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Quorn WW1 Roll of Honour - Cecil Chapman
Died 21st April 1915, aged 22
Ypres, Belgium
Early years
Although Chapman is a very old Quorn name, Cecil’s father’s family seemed to be firmly rooted in Mountsorrel, so these Chapmans were probably a different branch. His mother’s family had lived in Quorn from the late 1870s, so when the couple got married in 1891, the ceremony took place in Quorn St Bartholomew’s Church. For the first ten years of their marriage, Cecil’s parents Herbert and Kate, lived in different places, depending where Herbert could get work, and Cecil, who was the eldest of eight children (although two had died in infancy), was born in Anstey. By 1901, when Cecil was seven, the family were living on High Street in Quorn and then made one further move to 9 Church Lane.
Tragically Cecil’s mother Kate, died in January 1910 when Cecil was only 16 years old and his baby brother was less than 6 months. His sister Beatrice, who was fifteen at the time, took over her mother’s role and kept house, looking after her father, Cecil and four younger siblings, which included baby Jack and three year old Herbert.
Joining up
Like many people in the village, when Cecil left school he went to work at Wright’s factory. He was a weaver, but as soon as war broke out, he enlisted and joined the Royal Scots Regiment.
Killed in action
Only a few months later Cecil died on 21st April 1915 near Ypres. He was aged 22 years old. A report in the June 1915 edition of Quorn Parish Magazine says that he was in hospital in Rouen, just five days before he was killed:
“The Village has been bearing its share of the national sorrow during the last month, and many who were well know to us have fallen in battle. Cecil Chapman was killed on April 21st. He had written from hospital in Rouen on April 16th saying that he had been confirmed by the Bishop of London during his visit to the Army.”
Cecil’s body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.
Below:
A modern photograph of Cecil’s home at 9 Church Lane. This is on the right as you walk towards the Church
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