Benjamin John Furniss was born on 1 February 1879 in Marylebone, Middlesex (now Greater London), one of the ten children of Benjamin John Furniss (1847-1913) and Ellen Martin Furniss née Grearson (1851-1893). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1879 in the Marylebone Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London). On 14 September 1879 he was baptised at St Luke’s Church, Marylebone, where the baptismal register shows his date of birth, that the family were living at 29 Brown Street, Marylebone and that his father was a bootmaker.
In the 1881 census he was shown as aged 2 years and still living at 29 Brown Street, Marylebone, with his parents and four siblings: Ellen Louise Furniss (1872-1948); Minnie Furniss (b.1873); Sarah Grace Furniss (1875-1925) and Jessie Frances Furniss (1881-1958). His father continued to be listed as bootmaker.
He was recorded as aged 12 years and a scholar in the 1891 census, living at 45 Shouldham Street, Marylebone, with his parents and eight siblings: Ellen Louise Furniss; Minnie Furniss; Sarah Grace Furniss; Jessie Frances Furniss; Edward Richard Furniss (1883-1964); Florence Elizabeth Furniss (1884-1947); Rose Ada Furniss (1886-1976 and Bessie Edith Furniss (1889-1943). His father continued to be listed as bootmaker.
When the 1901 census was undertaken he was described as aged 22 years and a builder's labourer residing in four rooms at 3 Edgware Place, Paddington, London, with his widowed father who was shown as bootmaker working at home and four siblings: Jessie Frances Furniss, a domestic; Florence Elizabeth Furniss, an embroideress; Rose Ada Furniss and Bessie Edith Furniss.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form showing the family were living in five rooms at 15 Crompton Street, Paddington, he was shown as aged 32 years and a lamp-lighter. His father described himself as a widower and a lamp-lighter pensioner who confirmed that he and his late wife had ten children of whom only nine were still surviving. Also at the address were: Sarah Grace Furniss - a dressmaker; Jessie Frances Furniss - domestic; Rosa Ada Furniss - a military gold embroideress and Bessie Edith Furniss - a tailoress.
On 1 August 1915 he married Nellie Edith Palmer (1879-1962) in the Parish Church of St Marylebone, London, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 35 years, a bachelor and civil servant residing at 8 Saville Street, London W, (now renamed as Hanson Street, London, W1), whilst his wife was described as aged 36 years, a spinster, living at the same address, the daughter of William Palmer, deceased porter.
He enlisted into the Rifle Brigade on 11 December 1915 and gave his occupation as a Post Office sorter living at 126 Stanhope Street, Regent's Park, London. On 12 July 1916 he was mobilized and posted into the 3rd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), service number S/24260. He entered France on 18 November 1916. He was posted missing, believed killed in action on 21 June 1917, aged 38 years and is commemorated on Panels 46-48 and 50 of the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Menenstraat, 8900 Ieper, Belgium.
His widow was sent his army effects totalling £1-17s-1d on 7 January 1918 and on 18 July 1918 she was awarded a pension of 13s-9d per week. She was also sent his £3-0s-0d war gratuity on 31 October 1919. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'FURNISS, B. 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, and on the London WW1 Memorial website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
