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Essex Regiment/HRH Prince Christian Victor Memorial Cottage Homes. 144 & 146 Woodman Road, Warley, Essex CM14 5AJ.

Colonel Thomas Stock, who was in command at Warley, led a local campaign to raise funds for memorial cottages at Warley in memory of the officers and men of the Essex Regiment. Supported by local subscription, public donations and the Prince Christian Victor Memorial Fund. By 1904, sufficient funds were raised to erect two semi-detached cottages, containing 5 rooms each at within the grounds of Warley Asylum at Woodman Road. The site was purchased for £600 with an additional £300 being invested to provide finance for future expenses relating to the cottages. Agreement was reached that one soldier from the two Essex Regular Infantry Battalions would each be entitled to one of the cottages on a rent free basis.

Some of the first occupants were Sergeant Bartholomew Gordon of the 2nd Essex ( 56th West Essex) Battalion and Sergeant Edward Thomas England of the 1st Essex (44th East Essex) Battalion, who was a veteran of the Indian Mutiny and the China Campaigns. I understand that the latter died in 1925 at the age of 88 years.

The 1911 Census reveals William Stearn, b.1874 Navestock, Essex, “Army Pensioner Blind Through South Africa War” and his wife Elizabeth, living at Memorial Homes, Woodman Road. He also appears on the 1921 and 1939 Censuses, living at Essex Regimental Memorial Homes (1921), 146 Woodman Road (1939). Died 1956. I understand that he enlisted 1890, 1st Battalion Essex Regiment No. 2878, Private, casualty South Africa 1899-1902. South Africa Medal with Paardeberg, Dreifontein, Relief of Kimberley clasps.

The 1939 Census also reveals (144 Woodman Road), Ernest Lee b. 25th March 1877, army pensioner (ARP Brentwood, telephone control) and wife Mary E and two daughters.

The occupancy of the houses was controlled by the Hon. Secretary of the Essex Regimental Association at Warley Barracks who advertised locally whenever there was a vacancy, inviting applications from Essex Regiment Pensioners.

The use of these houses continued until both the site of Warley Hospital and the barracks were sold for housing development. Taken over by Haig Housing Homes for the Veteran Community in 2004.

Dorsetshire Regiment/HRH Prince Christian Victor Memorial Cottage Home - 49 Alexandra Road (formerly numbered 24), Dorchester, Dorset DT1 2LZ.

This building was purchased in 1902, by the Dorset Regiment and with assistance from The Soldiers' and Sailors' Help Society in memory of H H Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig- Holstein and officers and men of the regiment who fell in the war in South Africa. It is an example of an existing dwelling that was purchased by a regiment rather than being built from scratch.

An article in the Western Chronicle dated 31st December 1902, reports the opening of the memorial cottage home on a site "...pleasantly situated at the top of Alexandra Road in the Victoria Park, Dorchester, and will be at once recognisable by the visitors, by reason of the striking carving..." The carving was undertaken by Cllr E C Westcott.

Google image (see below), although somewhat blurred, appear to show the Dorset Regiment badge carved in stone on the front elevation - "the striking carving"? (To me, this lppears to be a castle with a scroll, 'Primus in Indus', within a wreath, surmounted by a sphinx.)

The 1911 Census reveals the occupants of 24 Alexandra Road as Harry Shirley (army pensioner) and his family. H Shirley is mentioned in the 1902 newspaper report as the first occupant of the memorial cottage home.

The 1921 Census still has Harry Shirley occupying the property and the 1939 has Harry Shirley living in 49 Alexandra Road. (I think the properties were renumbered sometime after 1921 as more houses were built in the street. In counting the houses in the street, 24 from the top of the row = No.49 if odd numbers are used.)

Harry Shirley (service no. 1594) served in the 2nd Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment in South Africa. His service record states that he was "Invalided Home."

The property is mntioned in Gildea's 1911 book, 'In Remembrance and In Honour of Those Who Lost Their Lives in the South African War 1899-1902' - "Dorsetshire Regiment....One Home at Dorchester", as well as p10-11 in Julian Paget's 1999 book, 'No Problem Too Difficult. A History of the Forces Help Society and Lord Roberts Workshops.'



Sold off in 1995.