Frederick Haver was born in October 1881 the eldest of the 12 children of Robert John Haver (1858-1904) and Eliza Haver née Jarman (b.1859). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1881 in the Bethnal Green Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London).
In the 1891 census he was shown as aged 9 years and living in two rooms at 16 Mills Court, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, London, with his parents and his four siblings: Mary Ann Haver (b.circa 1884); Robert John Haver (b.circa 1886); Martha Haver (b.circa 1888-1962) and Thomas Haver (1891-1891). His father was described as a sawyer.
Having served for a short period in the Middlesex Militia, on 20 February 1900 he enlisted in The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment), service number L/6356, giving his occupation as a labourer. He was posted to their 1st Battalion where he saw action in the 2nd Boer War and was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with two clasps: Transvaal and Orange Free State and also the King's South Africa Medal with both the 1901 and 1902 clasps. Between 1903 and 1907 he served in India in locations including Peshawar, Sialkot (both now in Pakistan) and Amritsar. His military record shows that was confined to barracks on 28 August 1901 for taking off his bandolier without permission and 5 days confined to barracks on 16 October 1905 for not complying with an order. On 16 February 1906 he was reported for having a greasy greatcoat on a guard mounting parade for which he was awarded two extra guard duties and confined to barracks for 5 days. On 5 October 1906 he was confined to barracks for 7 days for irregular conduct (quarrelling with a native orderly the day before) and on 3 January 1907 he was reported for slackness on sentry duty and given one extra guard duty. He transferred to the Army Reserve on 20 February 1908 having completed eight years service.
He was shown in the 1911 census as aged 29 years and a restaurant window cleaner living at 104 Coventry Street (now renamed as Coventry Road), Bethnal Green, with his widowed mother and four siblings: Martha Haver (b.circa 1888) - a presser in the tailoring trade; Louisa Haver (1896-1964) - a coat finisher in the tailoring trade; William Haver (b.circa 1898-1976) - at school and Eliza Haver (1900-1987) - also at school.
On 7 April 1912 he married Annie Miles at St John the Evangelist Parish Church, Upper Edmonton, Middlesex (now Greater London) where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 30 years, a bachelor and a porter living at 26 Florence Road, Upper Edmonton, whilst his wife was described as aged 29 years, a spinster and a cook, also residing at 26 Florence Road, the daughter of John Miles, an engineer. They had one son, Frederick John Haver (1913-1985) who was born on 13 March 1913 in the St Pancras Registration District, London.
In November 1913 he was appointed as a Porter in the London Postal Service.
As he was in the Army Reserve he was mobilised on 5 August 1914 following the declaration of war with Germany the day before. The family were living at 125 Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, London. He entered France with his old regiment on 11 September 1914 and was reported missing, killed in action on 31 October 1914, aged 34 years, in the Battle of Gheluvelt, Belgium. As he had no known grave he also commemorated on panels 11-13 and 14 on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Menenstraat, Ypres (now known as Ieper), Belgium.
His widow was awarded a pension of 15 shillings per week for herself and one child. Probate of his will was granted on 19 July 1916 to his widow who was living at 52 Queen’s Gate, Kentish Town and his effects totalled £80-19s-5d. By 28 September 1916 his army effects totalling £9-14s-11d were sent to his widow and by 7 January 1920 she had also been sent his £3-0s-0d war gratuity. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star with the '5th Aug - 22nd Nov 1914' Clasp, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'HAVER. F.' 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 London WW1 Memorial website, on page 168 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920, on the A Street Near You website and on the Royal British Legion's Everyone Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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