Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Arthur French, a shoe maker, born 1870 in Leicester and his wife Emma French (nee Bishop, married in the 2nd quarter of 1890 in the Billesdon, Leicestershire district), a shoe trade machinist, born 1869 in Northampton. Arthur was born in the 2nd quarter of 1897 in Leicester, his siblings were, Florence, born 1893, Thomas, born 1895 and Mabel, born 1897, all his siblings were born in Leicester, also residing with the family was Arthur’s widowed paternal grandmother, Phoebe French, a laundress, born 1834 in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at 147, Gresham Street, Leicester. In April 1911 Arthur was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at 228, St. Saviours Road, Leicester, together with his father, a shoe trade clicker, his mother and siblings, Thomas, a shoe trade finisher, Mabel, a stockroom worker, Harold, a schoolboy, born 1903, Albert, born 1906 and Edna, born 1909, the latter three siblings were all born in Leicester.
The War Diary records: 3 Mar-15 - The Battalion were in the trenches at Rue du Bois, that it was quiet all day, casualties one man killed and three wounded.
On Saturday April 10th 1915 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “THE WAR.” – ROLL OF HONOUR. – LEICESTERSHIRE CASUALTIES. Private A. French, 1st Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, has died of wounds, “received in action in France,” on March 18th last. His father, who lives in Leicester, has received an official intimation. His mother died only six weeks ago, whilst her son was abroad. Another son is in the R.A.M.C. French was 18, and was in the Leicesters when the war broke out.