World War I Archives - Robert Redd Historian & Author

Posted on June 15, 2025October 3, 2025 by Robert — Leave a comment

Visit Chetham’s Library in Manchester

For many visitors, a trip to Manchester, UK, is about one thing: football. Soccer as it is more commonly called in the United States. Fans of Manchester United and Manchester City follow their teams with a devotion American fans can’t fully understand. To be a European football fan means something different than being a sports fan in the states. There are many other delightful things to take in during a visit to Manchester. One I can recommend is a visit to Chetham’s Library in Manchester, and while there, don’t miss the small but impactful World Wars commemoration, honoring students who fell during one of the two World Wars.

Reserve Your Tour Date and Time

A visit to Chetham’s Library starts with reserving your tour. No, library tours are not free, but your tour fees go to a good cause. It is recommended you begin on the Visitor Information page. Here you will find the crucial information needed ahead of your planned visit. How far in advance can you reserve your tour? How long are tours? Do visitors have to go through security? Are photos allowed? How accessible is the library? These questions and many more can be answered by a short visit to their website, linked prior in the paragraph.

Once you know you want to visit, and this really is a must see attraction, head over to the tours reservation page and start the process. Tours cost £13.50 for adults, with discounts for seniors, students, and children under age 10. Tour space is limited and reservations must be made in advance. There appear to be several tours on most days so with a bit of planning, you should be able to get in on your preferred day.

Researchers

If you are a researcher and you think Chetham’s might have material of use to you, please consult their online catalog and finding aids. If there are materials in their collection that can assist you, please make an appointment in order to review said materials. You can find information on that process through the link provided earlier in the paragraph.

Researchers and the general public may also view many of the library’s holdings using their Digital Resources collection. Check back regularly as items are always being added.

As you can see in the photo on the left, the library is filled with thousands of rare and antique volumes. During a visit to Chetham’s Library in Manchester, you are able to see these amazing shelves but are not able to access or handle the fragile volumes.

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About Chetham’s Library

Chetham’s Library and the Chetham’s School of Music were originally established through a bequest in the will of Humphry Chetham, a wealthy English textile merchant.

Chetham’s Library is housed in medieval building that dates to 1421. The library was originally founded in 1653 and began accumulating materials in 1655, making it the oldest public library in the English speaking world. In addition to early printed books, the library collection includes ephemera, manuscript diaries, letters and deeds, prints, paintings and glass lantern slides.

The Library is known for being the place where Marx and Engels met to discuss their revolutionary ideas, and visitors will be able to see this area. It’s also where Dr. John Dee supposedly summoned the Devil! Learn more about this story HERE or HERE.

During your tour, your guide will point out unique features of the building, such as several doors which contain smaller, “cat doors” located at floor level. Look closely at the image on the left to see the small cut out area.

Remembering Those Lost in World War I and II

During a guided tour, visitors will pass two separate memorials to students who gave their lives in service of their country during World War I and World War II. The first is the small marker shown in the image above.

The second, and more impressive memorial is a large triptych with a large crucifix center panel including an inscription below. The center panel is flanked by two wooden panels containing the names of young men who perished while in service. The left panel contains the names of those who died in World War I and the right hand honors those who died during World War II. In total, 52 names are included and referenced below. Click to enlarge the images.

To the enduring memory of the sons of this school who gave their lives for King and Country in the Great War 1914-1918 and 1939-1945

World War I names are listed on the left, wooden panel

World War II names on the rights side of the crucifix

1914-1919 1939-1945

H.M. Atkinson D. Bamber

J. Atkinson D. Bauldie

G.A.M. Bennett E.S. Blood

J. Bisson W.P. Booth

T.H. Boardman S.W. Cleghorn

J. Chadwick H. Clough

J. Cheatle S. Fletcher

H. Chippendale L. Hardy

R. Cooper A. Helsby

R. Darlington R.I. Laycock

A. Edwards F. Livesy

G.E. Edwards F.G. Plowman

F. Goldberg A.F. Rooke

R.T. Harrison J.K. Schofield

R. Hicks R. Skelton

H.L. Hilton T.D. Smith

H. Hoff J. Taylor

T. Holt H. Trainor

S. Kershaw A. Wilkinson

J. Lancaster

H. Lord

A. Marsden

G.E. Mart

W.T. McEwen

T. Prestage

A. Sedgwick

R. Shoreman

E. Singleton

G.W. Tyrer

D.A. Whitley

J. Williamson

H.F. Wilson

These are more than names on a plaque or a wall. They were young men, cut down in their earliest years. They were sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers. Their service and bravery should not be forgotten. I have not performed any research on any of these young men. If you are a descendant and have done genealogical work on any of these soldiers, please feel free to get in touch. If you would be interested in submitting a photo or a guest post about your family member, please let me know. We may be able to arrange something. If you have posted about a relative listed above on your own site, please let me know so that I can share a link.

