Born in Gunthorpe, in 1886, the son of Robert Bambridge and Caroline (nee
Fuller) of Gunthorpe. There is some difficulty tracking down people with the
surname Bambridge in this area as there are many! But with some certainty this
would appear to be the correct family link.
There are two burial records in Gunthorpe for a Robert Bambridge preceding
the 1901 census so it is no surprise that we find his widow Caroline remarrying.
She married Henry Ashby in Sharrington on 27th October 1895 and was
boarding with another agricultural worker – John Mindham, a widower, at the
time of the census. But also boarding here is Henrys father Joseph. Caroline’s
children – Elijah and Adeline, are with them too.
Sadly Caroline died in 1902 and was buried in Sharrington on 7th August 1902.
Which is why we see Elijah, at the time of the 1911 census, a boarder with
Thomas Yarham and his family. They are living on the Fakenham road and he
is working as a farm labourer.
Private 14969 Elijah served in the Essex Regiment and died in the UK being
sent home wounded, dying on 29th July 1917.
Like many injured soldiers Elijah was sent to one of many hospitals established
here and in Europe during the conflict. Built as an asylum in 1896 the Lord
Derby War hospital on the Winwick Rectory Estate, Warrington in Lancashire
was a military hospital in both world wars with 2,160 beds. During 1915 – 1920
they treated over 56,000 wounded soldiers. Unfortunately Elijah was not to
survive and was buried in Sharrington church yard on 2nd August 1917 aged 31
years.
To add to the tragedy Elijah’s brother in law, Alfred Charles Allison was also
killed and is commemorated on our memorial too. (See separate account)