ABBOTTS Arthur

Surname spelt Abbots on Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Soldiers Died in the Great War.

Evesham Journal and Four Shires Advertiser, 3rd July 1915:
Another Hampton Man Killed
News has been received that Pte. Arthur Abbots, of the 4th Worcesters, died of wounds on June 17. He was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Abbots, of 4, The pool, Great Hampton, and with a number of other young men from Hampton enlisted at the outbreak of war. One of his friends was Pte. Wilson Harding, who was killed some weeks ago. Pte. Abbots was home on leave at Easter. His eldest brother, Alfred, was formerly in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and served through the South African war. He is now on service with the National reserve. Another brother, Pte. Thomas Abbots, enlisted in the Worcesters with Pte Arthur Abbots. In his memory a muffled peal was rung on the bells at Hampton church on Sunday evening, and the organist (Mr Frank White) played the Dead March in “Saul.” The Hampton Boy Scouts (under Scoutmaster the Rev. C.F. Thomas) and the Evesham Boy Scouts (under Scoutmaster Checketts) attended the service, the procession through the village being headed by the Evesham Town Band. In his sermon the Vicar (the Rev. Desmond FitzMaurice) referred briefly to the death of Pte. Abbots.

(Arthur was the son of John and Fanny Abbots (nee Cooke) who were married 22nd August 1868).

The clock on Hampton St Andrew’s Church is a war memorial to WW1 and is inscribed with the words: War Memorial 1914-18.

The tenor bell is inscribed “also in memory of the sons of Hampton who died for the sacred cause of liberty and freedom”. The name of Alfred Bowell is inscribed on one of the bells, his granddaughter is currently a bell ringer at the church.