Edward Hing

Family and Home ^{1, 2, 3}

Edward Hing, known as Teddy, was born in Northall, Edlesborough, the third of the 8 children of Joseph Hing and Sarah Jane née Ginger.

His siblings were:

• Brother: William James Hing, born 14th June 1881
• Sister: Jane, born 4th September 1882
• Brother: Lewis Hing, born 14th April 1887
• Sister: Minnie, born 23rd March 1889
• Brother: Joseph Hing (Joe Jnr.), born 27th November 1890
• Brother: Frederick, born 27th March 1893
• Sister: Dorothy Ruth, born 29th January 1895

When Edward was born, his family lived at Pest House Lane, Northall, Edlesborough and his father was a Farm Labourer.

Moving to Meadow Farm, Ringshall ^{4, 5}

Early in 1893, Joseph, Sarah and their family moved from Northall to Meadow Farm, 1 Ringshall, an Ashridge Estate holding which the family then farmed for 35 years until the Estate was sold.

Education ⁴

The Little Gaddesden School Log Book of 20th February 1893 notes:

Two new faces here this morning – Edward and Lewis Ing from Northall. Their parents have taken the house formerly occupied by George Whitman of Ringshall.

Edward was then aged 7½ and Lewis Hing an infant aged 5 years 10 months. The spelling of their surname is initially recorded as “Ing” in the School Log Book, and later as “Hing”.

Little Gaddesden School had a Diocesan Inspection in January or February each year, during which the children were examined in Religious Knowledge. The Log Book records the names of those children who distinguished themselves in this examination and Edward’s name is included in 1896 and 1897.

On 24th February 1896, Edward passed all but the Writing section of his Labour Certificate exam. Then, on 23rd September 1896, the Log Book notes:

The Rector told me that Edward Ing (St. 5) will be allowed to come to School half time. (To come each morning).

That enabled him to go to work in the afternoons. On 30th March 1897 Edward passed his Labour Certificate exam and then, on 12th April 1897, he left Little Gaddesden School with a Certificate of Proficiency. He was 11 years 9 months old. Others who left that day, also with Certificates of Proficiency, included William Johnson, Edward Groom and Sidney Bunn.

Employment ³

On Census night, 31st March 1901, Edward, his parents and six of his seven siblings were resident at Meadow Farm. 15 year old Edward was a Stable Lad (Groom) and 13 year old Lewis Hing a House Boy; Minnie, 12, Joseph Hing, 10, Frederick, 8 and Dorothy, 6 were all at school. 18 year old Jane’s entry recorded “no occupation”. Edward’s brother James Hing was then a 19 year old Domestic Groom, living in “Rooms above the Coach House” at Bovingdon House, Bovingdon.

The Little Gaddesden Brass Band ⁶

The Little Gaddesden Brass Band was formed in 1902 and a report and statement of accounts for 1902 – 1903 has survived. To obtain funds, entertainments were performed and donations sought. Each band member paid 3d per week (1¼p today) toward the cost of tuition. The report noted “our balance in hand is very low, but we again rely on our many kind friends to give us their support and stick to our motto: Nil Desperandum”. The report included a photograph on which Edward, aged about 18, is the young man with the euphonium, second from right in the back row.

Others in the Band with links to the Roll of Honour are:

• Back Row, L to R: 1. Archibald Johnson; 2. Thomas Johnson; 3. Frederick Cutler; 5. John Wibden; 7. Edward Pinnock (father of George Pinnock and Arthur Pinnock).
• Middle Row, L to R: 3. Arthur Johnson; 4. Sam Oakins; 6. Harry Wells (father of William Wells); 7. Walter Holland; 8. Herbert Fenn.
• Front Row, L to R: 1. Steve Oakins; 4. William Johnson; 5. Sidney Rogers.
• Under the drum: Hubert Halsey
• Band members absent from the photo included William Fenn and Matthew Munden; the Band’s Secretary was Geoffrey Talbot.

Marriage ^{3, 7, 8}

In 1907 (3rd Quarter) Edward Hing married Daisy Glenister, daughter of Joseph Glenister, Blacksmith, of 2 Corner Hall, Boxmoor.

Moving to Ware ⁸

The 1911 Census shows Edward, a 25 year old Motor Mechanic, and Daisy living at The Stables, Ware Park, Ware, Herts. Edward was working for Robert Ernest Alexander Esq., a Banker, of Ware Park. His brother James Hing was a Domestic Chauffeur, living at 61 Horsecroft Road, Boxmoor.

Meanwhile Joseph and Sarah were still at Meadow Farm, 1 Ringshall with their sons Lewis Hing, 23, a Chauffeur, Joseph Hing, 20, a Labouring Gardener and Frederick, 18, a Farm Labourer. Edward’s father was the Watchman at Ashridge House and his youngest brother Frederick was the only family member recorded as a Farm Labourer.

Military Service ^{9, 10, 11}

Only Edward’s Medal and Award Roll entries have been found. These show that he served as a Private, Service Number CMT/1052 in the Army Service Corps. “CMT” indicates that he was a Class C Reservist in Motor Transport, which fits with his 1911 occupation as a Motor Mechanic. They also show that Edward volunteered right at the beginning of the War and disembarked in France on 14th August 1914. He then served in the “3rd Ammunition Park”, i.e. the 3rd General Headquarters Ammunition Park; he was therefore in 51 Company of the Army Service Corps.

