Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
This man is probably Harry Brailsford, 10108 Lance Corporal 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters, DOW 29 September 1914, who is commemorated on the Gotham St Lawrence memorial, Nottinghamshire.

Submitted by R. Farrand, 2020

A document has been traced which shows that he was a candidate for appointment as a postman at Leicester.

Harry Brailsford was born in Cropwell Bishop in 1888 (J/A/S Bingham mother's maiden name Booth), birth registered Charles Buxton Mosley.

His mother Ellen Brailsford (formerly Buxton née Booth) was born in Sheffield on 30 November 1860. His father was Ellen's second husband, Thomas Brailsford (b. Derby 11 September 1857). See 'Extra information.'

Ellen Booth married first John Buxton at Cropwell Bishop St Giles on 26 February 1883. Her husband was born in Cropwell Bishop, and was probably the son of Robert and Ann Buxton, and was baptised at St Giles on 23 January 1859. Their eldest child, Edith Buxton, was baptised in 1883 at St Giles, parents John and Ellen Buxton. However, the baptismal records of Ellen's next two children, Lily bap. St Giles 1885 and William Charles bap. St Giles 1886, gave only her name as parent. Harry was born on 30 May 1888.

Ellen married Thomas Brailsford in 1905 (Thomas Brailsford/Ellen Buxton 1905 O/N/D Basford). However, Thomas completed the 1911 Census with the information that he and Ellen had been married for 18 years (abt. 1893) and had had 13 children of whom only eight had survived. The names of nine children have been traced, including one, Walter, who died young, so it seems that the number of surviving children included Edith, Ellen's eldest child by her first husband John Buxton.

Thomas Brailsford has not yet been traced on the 1891 Census. However, Ellen Buxton (26, married) was recorded on the census living in Cropwell Bishop as housekeeper to a widower, John Mallett (60), an agricultural labourer. Her four children (surname Buxton), Edith (7), Lilian (5), William (4) and Harry (2), were described as lodgers A further child, George (Buxton), who appears on the subsequent census, was probably George Harold Buxton whose birth was registered in 1893 (A/M/J Basford, mother's maiden name Booth).

In 1901 Thomas, a plaster boiler (gypsum works), and Ellen [Brailsford] were living at Malt Houses, Malt Street, Gotham. Also in the household were: Edith (19) and Lily (17), who were both domestic servants, William (15) a farm servant, Harry (12) and George (8) who were all born in Cropwell Bishop and had the surname Buxton although described as Thomas' children. There were then three children with the surname Brailsford who had been born in Gotham: Charlotte b. 1896, Walter b. 1896 (registered Brailsford) and 'baby' (under one year) who was probably later named Mary Ellen.

Walter died in 1903 aged about five. There was another son, Albert, who was born in Cropwell Bishop in about 1903.

In 1906 when Harry attested in the Militia/Reserve Division (4th Bn Sherwood Foresters) he named his next of kin as his parents Thomas and Ellen (Brailsford) of Cropwell Bishop, brothers William of Tithby Grange and George of Cropwell Bishop, and sisters Edith of Loughborough (address not known) and Lily of the Greyhound Inn, London Road, Nottingham.

Thomas and Ellen had left Gotham and returned to live in Cropwell Bishop by 1903 when Albert was born, and were still living there when Harry enlisted in 1906, but by 1911 they were again in Gotham and living at The Rushes. Only Charlotte (15), Mary Ellen (10) and Albert (8) were still living at home. George (Brailsford) was recorded in Owthorpe, near Colston Bassett, working as an under-wagoner for Josiah Wallwin, a farmer.

The CWGC record only names Ellen Brailsford as Harry's parent; her address was given as Malt Street, Gotham.

By 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Thomas and Ellen were living on Curzon Street, Gotham. Thomas died in 1941. Ellen has not yet been traced after 1939.
Employment/Hobbies
He enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters in 1906. He was later employed in the Postal Service as a postman at Leicester Post Office.

Information taken from:

https://secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/RollOfHonour/People/Details/13240

Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
Exhaustive research has failed to discover any information pertaining to this name, either relating to family background or any military service, the fact that the name is recorded on the Church of The Martyrs Memorial, would indicate a link to that parish or residential area, however this has not yielded any clear indication as to the identity of H. Brailsford, and as such will remain an incomplete record pending review should information in the future be forthcoming. (MD. 2021/08/30)