Frederick Samuel Fry [f.2.6.8.2]

Frederick Samuel Fry was the second child of Albert Edward Fry & Harriett Annie Grove born Oct-Dec, 1880 at Hartfield.

In 1881 he was living at home at Brookshill Farm, Hartfield.

Just after his father’s death in 1890, the following year Frederick was living in Croydon with his ‘aunt & uncle’ – Robert Hubbard & Elizabeth Mays, who were in fact Harriett’s aunt & uncle.

In 1901 Frederick was living at Kingston-by-the-Sea with Herbert Summarsell, a 23 year old market gardener, & his sisters Bertha, (26, a housekeeper) & 19 year old Lillian Summarsell, a milliner – children of Anne Fry & Henry Summarsell (Anne Fry & Frederick’s father Albert Edward Fry were cousins). Frederick was a soldier in the 1st Royal Sussex Regiment. John Mabely Fry (21) was also boarding with them & was a gardeners labourer.

Frederick married Alice Maud Witkowski. Alice was born c1882 in Rangoon, India, the daughter of Sarah Ann Prior & William Ludolph Witkowski, a sergeant in the Royal Artillery who was based at the Military Barracks in Sheerness, Kent at the time of the 1881 census.

In 1912 Frederick was a witness at the wedding of his brother Albert Edward Fry to Rose Marion Barnett at Reading. At that time Frederick was a company sergeant in the Royal Sussex Regiment.

Frederick (Photo courtesy of Debbie Prout)

Frederick was in B Company, 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment during the 1st World War. He was a Company Sergeant Major at the time that he was killed in action on September 25th, 1915 while fighting in France. He is commemorated at the Loos Memorial of Commonwealth War Dead, near Lens, France. He was 35 years old. Frederick was awarded the Victory Medal, the British Medal & the 1914 Star with clasp adorning the ribbon. His widow, Alice, was living at 4 Dromore St, Cregagh, Belfast, Northern Ireland at that time.

Dud corner cemetery, Loos, where Frederick is remembered

(Photo courtesy of Debbie Prout)

The children of Frederick Samuel Fry & Alice Maud Witkowski were:

f.2.6.8.2.1 George Fry
f.2.6.8.2.2 Albert Percy Fry born September 7th, 1911 at Curragh, Co Cork, Ireland, died August 1989 at Plymouth, Devon
f.2.6.8.2.3 John S Fry born Oct-December 1912 at Farnham, died May 9th, 1929 in London