Herbert Clark – 27 East Street

By 1911 Edwin and Elizabeth Clark, Herbert’s parents, had had 13 children of whom only 7 were alive. Of those, 6 of them were living in 4 rooms with their parents at 27 East St. Elizabeth was born in Harrowby, near Grantham, but all the rest of the family were born in Stamford and the children grew up in the East St/North St area. Edwin was a painter at an Agricultural Implement Works and Herbert, aged 16yrs, was probably working at the same Works, as an iron moulder in the foundry. His elder brother Ernest, 25yrs, was a brickmaker and the other children were Evelyn 13yrs, Ethel 9yrs, Doris 6yrs and Fred 3yrs.

Ypres – Menin Gate Memorial

Elizabeth must have been very thankful that Fred was too young to serve because both Ernest and Herbert joined up at the beginning of the war and both were killed within 18 months. Ernest was a Private in the South Staffordshire Regiment, he was posted to Flanders in December 1914 and killed in action on 24th Nov 2015.

Herbert enlisted in September 2014 and served in “D” Company of the 7th Lincolnshire Regiment. This became part of the 17th Northern Division that landed at Boulogne in July 1915. They were deployed around the Ypres Salient in early 1916 where he was killed on 2nd February. He was 21 years old. His name is listed on Panel 21 of the Menin Gate Memorial and he is commemorated in Stamford on the Town Memorial and St George’s.

Remembered with Honour

At least two of Herbert’s sisters, Evelyn and Ethel, married and continued to live in the Stamford area.