Herbert Henry Leonard was born on 2 August 1877 in Dilton Marsh, Wiltshire, the fifth of the six children of James Leonard (b.1838) and Mary Leonard née Gale (b1840).
In the 1881 census he is shown as a scholar living in a cottage in Clivey, Dilton Marsh, Westbury, Wiltshire, with his parents and five siblings: Edward Leonard (b. 1867), Eliza Leonard (b.1870), Emily Leonard (b.1872), Flora Leonard (b.1874) and Arthur Leonard (b.1879). His father was described as a farmer of 9 acres and haulier.
Both he and his brother, Arthur, were baptised on 30 October 1887 in St Matthew's Church, Westminster, where the baptismal registers show the family residing at 15 Romney Place, Holland Street and that their father was a market gardener. (Holland Street was subsequently renamed as Monck Street).
On 4 August 1891, aged 14 years, he enlisted as a Boy soldier for twelve years in the 2nd Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment, service number 3032 and was appointed as a Drummer on 1 April 1893. From 20 March 1893 to 6 November 1893 he was posted to India. Having returned to England, three years later on 16 December 1899, as part of the 6th Mounted Infantry of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment he went to South Africa and remained there until it returned home on 22 May 1903. During this time he was appointed as an unpaid Lance Corporal on 20 January 1901 and as a paid Lance Corporal on 25 March 1903. He was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with 5 clasps: Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill & Wittebergen and the King's South Africa Medal with both the 1901 & 1902 clasps. He was discharged from the army on the completion of his twelve years service on 3 August 1903 and went to live at 23 Alexandra Road, Mortlake.
On 11 February 1906 he married Eliza Jane Turner (1885-1953) in Christ Church, Temple Sheen Road, London, SW14, where the marriage register shows him as a labourer of 13 Trehern Road, Mortlake and his wife was recorded as a spinster of 11 Hampton Square, Mortlake. They had five children; Nellie Rosina Leonard (1906-1990), Herbert Edward Arthur Leonard (1907-1974), Daisy May Leonard (1909-1997), Roberts James Leonard (1912-1981), Evelyn Ethel Edith Leonard (1914-1977) and Katie Doris Leonard (1915-1959).
When he completed his 1911 census return he described himself as a brewer's labourer living in a three roomed property at 54 Alexandra Road, Mortlake, with his wife and three children: Nellie, Herbert and Daisy.
As an employee of the brewing company Watney Combe Reid, on 22 September 1914 he joined No.4 Supernumerary Company of the 2nd/6th Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, service number 20404, giving his home address as 25 Trinity Cottages, Richmond, Surrey, and his occupation as a brewery foreman. He was immediately appointed as a Corporal. He developed a cough in January 1915 and in July 1915 reported sick. He was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and having been admitted into The Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, Brompton, SW London, on 10 December 1915 he was discharged from the army as no longer fit for service.
The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects confirms that he was discharged from the army in December 1915 and that he died, aged 38 years, on 16 May 1916. His £4-15s-0d war gratuity was sent on 17 February 1920 to his widow, who by then had remarried in 1918 to Leslie Brook (1890-1974) and was living at 6 Trinity Road, Richmond.
He was buried in Plot Z, Grave 5916 in Richmond Cemetery, Lower Grove Road, Richmond, TW10 6HP. He is also commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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