Manchester at War 1939-1945 book purchase link — **Manchester at War 1939-1945** This book chronicles the difficulties, hardships, restrictions, and morale of the city year by year as the war dragged on, and is a timely reminder of how the local community strived to fight the odds that were stacked against them.

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Posted on September 20, 2022March 24, 2024 by Robert — Leave a comment

In Memory Lawrence Peacock World War I Casualty

In Memory Lawrence Peacock. Lawrence S. Peacock came from a humble background. Lawrence was born on July 5, 1891 in Spring Garden, FL to parents Samuel D. and Martha (Daugharty) Peacock. Samuel was a farmer and the family lived in Precinct Four according to the 1900 United States Census. Lawrence was the fourth of five children; John, Thomas, Margaret, and Violet. The 1910 United States Census placed the Peacock family at 46 E. New York Avenue.

Young Lawrence appears to have been an industrious young man, not afraid of hard work. He was the owner of a vulcanizing company located in the downtown DeLand area. He regularly advertised in the local newspaper, “Tires and Tubes, All Work Guaranteed”.

Vulcanization is the process of using heat to help harden rubber, thus increasing its lifespan and strength. For more information on vulcanization check the Wikipedia page.

A prime bachelor, Lawrence attracted the attentions of young Edith Baguley, “a talented musician and a popular young woman…” The two eligible DeLandites eloped on July 5, 1917. The service was performed by Reverend H. S. Rightmire at the Baptist church in Daytona Beach with only the reverend’s wife and Mrs. M. N. Baguley, Edith’s mother, in attendance.

The newly wed couple briefly honeymooned in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Pablo Beach, before returning to DeLand.

World events were closing in on young men around the globe and Lawrence S. Peacock was no exception. Peacock was drafted in mid-1918 and received notice he would be called to active duty.

In preparation for leaving DeLand for an unknown period, Lawrence sold his business to Mr. A. C. Clark, a young man from Miami.

Lawrence was transported to Camp Greenleaf at Fort Oglethorpe, GA for two months of training. His skills and abilities earned him a promotion from Private to Wagoner in Evacuation Ambulance Company No. 19 during his training.

USS George Washington (ID#3018) underway at sea, 10 May 1918. Photographed from USS Whipple (Destroyer # 15), which was then operating off western France.
US Navy photo # NH 53885 from the collections of the US Navy Historical Center.

On September 22, 1918, he was sent to Camp Upton on Long Island, NY before being transferred to the Transport S.S. George Washington in preparation for transport to France.

It was during this transport to France that Peacock contracted pneumonia and passed away onboard. His death on October 9, 1918 was one of only thousands caused as a result of the 1918 influenza outbreak. The largest cause of death during the pandemic was pneumonia.

The 1918 influenza outbreak is estimated to have contributed to the deaths of nearly 100 million people. Historian John M. Barry has written what may be the definitive look at this pandemic. The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History is accessible and readable for those of us without a scientific background.

The remains of Lawrence S. Peacock were buried temporarily in Brest, France, a port city in Brittany, before being returned to DeLand in 1920. After the conclusion of hostilities, the Army returned the remains of Peacock, through New York City, where they were placed aboard a southbound train, with a single soldier accompanying.

Members of the DeLand American Legion Post met the train and carried the remains to an awaiting hearse that secured the body to Allen’s Undertaking Parlors in preparation for the funeral on July 15, 1920.

The funeral was a somber affair. At 2:00 p.m. the parade left Allen’s on their way to Oakdale Cemetery. A squad of uniformed men, followed by the pall bearers, a group of Legionnaires, the family, and finally friends of the deceased made their way through the streets of DeLand.

Once the procession arrived at the cemetery, the flag draped coffin was carried to the burial site with uniformed men at parade rest. Dr. C. L. Collins talked about the war and its impact and provided a biographical sketch of the young soldier. Reverend C. E. Wyatt offered prayer. The service ended with a three-round volley over the grave and the blowing of taps by bugler Feasel.

In the years following the burial of her husband, Edith was to remarry. On February 11, 1922, she married Pharris M. Stribling, a newspaper printer who worked for the local paper. The 1930 United States Census shows her to already have divorced Stribling and working as a stenographer in North Carolina where she lived with her mother.

A brief search shows that Edith does not appear to have married again. When she passed away on March 4, 1982, Edith was living in San Bernadino, CA.

Edith Irene Baguley Stribling is buried in Henry Cemetery, in Henry, Illinois, the same cemetery as her parents.

