William Stuart Lock Maxwell was born in Brixton, one of the six children of William Henry Maxwell (1864-1938) and Agnes Sarah Maxwell née Lock (1864-1953). His birth was registered in 4th quarter of 1892 in the Lambeth registration district.
The Redbridge Museum website gives much detail about this man.
The 1901 census shows him living at 20 Thornton Street, Brixton, with his parents and four siblings: Nellie Elizabeth Maxwell (b.1888), Bernard Maxwell (1895-1970), Charles Stewart Maxwell (1897-1973) and Ada Blanche Maxwell (1899-1980). His father was described as a foreman carpenter.
When his father completed the 1911 census return form he is shown as a railway clerk living in a six room property called Mayville, West Grove, Woodford Green, London, with his parents and three siblings: Bernard, Charles and Ada. His father described himself as a foreman carpenter employed at Kennel & Poultry Houses. His brother Charles was a confectioner's clerk, whilst his other siblings were shown as still at school.
He enlisted in 1914 at Bow into the 17th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment, (Poplar and Stepney Rifles), service number 2417 and entered France on 24 June 1916. On 25 November 1916 he and his battalion were sent to Salonika (now called Thessaloniki), Greece, where he arrived on 1 December 1916. On 1 January 1917 Territorial Force service numbers were changed and his became 570655. The battalion was moved on 15 June 1917 to Egypt where he arrived on 18 June 1917.
Having risen to the rank of Serjeant he was serving in the regiment's 2nd/17th (County of London) Battalion) when he died of wounds, aged 25 years, on 18 November 1917 at the British Red Cross Hospital, Giza, Egypt and was buried in Row F, Grave 348 in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. His army effects totalling £13-17s-8d were sent to his father on 5 April 1918 and his £17-10s-0d war gratuity was also despatched to his father on 20 November 1919 at 34, West Grove, Woodford Green, Essex. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is commemorated as W. S. L. Maxwell on the St Barnabas, Woodford Green, war memorial and as W. Maxwell on the WW1 Monument at Liverpool Street Station. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and in the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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