Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Thomas Edward Solomon Sharman

 

Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Thomas Edward Solomon Sharman

A Private with the 7th Battalion, Thomas died on 3rd of July 1916 at the age of 27. 

Thomas was born at Lowestoft in 1889, the son of Thomas Edward Sharman 1866-1943 and Sarah Jane Solomon 1866-1949. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 26 May 1889. In 1891 his family lived at 104 Cambridge Road and this was still their home in 1901. Later his parents lived at 84 Park Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England.

Thomas was the eldest of ten children.  The children of Thomas and Sarah Jane were:

1.      Thomas Edward Solomon Sharman 1889–1916

2.      Ada Jane Solomon Sharman 1890–1967

3.      Herbert Francis Solomon Sharman 1892–1972

4.      Hilda Martha Solomon Sharman 1894–1986

5.      Elsie Maud Solomon Sharman 1895–1895

6.      Arthur Charles Solomon Sharman 1896–1969

7.      Lily Marion Solomon Sharman 1899–1970

8.      Ronald Reginald Solomon Sharman 1900–1973

9.      Albert Victor Solomon Sharman 1904–1988

10.  Harry Claude Solomon Sharman 1906–1967

On March 19, 1911 Thomas married Florence Jane Storey at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. Thomas was a plumber living at 84 Park Road and Florence lived at Battery Green. In 1911 they lived at 1 Park Holm Terrace, High Street, and later Florence lived at 3 Park Holm Terrace.

Thomas and Florence had three children.  They were:

1.      Edward Harry Storey 1911–1971

2.      Dora Ella Sharman 1913–2000

3.      Margaret Eleanor Sharman 1914–2003

Thomas volunteered to join the Army. He enlisted at Lowestoft on September 8, 1914 and joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 14462. He was posted to the 9th Battalion and landed in France with the Battalion on August 31, 1915. At some point he was posted to the 7th Battalion. 

On July 3, 1916 the 7th Battalion took part in a frontal attack on the village of Ovillers, in the Somme region of France. Although initially successful, the attack failed because, when in the village, German troops were able to infiltrate the successive lines of the British attack and inflicted heavy casualties. The 7th Battalion lost 21 officers, and 458 men, killed wounded or missing, but some of those missing did return to the battalion in the following days.

Thomas was among those killed in action on July 3, 1916.  His body was never found but he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of The Somme. He was 27 years old.

Before he departed for France, his wife and children had their pictures taken for him to carry while he served in the army.

Genealogy:  Thomas Edward Solomon Sharman 1889-1916 was the son of Thomas Edward Sharman 1866-1943 and his mother was Elizabeth Smith 1837-1913 and her mother was Elizabeth Manning 1811-1856 and her father was John Manning 1764-1852 and his son was Samuel Bryant Manning 1813-1888 and his daughter was Mary Ann Manning 1852-1917 and her daughter was Emily Phoebe Green 1884-1959 and her husband was Henry William Doy 1883-1957 and his mother was Harriet Elizabeth Adams 1855-1913 and her father was John Curtis Adams 1797-1873 and his son was William Frederick Adams 1848-1907 and his son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.