Samuel Fradd 1872

Samuel Fradd was born in 1872 in St Merryn, Cornwall, England and christened on the 17th  of November of that year.

He was one of five children born to Samuel and Ann Fradd nee Bennett both of whom were Farm Servants until Samuel Jr's father died when he was 5 years of age. Samuel Jr was also listed as a Farm Servant in the 1890 England Census.

In 1898 Samuel who was listed as a 25 year old Able Seaman, sailed from London aboard the Orizaba to Sydney, Australia. From here he made his way to New Zealand where he settled.

Fig. 1 SS Orizaba

Samuel was a member of the Waterside Workers Union and lived at 36 Karori Road,Wellington, New Zealand where he was employed as a wharf labourer where in 1904, he broke his leg in a cargo hold on the SS Banffshire.

In 1916 he registered as a reservist for Expeditionary Force for World War 1.

Fig. 2 WW1 Recruitment Poster - New Zealand 1916

Enrolled reservists had the chance of their name being drawn from a ballot whereas men who were not enrolled were forbidden to be employed and were sent straight into camp. Those who failed to notify a change of their address were liable to be charged with desertion. There is no record of Samuel's name being drawn out in a ballot so it appears he did not fight during WW1.

On the 16th November 1922 Samuel was charged £2 for "Playing Hazards" (a game of chance) when a group of 14 were arrested playing on the Tug Wharf surrounded by a circle of fishing baskets. An undercover policeman dressed as a waterside worker was key in the arrest. Samuel was described in the magistrates record as 5 ' 9', ruddy complexion, grey hair, blue eyes, and with a big nose. He also had a Dancing-girl tattoo and an anchor on his left forearm.

Nicknamed Clagger, he died on the 4th of October 1944 in Wellington, New Zealand where he resided in 70 Vivian Street. He never married and had no known children.

William John Fradd 1874

William John Fradd was born in February 1874 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England  to Emma E. Unknown. Emma's name could be Fradd or she may have married a Fradd; records are not clear. William had three siblings; Eliza, Clara and Thomas.
William joined the army on the 11th May 1894.

The 1st Battalion The Devonshire Regiment 
William John Fradd as a private (3928) in the1st Battalion was sent out to India early in 1895 to assist in the relief of Chitral.
Tribesmen in Chitral (district in northernmost Pakistan) remained hostile to the British, who had entered the area and established an agency (1889). In 1895, a coup d'etat in Chitral cost the life of the ruling chief, and the victors attempted to drive out the British representative, which necessitated the dispatch of a 16,000-man British expedition to reduce the rebels. At the Malakand Pass, on April 3, 1895, the invading troops overwhelmed some 12,000 Chitralis, who lost more than 500 men before giving up control of the pass; on the other side about 70 were killed or wounded. A British garrison was later set up in Chitral, which was annexed to British India. Tribal rebellions occurred, but the British presence eventually brought peace in 1898.

William spent a total of 9 years and 3 months in India, then 2 years 4 months in South Africa before World War 2.

The 2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment 
William spent two tours on the Western Front in France with the 2nd Battalion with a 3 month reprieve in between.

04 November 1914 til 12 June 1915
01 October 1915 til 04 May 1916

¹ August 1914 found the 2nd Devons in Egypt, where their first task was to protect the Suez Canal.  Arriving at Southampton in October, they absorbed drafts of reservists before landing in France on 6th November.

By mid-November they were at Messines (close to the 1st Devons) where, in  two tours in the trenches near Neuve Chapelle, they suffered 20 casualties and lost another 70 men to sickness (mostly frostbite). 

In December they captured a German position known as the Moated Grange which cost a further 128 casualties.  They remained in this area until March 1915, when they lost heavily in an attack on the German lines on the 10th before next day repulsing a German counter-attack.  Their losses in March totalled 284 men.

An attack on Aubers Ridge in May 1915 cost another 250 casualties.  Remaining in this sector until April 1916, they moved to the Somme to prepare for the offensive. 
On 1st July, the 2nd Devons attacked between Ovillers and La Boiselle, losing 232 killed and 199 wounded, many of whom fell to German machine guns in what they called Mash Valley.On 18th and 29th July at Cuinchy they repulsed two German attacks before being withdrawn to rebuild their shattered Battalion.
Returning to the Somme, on 8th/9th November they captured and consolidated a ridge near Le Transloy before being rested at Vergies.