Wagoner Lawrence S. Peacock is memorialized today at the DeLand Memorial Hospital and Veterans Museum. This project was trumpeted in the local newspaper by DeLand Mayor S. A. Wood on February 19, 1919 and opened in 1920. DeLand Memorial Hospital would serve as the primary medical facility in DeLand until the opening of Fish Memorial Hospital in 1952. Today the building is home to City of DeLand offices and museum exhibits.

World War I plaque at DeLand Memorial Hospital and Veterans MuseumIn Memory Lawrence Peacock. — A dedication plaque to West Volusia County soldiers who perished during World War I.

Original plaque on exterior of Hospital buildingIn Memory Lawrence Peacock. — An originally placed plaque dedicating the hospital as a Memorial to our boys for service rendered and sacrifice supreme

I hope you have enjoyed this in memory post to Lawrence S. Peacock, a wagoner during World War I. To view other posts related to Oakdale Cemetery, many of them military related, please click here.

Sources:

Multiple issues of the DeLand News were used to compile this article.

www.floridamemory.com

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared on this website.

Posted on February 23, 2022March 11, 2025 by Robert — Leave a comment

Osteen, Florida World War I Monument

Panel at I. Walter Hawkins Park in Osteen, Florida — Interpretive panel located at I. Walter Hawkins Veterans Memorial Park in Osteen, Florida

Located off busy State Road 415, north of the pedestrian bridge which is a part of the East Central Regional Rail Trail, is a marble monument dedicated to Osteen residents who served, and in some case died, during World War I.

Information contained in the Florida Master Site file states that the original date and location of this monument is not clearly known. Tax assessor records indicate the monument was erected in 1936. This date however seems highly unlikely for multiple reasons. The first being, why would local residents wait so long to commemorate local soldiers who fell in service of their country. While a delay of nearly twenty years is possible, raising funds was certainly not an easy task, it seems that the local residents would have wished to dedicate this monument sooner.

The Master Site File indicates that the original location may have been near the intersection of
Thompson and Carpenter Avenues. If so, the 1936 date above may indicate that the monument
was moved to allow for road construction. The site file record is not clear on the 1936 location or
if the monument was again moved, but by 1969 the monument was located near the newly
constructed post office. Today, the monument is located in I Walter Hawkins Veterans Memorial
Park.

In April 1957, Hawkins, a local attorney and World War I veteran himself, appeared before the
Board of County Commissioners requesting they donate property “as a site for a War Memorial.”
Commissioners duly approved the resolution in part reading,

That that portion of the County barn property in County Commissioner’s District No. 5 of
Volusia County, Florida, located in Section 7, Township 19, Range 32 East, Volusia
County, Florida, lying south of the Florida East Coast Railway Right of way and east of
the Sanford-New Smyrna Road as relocated and west of the original Sanford-New
Smyrna Road be and the same is hereby dedicated as a Memorial Park in honor of the
United States Veterans of all wars.

On May 28, 2016, the Volusia County Council proclaimed it I. Walter Hawkins Veterans
Memorial Park Day. Based upon this proclamation, it is believed that the land donated in 1957 is
the same as that which was renamed in Hawkins honor.

Today, the park sits near the much busier State Road 415, in the rapidly growing area near
Deltona. The park contains an interpretive panel in addition to the monument. The monument
itself is made of marble and is approximately seven feet tall. The monument has a triangular top,
inscribed with “World War I, 1914-1918 on one side and a United States flag on the other. This
sits upon two columns and a three-stepped base. According to an interview conducted with local
resident Albert Pell on October 7, 2014, by Tom Baskett, Jr., County of Volusia Public
Historian, a marble sphere that was located on the top of the triangle is now missing from the
monument.

On the second step is the phrase, “Erected by the citizens of Osteen in memory of her heroes of the World War.” Above this are the names of Charley (listed in some records as Charlie) C. Leonardy and W. McKinley Pell, two residents who both perished while in the service of the United States. Both Leonardy and Pell were from prominent local families.

Charley Leonardy enlisted in DeLand in October 1917 and served overseas for less than two months before losing his life. He is buried in Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in France. William McKinley Pell enlisted in DeLand in August 1918 and died of complications from pneumonia in October while serving at Camp Jackson, South Carolina.

On the reverse side of the monument are the names of other Osteen residents who served in
wartime. These individuals include (alphabetically) William C. (this should be O. as his middle
name was Ora) Carpenter, James A. (his middle initial may be C.) Hardy, Louis W. Hardy,
Philip (possibly Phillip) A. Leonardy, Harry A. Osteen, C. LeRoy Pell (his headstone and
enlistment record show his name as Calvin R. Pell, his father’s name was Calvin LeRoy Pell),
and Robert H. Williams.

