From the oundle-heritage.daisy.websds.net website we learn that Norman Charles Achille Negretti was the third and youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. J. Negretti of Frognal, Hampstead, where he was born on July 14, 1897. He entered Oundle (Laxton House) in September 1911 and left in December 1914. He was to have studied modern languages on the Continent, but, this being impossible, went for a time to a tutor at Maidenhead, before enlisting in the Inns of Court O.T.C. He trained at Berkhamstead, and in May 1916 was gazetted to the Middlesex Regiment, with whom he went to France in September.
He was killed on January 30, 1917. He is buried in Dickebusch Military Cemetery, near Poperinghe.
Norman Charles Achille Negretti was born on 14 July 1897 one of the five children of Henry Paul Joseph Negretti (1851-1919) and Eliza Negretti née Nuttall (1855-1936). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1897 in the Hampstead Registration District, London. On 2 October 1897 he was baptised in St John's Church, Hampstead, where in the baptismal register his family are shown as living at Manor House, Frognal, Hampstead, and that his father was an optician.
He was shown as aged 3 years in the 1901 census, living at 4 Victoria Terrace, Worthing, West Sussex, with his parents, his sister Maria Negretti, aged 20 years, together with two female domestic nurses. His father continued to be shown as an optician.
In the 1911 census he was shown as aged 13 years and a pupil at Pelham House Preparatory School, West Folkestone, Kent, whilst his parents were shown as living in 15 roomed property at 57 Frognal Lane, Hampstead, with his brother Noel Negretti who was listed as an optician export merchant, his sister Annie D. Negretti, together with a butler, a nurse, a cook, a parlour-maid, two housemaids and a kitchen-maid.
Having served as a Private in the Inns of Court (Officer Training Corps), service number 5712, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment and was serving in their 23rd Battalion when he was killed in action, aged 19 years, on 30 January 1917. His body was buried in Plot1, Row M, Grave 40, in the Dickebusch New Military Cemetery, Kerkstraat, Dickebusch, Ieper, Belgium.
His £43-5s-0d army effects were sent to his father on 30 May 1917. Probate records confirm that his address had been Manor House, Frognal, Middlesex, and that when administration of his estate was granted to his father on 28 August 1917 his effects totalled £216-17s-8d. His £5-0s-0d war gratuity was sent to his widowed mother on 3 February 1920. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'NORMAN. C. A. NEGRETTI' on the St John's Hampstead war memorial, Church Road, London, NW3, as 'Norman Charles Achille Negretti 2nd Lieut. Middlesex Regt.' on a plaque within Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead, Church Row, London, NW3 6UU and as 'Negretti, N.C.A.' on the Oundle School War Memorial, within the Chapel of St. Anthony, Oundle School Chapel, Milton Road, Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4AB.
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 Memorial website and on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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