Aldershot Military Cemetery 2

IF STONES CAN TALK……………



Allatt Grave
Aldershot Military Cemetery

Close by to where Mrs Margaret Maistre, buried in Aldershot Military Cemetery, is the grave of Henry Thomas Ward Allatt. 

The grave was first used, during 1902, when Robert Edward Constance Allatt, son the above, Henry Thomas and wife Constance, died aged 10. 

Allatt Grave
Inscription
Aldershot Military Cemetery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the time of the 1901 Census, Robert, then aged 9, was born in Bodmin, Cornwall, was living at 12 Alexandra Road, “Oakdene”, Farnborough.   Father, Henry, aged 54, was listed as Lieutenant Colonel.  He himself was a British subject born in Boulogne, France.  Mother, Constance, aged 39, was born at Sandgate, Kent.

British Census
31st March 1901
12 Alexander Road, Farnborough

 

Henry Thomas W Allatt and Constance Margaret McTernan were married during the latter months of 1888, the ceremony taking place at Chertsey.  Henry was the son of Christopher John Robert Allatt, doctor.

A decade later, at the time of the 1911 Census, Henry, now aged 64, had retired from the army, and his wife, Constance, aged 49, were living at Thumblands, Runfold, Farnham. 

British Census
2nd April 1911
Thumblands, Runfold, Farnham

 

At the time of the outbreak of the First World War August 1914, Henry re-enlisted and joined the Special List and his old regiment,  3^rd Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. 

It is events of April 1916, the Easter Rising, Ireland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Easter Rising, was known as Easter Rebellion.  The Rising commencing on 24^th April with skirmished around Dublin, there were further smaller skirmishes in counties of Meath, Gallway, Louth, Wexford and Cork.  The Rising was launched by the Irish Republicans to end the British rule in Ireland and establish an independent Irish Republic. The Rising marked a significant period in the history of Ireland since the 1798, Rebellion.

Patrick Pearse

The Rising was organised by 7-men of Military Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, led by schoolmaster and Irish language activist Patrick Pearse.  The group was joined by the small Irish Citizen Army, lead by James Connolly also to join was 200 women of the Cumann na mBan

The British who had a great number of heavier weapons, suppressed the Rising on 29^th April.  Pearse arranged for an unconditional surrender, however, there was still sporadic fighting. Ireland remained under marital law. 3,500 people were taken as prisoner, of those 1,800 were sent to interment camps and prisons in Britain.  16 leaders of the Rising, including Patrick Pearse, were tried and executed.

In total, 485 people were killed in the Easter Rising, 54% civilians, 30% British military and police and 16% Irish rebels.  A further 2,600 people had been injured.

Henry, who was with 3^rd Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, had been serving alongside the 3^rd Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles.  They were based at Portobello Road Barracks.  Henry had been crediting for designing the armoured cars used by the British during the Rising. 

 

8^th May 1916, Henry died.  The cause of his death, remains a mystery, he either died as referred to in the 1916 Rebellion Handbook, a Killed in Action, near the South Dublin Union, or as published in British Medical Journal, 20^th May, stated that Henry had died from heath failure brought on by exertions during the Rising.  His body was brought back the United Kingdom for burial are Aldershot Military Cemetery.   Henry had been Mentioned in Despatches in January 1917, for his work during the Easter Rising.

In his Will, Henry, left £3859 15s 7d to his widow, Constance.

 

Constance, at the time of her death aged 89, 1951, was residing at Folkestone, Kent.