William spent time in Egypt, Malta and Crete before discharging on the 11th May 1916 on account of termination of engagement of active service; aged 42 years retiring to Upton, Newquay, Devon on a full pension. His record noted him as a good soldier with quiet an addiction to alcoholic liquors.
He received the Indian Medal, South African Medal, Victory Star and British War Medal for his service. He died in September 1924 in Newton Abbot, Devon, England.

¹https://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/history/first+world+war/the+devonshire+regiment/the+second+battalion

Eliza Fradd 1865

Eliza Fradd was born on the 19th November 1865 in Devon,Torquay, England to Emma E.Unknown. Emma's name could be Fradd or she may have married a Fradd; records are not clear. Eliza had three siblings; Clara,Thomas and William John Fradd.
Two went onto marry but Eliza and William John remained single their whole lives.

In 1881 Eliza was employed as a servant at age 14 in Torquay, Devon and census records show that she remained in this occupation for at least another 30 years.

Fig 1. 1881 England Census

Being a servant carried its own list of expectations, which the servant was required to meet.

Below are examples of some of the rules that the servants had to follow.¹

1 - When being spoken to, stand still, keeping your hands quiet, and always look at the person speaking.

2 - Never let your voice be heard by the ladies and gentlemen of the household, unless they have spoken directly to you a question or statement which requires a response, at which time, speak as little as possible.

3 - In the presence of your mistress, never speak to another servant or person of your own rank, or to a child, unless only for necessity, and then as little as possible and as quietly as possible.

4 - Never begin to talk to the ladies or gentlemen, unless to deliver a message or to ask a necessary question, and then, do it in as few words as possible.

5 - Whenever possible, items that have been dropped, such as spectacles or handkerchiefs, and other small items, should be returned to their owners on a salver.

6 - Always respond when you have received an order, and always use the proper address: “Sir”, “Ma’am”, “Miss” or “Mrs,” as the case may be.

7 - Never offer your opinion to your employer.

8 - Always “give room”: that is, if you encounter one of your betters in the house or on the stairs, you are to make yourself as invisible as possible, turning yourself toward the wall and averting your eyes.

9 - Except in reply to a salutation offered, never say “good morning” or “good night” to your employer.

10 - If you are required to walk with a lady or gentleman in order to carry packages, or for any other reason, always keep a few paces back.

11 - You are expected to be punctual to your place at mealtime.

12 - You shall not receive any Relative, Visitor or Friend into the house, nor shall you introduce any person into the Servant’s Hall, without the consent of the Butler or Housekeeper.

13 - Followers are strictly forbidden. Any member of the female staff who is found to be fraternizing shall be immediately dismissed.

14 - Expect that any breakages or damages in the house shall be deducted from your wages.

Fig. 2 Victorian Era Servant

Servants' Wages

In Victorian times, live-in servants, who had all their expenses (food, lodging, clothes etc) taken care of, earned as little as £10 a year, (which is only the equivalent of £77 in today's money).

This is a list of the average wages of servants (figures collected by the Board of Trade in the 1890s).

Between Maid               £10, 7s
Scullery Maid                 £13
Kitchen Maid                 £15
Housemaid                    £16, 2s
Parlour Maid                  £20, 6s
Cook                               £20, 2s
Lady's Maid                    £24, 7s
Cook / Housekeeper     £35, 6s
Housekeeper                 £52, 5s

After 1834, the institutions established by Poor Law Unions were always known as workhouses and always required the able-bodied inmates to perform work.
After the formal abolition of the workhouse system in 1930, many former workhouses were redesignated as Public Assistance Institutions (PAIs).

Eliza was shown in residence as an inmate at Great Torrington, Devon, England according to the 1939 England and Wales Register.

Eliza Fradd died in October of 1943 in Bideford, Devon, England.

¹http://www.weddingtoncastle.co.uk/servants-lives.html