Albert Edward Kells was born on 21 April 1882 in Kennington, Surrey (now Greater London), one of the fifteen children of Trumpet-Major Robert Kells, V.C. (1832-1905) and Sarah Ann Kells née Matthews (1851-1927). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1882 in the Lambeth Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London). His father was a Yeoman of the Guard who was awarded his Victoria Cross whilst serving as a Lance Corporal in the 9th/12th (Queens Royal) Lancers at Boolundshuhur (currently called Bulandshahr), India, during the Indian Mutiny on 28 September 1857, aged 25 years.
On 26 August 1889 he attended Battersea Park Road School. Battersea, London, now called Chesterton Primary School, along with two of his older brothers: Samuel John Kells (b.1877) and James Kells (1879-1937). The school admissions register confirms his date of birth and showed that his family were living at 30 Park Grove, Battersea, that all three brothers had previously attended school at Aragon Road, Twickenham, Middlesex (now Greater London) and remained at Battersea Park Road School until 18 July 1891 when they were all removed.
The 1891 census shows him as aged 9 years and a scholar, living at 43 Landseer Street, Battersea, with his parents and eight of his siblings: Thomas Henry Kells (1872-1907) - a printer and compositor; Sarah Gertrude Kells (1874-1961); Samuel Kells (b.1874); James Kells - a scholar; Alice Beatrice Kells (1885-1944) - a scholar; Florence Jane Kells (1886-1952) - a scholar; Frederick George Kells (1889-1930) and Philip Ernest Kells (1890-1937). His father was described as a pensioner.
On 15 October 1898 he enlisted into the North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales) Regiment as a Boy and served in their ‘B’ company, 2nd Battalion. His service number was 5746. He was promoted to Drummer on 1 October 1899. The regiment was posted to South Africa during the Boer War and he was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with the Transvaal Clasp.
In the census that was taken on 31 March 1901 he was shown as Albert Kells, aged 19 years and a soldier who had been born in Kentish Town, London and who was living in Hutment Barracks, a military station in Fleetwood, Lancashire. On 18 July 1903 his father paid £18 to buy his son out of the army. (This was later repaid to his widowed mother when he re-enlisted in the army during World War One). On 20 November 1904 he was appointed as an assistant postman in Battersea and was paid 18 shillings per week. He was promoted to the grade of postman on 17 December 1904.
On 27 March 1910 he married Margaret Isabel Annie Strickland (1884-1970) in St Peter's Church, Brighton, Sussex, where in the marriage register he is shown as a bachelor and a postman living at 35 Cheltenham Place, Brighton, whilst his wife was described as a spinster residing at the same address, the daughter of John Strickland, a dairy-man. They had two children, Marjorie Eileen Jane Kells (1911-2001) who was born on 17 March 1911 and Robert William John Kells (1914-2008) who was born on 19 January 1914.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as aged 28 years and G.P.O. postman living in three rooms at 70 Standen Road, Southfields, Wandsworth, London, with his wife and their daughter. He is also shown on the electoral registers as being there in 1912, 1913 and 1914. In August 1912 he was transferred as a postman to London’s Western District Office.
He re-enlisted into the army on 26 February 1915, initially as a Pioneer before being regraded as a Sapper, joining the Royal Engineers Postal Section, service number 30548 and entered France on 12 March 1915. Suffering from shell shock he was returned to England and after treatment at various hospitals he committed suicide by cutting his own throat, aged 34 years, on 18 September 1916 at Summerdown Camp, Eastbourne, Sussex. His death was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1916 in the Eastbourne Registration District. He was buried in Plot PG, Grave 77, Brighton (Woodvale) Borough Cemetery, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 3QB.
His widow was by now living at 18 Gladstone Terrace, Brighton and on 20 October 1916 the Royal Mail sent her his £102-13s-4d gratuity for his 11 years and 9 months Post Office service. Probate records confirm that his address had been 35 Cheltenham Place, Brighton and that when administration of his estate was granted to his widow on 4 December 1916 his effects totalled £217-10s-0d. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'KELLS, A.E.' on the Western Postal District war memorial at Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and as 'A•E•KELLS' on the Brighton war memorial at North Steine Gardens, The Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1GY. 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 For Evermore Stories of the Fallen website, the A Street Near You website, on the Roll of Honour website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website and on page 206 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1914-1920.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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