Ammunition Parks were Motor Transport units of the Army Service Corps, which collected ammunition from railheads or depots and transported it as far forward as roads allowed before handing it over to the horse-drawn Divisional Ammunition Columns. For his War Service, Edward was awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.

Death of his Brother-in-Law Arthur William English ^{12, 13}

On 22nd November 1913 at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Little Gaddesden, Edward’s sister Minnie Hing married Arthur William English of Holwell, Dorset, who subsequently served in the Royal Fusiliers. However, on 12th December 1917 G/53105, Private Arthur William English, 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers died of wounds in France. He is buried at Le Cateau Military Cemetery, Nord, France where his Grave Reference is V. D. 13.

After Arthur’s death, it seems that Minnie returned to her parents’ home. Then, on 23rd April 1919, at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Little Gaddesden, she married Herbert (Bert) Andrews of 6 Little Gaddesden. By the time the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Grave Registration Reports were compiled in the 1920s, Minnie and Bert had moved to 50 Little Gaddesden, where he worked in the market garden at the Manor House, which explains the following information in Arthur’s entry:

Son of the late Henry English, of Holwell, Sherborne, Dorset. Husband of Minnie Andrews (formerly English), of 50, Little Gaddesden, Berkhamsted, Herts.

Men who have answered their country’s call in defence of a “Scrap of Paper”

Edward Hing is named on the Roll of Honour, which hangs in St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Little Gaddesden and lists 119 men from Little Gaddesden, Ringshall and Hudnall who served in the 1914 – 1918 War. On the original Roll his unit is listed as Automobile Reserve. However, on the Centenary Revision of the Roll, it is listed more formally as Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport.  His brothers James Hing, Lewis Hing and Joseph Hing are also listed on the Rolls. All four survived the War and all finished their service in the unit by then entitled the Royal Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport.

Rolls of Honour photos: Jane Dickson, Michael Carver

The Hing Family ^{1, 2, 3}

Edward’s parents, Joseph and Sarah Hing of Meadow Farm, 1 Ringshall, had eight children and nine grandchildren.

A photo taken in 1928 or 1929 shows them all.

Back row L to R: Rose, wife of Joe Hing Jnr, holding their daughter Joan; Kit wife of Frederick; Raymond son of Rose and Joe Hing Jnr.

2nd Row L to R: Minnie and Gladys Nash, daughters of Reuben Nash and Jane née Hing; Arthur Putman husband of Dorothy; Reuben Nash; Herbert Andrews and his wife Minnie née Hing; Joe Hing Jnr; Edward and his wife Daisy; Edith, wife of James Hing; Joyce their daughter; Lewis Hing.

Seated on chairs L to R: Dorothy Putman née Hing, wife of Arthur, with their daughter Iris; Jane Nash née Hing, wife of Reuben; Joseph and Sarah; William James Hing; Annie wife of Lewis Hing with their son Edward Jnr.

At the front: Frederick Jnr, son of James Hing and Edith; Leonard Hing, son of Lewis Hing and Annie.

Post-War Life ^{2, 3, 14, 15, 16}

The Autumn 1919 Electoral Register shows Edward registered to vote at 157 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead. However, in 1920 he and Daisy moved to 104 High Street, Berkhamsted. Then, from 1921 to 1925, they lived at 111 Gossoms End, Berkhamsted where Edward, a Motor Engineer, became a Garage Proprietor at Gossom’s End Garage.

From 1926, Electoral Registers record their address as “House near Motor Works”, Northchurch, and describe the Motor Works and Garage as “opposite Lagley” i.e. the Gossoms End side of Northchurch.  In the 1939 Register, their house near Lagley in Gossoms End is called “Glenhing”.

On 8th October 1953, 68 year old Edward Hing, of Glening (Glenhing), Gossoms End, died in West Herts Hospital, Hemel Hempstead. His widow Daisy, who remained at that address, died in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury on 9th April 1955, her 73rd Birthday.

References

1. https://www.findmypast.co.uk England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcriptions

2. https://www.ancestry.co.uk The 1939 Register

3. https://www.findmypast.co.uk 1881 – 1921 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcriptions 

4. Little Gaddesden School Log Books 1887 – 1906

5. Leonhardt, John (ed), 2002, A Century Remembered – a celebration of the Millennium in Little Gaddesden, Rural Heritage Society of Little Gaddesden, Ringshall and Ashridge

6. Report and Statement of Accounts of the Little Gaddesden Brass Band 1902 – 1903

7. https://www.findmypast.co.uk England & Wales marriages 1837-2005 Transcriptions

8. Kelly’s Directory of Hertfordshire 1908, Hemel Hempstead

9. https://www.ancestry.co.uk UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920

10. http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-army-service-corps-in-the-first-world-war/army-service-corps-mechanical-transport-companies/

11. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/7559-asc-ammunition-parks/

12. Little Gaddesden Marriage Register 1913 and 1919

13. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/594841/english,-arthur-william/

14. https://www.findmypast.co.uk Electoral Registers 1832 – 1932

15. https://www.findmypast.co.uk England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007

16. https://www.ancestry.co.uk National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858 – 1995