MY WAR DEAD
BARNES, Francis Alexander - died 4th April 1915.
Francis Alexander Barnes was born in Windsor, Berkshire, on 24th May 1883. He was the *youngest of three sons born to Frank Barnes, a bricklayer's labourer and native of Windsor, and his wife who was born Sarah Ann Hickling; Sarah was from Hethersett in Norfolk. Francis' father died shortly after the 1901 census when the family was living in Windsor, and he married Frances Norris there in 1906.
At the time of the 1911 census, Francis was living in Lydney, Gloucestershire, with his wife and 2 sons, plus his widowed mother. Francis was employed as a general labourer, working for the Borough Council. There is some reason to believe that Francis may have had 2 further sons in the years before the First World War but this is unconfirmed.
Francis' service record has not survived but it is known that he enlisted at Windsor and served as a Private with the 2/5th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment on the Home front. Francis died from pneumonia at Southall Military Hospital, Middlesex, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that Private Francis Alexander Barnes, "son of Frank and Sarah Ann Barnes and husband of Frances Barnes
of Viney Hill, Glos. Born at Windsor", died on 4th April 1915 aged 32, being buried at Windsor Cemetery. Francis' effects were left to his widow according to the Register of Soldiers' effects.
Francis Alexander Barnes was my 3rd cousin, three times removed.