THE LEDGER FAMILY
Parents Frederic (1856-1906) & Julia (1860-1918)
and Sons Godfrey (1889-1946) & Robert (1890-1917)

Towards the west end of the South Aisle in Christ Church Epsom Common is the wall-mounted memorial tablet (illustrated below) “in loving memory” of those listed above who were “faithful members of this Church from 1889 to 1914”.

The Ledger family memorial
Photograph by Roger Morgan © 2019

Notwithstanding the 1914 end date, the memorial was not erected until 1958, at the request of the third of the parents’ four children, the unmarried Margaret Frances Ledger, by then resident in South Africa. (At the time of writing, this is the last but one wall-mounted memorials to be erected in Christ Church – the last being one to Christ Church’s long-serving Verger, Albert Foxwell, who died in 1965.) Indeed, the minutes of the Church Council’s meeting on 26 September 1957 record that agreement to Miss Ledger’s request “to erect a memorial … to the memory of her parents and two brothers, all of whom were regular worshippers at the church many years ago” followed “some discussion as to the advisability of creating a precedent for too many memorials of this type.”

Frederic William Ledger was born in mid-1856, the fifth child of John and Eliza Ledger. The record of Frederic’s baptism at All Saints, Upper Norwood on 24 June 1856 notes his father as an Innkeeper, and the family was recorded in the 1861 Census (now with a sixth child) living at the “White Hart” on the junction of Westow Street and Church Road, Crystal Palace where John was the “Victualler”.

On 1 September 1885, the 29 year old Frederic (now an architect and surveyor) married 25 year old Julia Ann Morriss in Banstead. Julia had been born in Oxted, the first child of Mark and Maria Morriss. The 1861 Census records the young family living at the “Flint House”, Oxted with Mark listed as a “Farmer of 237 acres employing 3 men and 2 boys”.

Frederic and Julia set up home in Epsom. The 1891 Census records them living at 5 Laburnum Road with their first two children – Godfrey Horton (born 14 March 1889) and Robert John (born 10 November 1890) – and supported by a domestic servant. First-born Godfrey was baptised in the family’s parish Church of St Martin’s on 10 April 1889. By the time of Robert’s birth, the parents (while still living in St Martin’s parish) had transferred their attendance to Christ Church, which is where Robert was baptised on 12 December 1890. (They presumably reverted to St Martin’s in 1914, the end date on the tablet.)

The parents had two more children: Margaret Frances (born on 14 May 1893 and baptised at Christ Church on 25 June that year); and Grace Eliza (born on 30 October 1894 – by when the family had moved to Ashton House in Worple Road, still in St Martin’s parish) who was baptised at Christ Church on 23 December that year. In addition to his professional life, Frederic was closely in Epsom’s civic affairs: he was a member of Epsom’s Urban District Council from 1900 to 1906, the last two years as its chairman.

Frederic (while still of Ashton House, Worple Road) died at the Cottage Hospital, Dorking on 2 September 1906: he was aged 50. He was buried in Grave A567 of Epsom Cemetery on 6 September. Julia and her four children moved to Grove Lodge in Grove Road (again, still in St Martin’s parish) where they were recorded (together with a domestic servant) in the 1911 Census. As usual at the time, no occupation was listed for the 51 year old widowed Julia. Those of the children were:

• 22 year old Godfrey – Draughtsman
• 20 year old Robert – Insurance Clerk
• 17 year old Margaret – Insurance Clerk
• 15 year old Grace – School

Both sons served in WW1. Godfrey was conscripted, attesting at Epsom on 29 December 1916 and given the Service No. 25653. He was assigned to the Royal Field Artillery, where he rose to the rank of Captain. While he survived the War, brother Robert (a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment) died on 11 March 1917 in France of wounds received his instruction of others in the firing of Mills rifle grenades. (The full story is in Robert’s entry in our WW1 casualties pages.)

The widowed Julia died, aged 58, at home in Grove Lodge on 11 October 1918. She was buried in Epsom Cemetery on 15 October 1918 in the same Grave (A567) as her late husband – see the headstone illustration and details at the end of this article.

The other son, Godfrey, had returned to civilian life and, on 12 February 1919 (registered in the Wandsworth District), married Marian Dorothy Meredith, sister of another Epsom WW1 casualty, Eric Dunfee Meredith. They had two children: Jeanne Margaret, born on 9 September 1920; and Stella B, born on 29 May 1923. Both births were registered in the Fulham District.