Mr. Baskett has pointed out a troubling aspect of this monument. He has questioned the selection process, as to whose names were included. He correctly points out that not all local residents who served are recorded. However, as he points out, some of these could be transplants who had no familial ties to the city when they registered. However, Mr. Baskett points out two names that should be included. Unfortunately, both of these men were African American, an “oversight” that cannot be imagined or accepted today.

Hershell McClenan enlisted in February 1918 and died later that year while still in the service
from pneumonia and influenza. James Radford enlisted in August 1918 and received an
honorable discharge in December. Born in Osteen but living in DeLand at the time of his
enlistment was African American soldier Morris Smith, Jr. Smith served from September 1918
through his discharge in July 1919.

The park and monument are open during daylight hours. There is no parking directly at the park but there are spaces close by.

Sources:

Baskett, Jr., Tom. “Osteen’s World War I Monument”. Typescript in possession of author.

Commissioners of Volusia County. Resolution passed April 18, 1957. Record Book 33, page
330.

County of Volusia. I. Walter Hawkins Veterans Memorial Park Day proclamation. May 28,
2016.

Findagrave

Florida Master Site File. World War I Monument. Site 8VO4929.

Florida Memory. World War I Service Cards.

If you are interested in veterans memorials in Volusia County, be sure to take a look at my post about the veterans park in Edgewater, FL. This small park is located on the Indian River and is a nice reflective area that you might not find if you aren’t looking for it.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared on this blog.

Posted on May 14, 2021July 3, 2025 by Robert — Leave a comment

Florida Medal of Honor Recipients

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for military valor in action. This post provides a listing of the twenty-three recipients from the state of Florida who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.

In over 150 years, the Medal has been awarded just over 3,500 times. When originally issued during the Civil War the Medal did not have the same level of stature that it does today. In fact, over 1,500 Medals were awarded during the Civil War alone. When one considers the millions of men and women who have worn military uniforms, it is easy to see the special actions it takes to receive this award.

The official name is the Medal of Honor. Because Congress created the award, it is sometimes mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, chartered by Congress and thus the name, has an explanation of this misnomer.

States receive accreditation for awards based upon the state where a soldier enlists. The state of Florida is accredited with twenty-three Medal of Honor recipients. As I write brief biographies of these men, they will show as linked below allowing you read about them and the actions that garnered them such acclaim.

Florida Medal of Honor Recipients

Charles Albert Varnum Captain Army Indian Wars

Clarence M. Condon Sergeant Army Philippine War

Francis Edward Ormsbee, Jr. Chief Machinist’s Mate Navy World War I

William Merrill Corry, Jr. Lieutenant Commander Navy World War I

Alexander R. Nininger, Jr. Second Lieutenant Army World War II

James Henry Mills Private Army World War II

David McCampbell Commander Navy World War II

Robert Edward Femoyer Second Lieutenant Air Corps World War II

Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. Major Air Corps World War II

Robert M. McTureious, Jr. Private Marine Corps World War II

Baldomero Lopez First Lieutenant Marine Corps Korean War

Emory L. Bennett Private First Class Army Korean War

Robert R. Ingram Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Navy Vietnam War

Larry Eugene Smedley Corporal Marine Corps Vietnam War

Clifford Chester Sims Staff Sergeant Army Vietnam War

Nicholas J. Cutinha Specialist 4th Class Army Vietnam War

Clyde Everett Lassen Lieutenant Junior Grade Navy Vietnam War

Robert H. Jenkins, Jr. Private First Class Marine Corps Vietnam War

Hammett L. Bowen, Jr. Staff Sergeant Army Vietnam War

Bruce Wayne Carter Private First Class Army Vietnam War

Ardie R. Copas Sergeant Army Vietnam War

Paul R. Smith Sergeant First Class Army Iraq

Robert J. Miller Staff Sergeant Army Afghanistan

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Tag: World War I

Visit Chetham’s Library in Manchester

Reserve Your Tour Date and Time

Researchers

About Chetham’s Library

Remembering Those Lost in World War I and II

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence my views and opinions.

In Memory Lawrence Peacock World War I Casualty

Sources:

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared on this website.

Osteen, Florida World War I Monument

If you are interested in veterans memorials in Volusia County, be sure to take a look at my post about the veterans park in Edgewater, FL. This small park is located on the Indian River and is a nice reflective area that you might not find if you aren’t looking for it.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared on this blog.

Florida Medal of Honor Recipients

Florida Medal of Honor Recipients

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This commission does not affect any price that you pay. Affiliate programs or sponsors providing products do not influence the views and opinions shared on this blog.

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