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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Oxfordshire => Topic started by: Baird on Thursday 30 September 21 08:57 BST (UK)
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Does anyone know if Major David Lionel Henderson was interred at Studley Priory after his death in 1945.
Many thanks,
Baird
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According to 'The History of Horton cum Studley' by Tim Hallchurch
"Major David Henderson of the 7th Bn., Seaforth
Highlanders who died on Friday 16 February 1945, Age 27. He
was son of Capt. Robert Ronald Henderson, M.P., and Margaret
Frances Henderson, of Studley Priory, Oxfordshire. He lies at
Brookwood Cemetery."
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Hello Emeltom and many thanks for the swift response.
According to the Brookwood cemetery site Major Henderson is only commemorated there not interred.
According to the CWGC he should have been buried in the Reichswald Forest British Cemetery but that lair is 'vacant'.
We wre wondering if , due to his connections , his body was repatriated and interred at the family home.
Thanks again for your interest,
Baird
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Hello Baird,
If it helps, there are four HENDERSON burials in the parish records of St Barnabas, Horton cum Studley. All four show the person's address as Studley Priory and the first two mention a brick grave or vault in Studley Priory Wood. Your David isn't listed but his parents are. (Incidentally the term 'lair' isn't usual in English records, but I knew what it meant.)
There's also a HENDERSON marriage and four baptisms in the same parish.
I don't have an Ancestry sub at the moment but the images should be available there. Alternatively I can give you details of the above events as transcribed by Oxfordshire Family History Society on their CD (OXF-HED02).
Carol
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The Times, 2 April 1945
A service in memory of Major David Henderson, the Seaforth Highlanders, will be held at the Parish Church, Horton-cum Studley, near Oxford, on Saturday, April 7, at 3pm.
The Times , 8 March 1945, had previously reported "In Feb 1945, killed in action on the Western Front Major David Lionel Henderson ..."
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Hello Hanes and Carol, many thanks for your information which is very helpful but still no identification of the location of the Majors' remains.
Killed 16th February 1945 and originally buried in Badburg -Hau with others from his regiment.
1946 they were all reinterred at Reichswald Forest British Cemetery ( source CWGC)
in 1954 the grave located as that of Major Henderson is listed as vacant by the CWGC.
Brookwood Memorial has Major Hendersons name only, not a grave.
Thanks again,
Baird
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Baird, I'm wondering who would feel the need to have the remains moved from Reichswald Forest between 1946 and 1954? Was this unusual?
Was he an only child? His father died in 1932 (abode Studley Priory) but his mother lived until 1959. Here's her record in St Barnabas' burial records:-
"1959 / 23 June / HENDERSON / Margaret Frances / 73 / abode Cirencester formerly of Studley Priory / died 28 May 1959, the bones (cremated) of"
If Margaret left instructions for her own remains to be returned to Studley, might she previously have done the same for her son?
Maybe they're all in the brick grave/vault - is this it in 1898, bottom of the map?
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Careful or you will get as intrigued as we are. It certainly is a mystery.
Baird
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Looking at news items of David's grandparents (?), John (died 1893) and Jessie (died 1920) Henderson, they were both buried in a newly constructed (at the time of John's death) family vault about half a mile from the Priory. Some reports describe it as a brick vault and others describe it as a large vault with a monument of grey granite, in Horton Wood.
That sounds like the vault Carol referenced.
If it was a family vault, rather than just for John and Jessie, it seems slightly odd that David's parents were buried in the parish church.
Find A Grave Memorial
Capt Robert Roland Henderson (1879-1932)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100934064/robert-roland-henderson
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Larger view of Studley Priory map; 1919
https://maps.nls.uk/view/106017306#zoom=5&lat=8634&lon=12213&layers=BT
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Well just to be pernickety (it's the mood I'm in!), Find a Grave only shows us the churchyard memorials for Robert and Margaret. There's no conclusive proof that they were buried there.
Baird, I meant to ask - are you and the Hendersons related, or were you just curious?
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Larger view of Studley Priory map; 1919
https://maps.nls.uk/view/106017306#zoom=5&lat=8634&lon=12213&layers=BT
And there's 'The Enclosure (Burial Place)' again, complete with the path to the Priory :D
I want to go there and have a look now :(
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Well just to be pernickety (it's the mood I'm in!), Find a Grave only shows us the churchyard memorials for Robert and Margaret. There's no conclusive proof that they were buried there.
Nothing wrong with being pernickety , Carol.
It took a bit of digging, there are a lot of newspaper references to Robert's death, but this one states the funeral took place at the church, no mention of the vault on the estate.
I'll see if I can find any reference to Margaret's funeral, or service.
Reading Standard
23 Jan 1932
page 20
Death of Captain Henderson, M.P.
Seven years Member for South Oxon Divion
A Popular Personality
- news which became known in the early hours of Sunday morning
- that Capt. Robert Ronald Henderson, M.P. for the division,
- had died suddenly about 10 o'clock on Saturday night,
- was received with great regret
...
Soldier and Politician
- Capt. Henderson,
- who lived at Studley Priory, near Oxford,
- was born in 1876,
- the son of the late Mr J Henderson,
- and he chose the army as a career
- he joined the 3rd Hussars in 1896 and served till 1908
...
the year following his retirement from the army in 1908,
- he married Margaret Frances Dashwood,
- and he leaves a widow and six children,
- three boys and three girls
...
- The Funeral
- The funeral of Captain Henderson
- took place on Wednesday,
- at the church of Horton-cum-Studley
- Family mourners included:
- Mrs Henderson (widow)
- Mr Turner Henderson (brother)
- Sir George and Lady Dashwood (father-in-law and mother-in-law)
- and Captain Henderson's sons and daughters
- To coincide with the time of the funeral
- memorial services were held at
- the Cathedral, Oxford
- and at the parish church, Henley
[has photo of Captain Henderson]
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Well just to be pernickety (it's the mood I'm in!), Find a Grave only shows us the churchyard memorials for Robert and Margaret. There's no conclusive proof that they were buried there.
I'll see if I can find any reference to Margaret's funeral, or service.
I haven't had any luck with this.
..
And there's 'The Enclosure (Burial Place)' again, complete with the path to the Priory :D
I want to go there and have a look now :(
It looks like it's now in within Studley Wood Golf Club. I wonder if the golf club might have some info about who is buried there. If David's remains are there, maybe there's an inscription or plaque.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Horton-cum-Studley,+Oxford/@51.8006843,-1.1368954,1547m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4876e82d0a174297:0x5b8d81365fe27f8a!8m2!3d51.8068791!4d-1.1354894?hl=en
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Many thanks Cuffie and Carol for the information.
My friends' father was a major in the 2nd Seaforths and was seriously wounded around the same time in the same area as Major Henderson. Thinking he may have known Major Henderson I tried to find out more about him and discovered the mystery of the Majors' remains.
We wondered if Major Henderson was able to be repatriated through his family connections. The other men listed as being transferred from BadBurg-Hau to the Reichswald Forest Cemetery are all there .
Thank you again for all your research.
Baird
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I would have thought that the CWGC would have records of all instances where a soldier's remains were repatriated to their home, surely there would have to be applications/correspondence etc. to prove lineage and legality of the request. If that is the case such info may only be available to close descendants of the deceased or his family. Might be worth an email inquiry?