Of Frederic and Julia’s daughters, Grace married Arthur Leslie Hope on 22 September 1917, registered in Epsom. They had two children, Richard and Robin, and the family seem then to have emigrated to the West Indies. Their last appearances in the readily available records are of 36 year old Arthur (a “Chartered Accountant” of “Deepdene” Epsom Road, Ewell) leaving Bristol on 31 January 1925 aboard the “Comito” intending to live in Trinidad. He was followed by 30 year old Grace, 5 year old Richard and 1 year old Robin who left Avonmouth on 28 February 1925 aboard “Coronado”.

As noted above, Margaret’s 1957 request to erect the memorial was made from her home in South Africa. It is not clear when she emigrated, but several of the readily available records have her returning from the UK to Cape Town after visits to see her family. The first is in the passenger manifest of “Ceramic” which left Liverpool on 30 August 1924. Margaret is listed as a 30 year old “Secretary” with the last UK address being 32 Napier Court, Hurlingham. This was not the ship she emigrated on since her last “Country of permanent Residence” (defined as being for a year or more) was not anywhere in the UK but “Other parts of the British Empire”; furthermore, her “country of intended future permanent residence” was noted as South Africa. On 4 October 1929, she was on board “Edinburgh Castle” leaving Southampton again bound for Cape Town. Apart from her age, the only other difference from the 1924 record is that her last address in the UK was 40 Luttrell Avenue, London SW15. That was also the last UK address when she returned to South Africa on “City of Canterbury” leaving London on 13 August 1932; “City of Exeter” leaving London on 18 September 1937; and “City of Bristol” leaving Liverpool on 24 October 1946.

Margaret seems clearly to have been staying with her brother, Godfrey, and family. The Hurlingham address on the 1924 manifest is consistent with the birth of Godfrey’s daughters being registered in the Fulham District. And the September 1939 Register records the 50 year old Godfrey (a “Civil Servant”), 48 year old Marian (the conventional “Unpaid Domestic Duties”) and their 19 year old daughter Jeanne (“Student”) living at 40 Luttrell Avenue, Putney. That is also the address at which Godfrey died on 2 April 1946. (Sadly, the eldest daughter, Jeanne, was killed in an accident later that year, on 8 November. She was aged 26.)

The last passenger manifest found for Margaret is that of “City of Khartoum” leaving Liverpool on 23 September 1955. This lists her, now aged 62, as “Retired” and, in a change of practice on these manifests, notes that her passport showed her as a citizen of South Africa. Her last UK address is shown as 141 Victoria Road, Horley – perhaps that of her widowed sister-in-law, Marian, who appears to have moved to that part of the world. (When Marian died in 1972, her address was in nearby Reigate.)

It remains unclear what the particular impetus was for Margaret’s 1957 wish to have the memorial tablet erected in Christ Church. This came after some 35 years of living away from the UK, 52 years after her father’s death, some 40 years after the deaths of one of her brothers and of her mother and some 10 years after the death of her other brother.

The headstone over the parents’ grave in Epsom Cemetery is illustrated below. The base has the following dedication on its front.

To the memory of / Frederic William Ledger / This memorial was erected / by his fellow townsmen / in grateful recognition of his / labours on their behalf / as a member of the / Epsom Urban District Council / from 1900 to 1906, and Chairman from 1904 to 1906. / He entered into rest / the 2nd day of September 1906, aged 50.

“Their works do follow them” (from Revelation 14:13)

On the left hand side of the base is the following.

To the loving / memory of / Julia Ann / Ledger / widow of / Frederic William / Ledger / who died 11th October 1918 / aged 58 years

“He hath been mindful / of me all the way” (from Psalm 115:12)

On the right hand side are two subsequent memorials to the couple’s son and granddaughter, both of whom are buried elsewhere.

To the ever / loving memory of / Godfrey Horton / Ledger / husband of / Miriam Dorothy / Ledger / who died / on 2nd April 1946 / aged 57 years.

Also to the / ever loving memory of / Jean Margaret Ledger / our eldest daughter / accidentally killed / on Friday 8th Nov 1946 / aged 26 years.

Finally, the back has a memorial to the couple’s son (and, as noted above, WW1 casualty), Robert.

In loving memory of / Robert John Ledger / 2nd Lieut. 7th Royal Scottish Regt. / Died of wounds / on active service in France / 11th March 1917. Aged 26 years. / Buried in Avesnes le Comte France.

Frederic and Julia Ledger’s grave in Epsom Cemetery
Photograph by Roger Morgan © 2019

Roger Morgan © 2019