On The Roll of Honour
Isaac was born in 2nd Quarter 1876 to George and Hannah Smith née Dodd (Stow 12-591). George and Hannah were married in 1st Quarter 1851 when George was 21 and Hannah was 17.
In the 1881 census, Isaac, aged 4, was living in The Street, Badwell ash, with his father, George, aged 50, an agricultural labourer, and his mother Hannah, aged 49, along with 4 siblings, including Hannah, aged 20, a Domestic Servant, Sarah A, aged 12, Elizabeth, aged 8, and Alice aged 6.
In the 1891 census, Isaac, now aged 14 and an agricultural labourer, was still living with his father George, aged 59, an agricultural labourer, Elizabeth, aged 18, and Alice aged 16. Hannah is no longer shown on the census as she had died in the 1st Quarter 1884 aged 50.
Isaac married Anna Maria (née Largent) Smith in the first of Quarter 1911.
In the 1911 census Isaac was Head of the Household living in Church Lane, Badwell Ash aged 34, a farm labourer, with his wife, Anna Maria, aged 30 and their son Reginald Frank, aged 7, born 1907.
Military and War: Isaac enlisted in January 1903. Served as Sergeant, WO2, 1st/2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment.
Recalled from the Reserve. He was discharged on the 6th January 1920 having served for a total of 6 years and was awarded the Victory 1914/15 Star and War medals.(Suffolk Regimental Museum, Bury St. Edmunds) His Medal Roll can be seen here.
He is described in the 1911 census as an “Army pensioner” so there’s a very real possibility he served in The Boer War after the 1891 census and before the 1911 census.
Unfortunately, no other record details have been located. It is highly possible that Isaac’s records have been destroyed. In September 1940, as the result of a fire caused by an incendiary bomb at the War Office Record Store in Arnside Street, London, approximately two thirds of 6.5 million soldiers’ documents for the First World War were destroyed. Those records which survived were mostly charred or water damaged and unfit for consultation and became known as the ‘burnt documents’.
Post War: In 1922 age 34 living in Church Lane, Badwell Ash and employed as a farm labourer
He died June 1925 in Stow District, Suffolk, aged 48 and is buried in the Richer Road cemetery.
