Harry Adcock of Loughborough

HARRY ADCOCK

1877 - 1968

Macebearer to the Mayor,

and Keeper of the Town Hall.

Harry was born in Loughborough on 24^th March 1877.

He was part of a large family – there were 10 children in total - and they lived in what must have been very ‘snug’ accommodation at 32 Russell Street, Loughborough.

Harry left school and, by the age of 14 was already out at work, working in a local hosiery factory.

At the age of just 15 years, he decided to enlist in the army, joining the Leicestershire Tigers Regiment. In order to join up, he pretended to be 18 years old!

This was the start of a long and eventful military career for Harry.

HARRY’S MILITARY CAREER:

·      Harry was sent with the Leicestershire Regiment to fight in South Africa, in the Boer War.

·      Whilst in South Africa, Harry’s battalion, the 1^st battalion of the Leicestershires, was sent to Ladysmith, where the locals were under siege. The town was relieved, and Harry volunteered to be a stretcher bearer.

·      Later in the Boer War, he was sent to fight at Spion Kop, where he was taken prisoner. Spion Kop was the scene of one of the most violent and deadly battles of the Boer War. It was a defeat for the British Army, and resulted in many British deaths.

·      Harry spent 3 or 4 months as a prisoner in Pretoria. Amongst the other British prisoners with him at the time was a certain Mr Winston Churchill.

·      Amidst all the confusion of war, Harry was reported killed in action, and a memorial service was held for him at Holy Trinity Church, Loughborough.

·      The reports of Harry’s death were, as they say, ‘grossly exaggerated’, and, some time later, Harry turned up safe and well.

·      Harry was awarded the South African Campaign medal.

·      He was discharged from the army in 1904, but re-enlisted in 1914, at the start of World War 1.

·      On 18^th September 1914, Harry became a private in the Leicestershire Regiment once again.

·      In January of 1915, he was promoted to Lance Corporal, and was sent to fight in France.

·      Harry fought with the Leicestershire Regiment in France but later in 1915 he fell ill. His service record mentions his illness but does not go into detail. However, according to the Leicestershire Regiment’s records, Harry became ill after being gassed.

·      Never one to be kept down, Harry recovered sufficiently to join the 17^th Field Ambulance in France.

·      At the end of October 1916, he was sent to Calais, to be returned to England. The following month, he was discharged from the Army.

·      Harry was awarded the Star, British War and Victory medals for his WW1 service.

·      In 1921, Harry re-joined the army, enlisting to do 90 days with the 5^th Leicestershire Regiment. In fact, he served for a year. 

HARRY’S CAREER AFTER THE ARMY:

·      Once Harry had left the 5th Leicestershire Regiment in 1922, he found work with the Loughborough Corporation. (This later became Loughborough Town Council, and is now Charnwood Borough Council.)

·      He was appointed official Mace-Bearer for the Corporation, and Keeper of the Town Hall. Both appointments involved many official, ceremonial duties, and he could often be seen at the head of mayoral parades in the Town.

·      Harry served under many mayors of Loughborough.

·      In 1943, he decided to retire from his position. His last official duty was at the Wings for Victory ceremony, which took place at Loughborough College in the summer of 1943.

·      Local newspapers carried articles about Harry’s retirement. All remarked on his upright and smart appearance, and on the dignity with which Harry had carried out his duties.

HARRY’S FAMILY LIFE:

·      Harry married Florence Bassford on 12^th November 1904.

·      They made their home at 111 Storer Road, Loughborough.

·      The couple went on to have 5 children :

      Lillian, Ivy, Dorothy Mary, Henry and Joyce.

·      Henry, their only son, (also known as Harry) served in the First Army in World War 2.

·      Harry continued to live in Storer Road after his retirement in 1943.

·      He died in Loughborough in 1968, at the age of 91 years.

© Christine Scutt. 2013

Research undertaken by Christine Scutt B.A., MCLIP.

Christine is the great great niece of Harry Adcock. She runs a professional genealogy company, English Ancestry, which undertakes family histories. She can be contacted on 01509 842749, or www.englishancestry.co.uk.

SOURCES:

General Register Office. Births, Marriages and Deaths Registers, 1877 – 1968.

HM Government. Census for England & Wales, 1881 – 1911.

National Archives. WW1 service records, 1914 – 1921.

Mace bearer for 21 years. Mr Harry Adcock – Interesting career. Loughborough Echo. 2^nd July 1943.

Have you a Tiger in your family?  Royal Leicestershire Regiment Archive, 2013

Christine Scutt. 2013.