Thomas Prowse (buried 1919)

At a glance

Surname:

Prowse

First name:

Thomas

Other Christian names:

Cecil

Gender:

Male

Children:

Unknown

Burial number:

947

Born:

11/2/1892

Died:

12/03/1919

Buried:

17/06/1919

Occupation:

Leading Signalman

Heene Hallmark:

Commonwealth War Grave:

Yes

The Grave

The grave

Cemetery area:

NES

Cemetery row:

Cemetery plot:

what3words location:

https://what3words.com/sadly.tells.deputy

Burial remains:

Unknown

The headstone

Endowed grave:

Headstone inscription:

T C Prowse. DSM. Leading Signalman. RN. J/6330 HMS "Cleopatra" 12th March 1919 Age 25

Commonwealth War Grave

This grave is for someone who died in service during World War One or World War Two. It is managed and cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established by Royal Charter in 1917. Among its responsibilities are:

Marking and maintaining the graves of members of the forces of Commonwealth countries who died in both World War One and World War Two.
Maintaining memorials to the dead whose bodies have no known grave.
Providing records and registers of these burials and commemorations.

You can read more about the valuable work of the CWGC by going to their website.

This grave is for someone who died in service during World War One or World War Two. It is managed and cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established by Royal Charter in 1917. Among its responsibilities are:

Marking and maintaining the graves of members of the forces of Commonwealth countries who died in both World War One and World War Two.
Maintaining memorials to the dead whose bodies have no known grave.
Providing records and registers of these burials and commemorations.

You can read more about the valuable work of the CWGC by going to their website.

Life story

Thomas lived for many years in Antrim and Donegal where his Father was a Coastguard. The family moved to Worthing in 1907 as Thomas's Father became Chief Officer of Worthing coastguard Station until 1911. When the family moved to Worthing Thomas went to School at St Andrew's in Worthing until 6th March 1908, when he left to join the Navy as a Signalman. At 18 he was 5ft 11ins tall, with light brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He was a Greengrocer before that, in Ellanbough, Antrim.

He became Leading Signalman in 1915 and throughout the war he was on minesweepers' His first ship, in 1910, was the Ganges and his last was the Cleopatra (which was a C class light cruiser, and was assigned to the 7th light cruiser squadron in 1918 as the squadron flagship and served in that capacity from 1918 to 1919) He was granted a month's leave to marry Agnes Soby in October 1918. He spent 3 weeks of his month's leave staying with his Wife's parents in Devonshire. The last week he spent with his Parents at Cornwallis' 32 Wordsworth Road Worthing. Thomas was due to be presented with the Distinguished Service Medal when he re-joined his ship, in front of the whole ship's company, which he was looking forward to. However he contracted Pneumonia while staying with his Parents and died from the disease on 12th March 1919, in Kingston Hall Private Nursing Home, Shakespeare Road, Worthing. He left £192 2s 2d (£5500 in today's money) to his wife Agnes

Burial researcher:

Jackie Rooney

Further information

Birth

Date born:

11/02/1892

Marriage

Marriage 1

Spouse one first names:

Agnes

Spouse one last name:

Soby

Marriage one date:

00/10/1918

Marriage one address:

Devon, England

Death

Death (details)

Date of death:

12/03/1919

Age (at time of death):

Cause of death:

Pneumonia

Address at time of death:

Cornwallis, 32 Wordsworth Road, Worthing, Sussex, England

Personal effects

Executors:

Agnes Prowse status: Widow

Probate pounds:

£192

Census and miscellaneous information

Census information

1901 census:

Carthage Donegal Ireland Thomas F Prowse (head) 49, Mary Ann (Wife) 47, Mabel (Daughter) 16, Beatrice (Daughter) 15, Annie (Daughter) 13, Ethel (Daughter) 11, Thomas C (Son) 7, Lillian (Daughter) 9, Selina A (Daughter) 4

Miscellaneous information