Bayly (1872-1960). The marriage register shows him as aged 30 years, a bachelor and a postman residing in the parish church of St Marylebone whilst his wife was described as aged 33 years and a spinster living in Dudley Place, Paddington, the daughter of George Bayly, a hat maker.
The family were living at 30 Formosa Street, Paddington when their daughter Gladys Caroline Jeffers (1906-1989) was baptised on 6 July 1906 and at 13 Formosa Street, Paddington when their son, Frederick Raymond Jeffers (1907-1989) was baptised on 3 November 1907.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 36 years and a postman living in three rooms at 38 Oakington Road, Paddington, with his wife and their two children.
He joined the Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex) Regiment, service number TF/2448 and served in both the 2nd/9th and 2nd/10th Battalions. He entered The Balkans theatre of war on 15 July 1915 and when his battalion was being evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt, as Corporal, he died of enteric disease, aged 40 years, on 8 December 1915 at sea. His body was committed to the sea and he is commemorated on Stone No.155 of the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey.
On 13 January 1916 the Post Office paid his widow his £107-17s-8d gratuity in respect of his 22 years and 9 months service at Royal Mail. Their records also confirm his date of birth as 13 December 1874. His army effects totalling £9-10s-2d were sent to his widow on 15 April 1916.
Probate records confirm his address to have been 38 Oakington Road, Paddington and that when administration with a will was granted to his widow on 29 June 1916 his effects totalled £402-17s-8d. On 5 September 1919 his widow was sent his £5-10s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'JEFFERS, F.J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the 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 War memorial website on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 196 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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