THE short life of George Fairchild read by Maxwell, a Stewards Academy student.

This project was brought with the assistance of the Harlow Council Civic Fund and HTS Ltd.

Never Forget.

George Bradley Fairchild

George was born in c.1899 in Great Parndon. Other than when he was in the army, he lived with his grandmother Sarah Fairchild nee Peters at Church Cottages, Great Parndon. Despite checks it has not been possible to find out which of Sarah’s children was George’s parent.

Sarah was born in Redhill, Surrey in c.1847. Her husband Charles Fairchild was born in Great Parndon in c.1837. As a child, Charles lived at Cramphorn Farm in Hare Street and as he got older a farm in Great Parndon. He then moved to live in the High Street, Epping. Charles and Sarah married in the district of Walthamstow on 8 March 18711. Sarah was living with her in- laws at Linford End. The couple went on to have seven children. However it is clear from census taken that they spent much of their married life living apart. At the time of the 1881 census Sarah was living at Church Cottages with her 4 children, namely Julia, George, Arthur and Elizabeth. The census records that Sarah was ‘supported by her absent husband’. There is no record of the whereabouts of Charles.

The family remained living at Church Cottages for the next 20 years. The 1901 census records that three further children had been born, namely Edward, Martha and Steven. Also recorded is George Bradley Fairchild aged two, grandson to Sarah. The 1901 census shows George’s grandfather Charles aged 64 living and working at Brooke House, a ‘private lunatic asylum’ in Upper Clapton Road, London. He was still there ten years later at the time of the census of 1911, shown working as a ‘house porter’. In the meantime Sarah and grandson George together with other family members were still living at Church Cottages. Charles died on 11 June 1912 aged 752.

Trooper George Bradley Fairchild, 4100, enlisted in Windsor and joined The 2nd Battalion of The Life Guards and was subsequently 4475 in The 2nd Battalion of the Life Guards, Machine Gun Regiment. He was killed in action on 21 October 1918 aged 19 and is buried in St Souplet British Cemetery, France. Plot 1, row c, Grave 16. Register Index Number Fr.1266 and is recorded on his grandfather’s headstone which is in the graveyard at St Mary’s Church in Great Parndon.