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Edward Thomas Morse Light
Edward Thomas Morse Light, known as Tom, was born in 1884 in Gloucester to John Light and Frances Emma née Morse. His childhood was spent partly in Quedgeley where his father was a coachman, and later at the Plough Inn, Sheepscombe, which John kept. Frances died in 1904 and by 1911 John had moved again, to Frampton, where he was working as a jobbing gardener but living at the Three Horseshoes. On 6 December 1918 John was the subject of a short article in the Stroud News celebrating the survival of all five of his sons, and also that of the husband of his only daughter, Annie (mother of the renowned author Laurie Lee). Of John's sons, only Tom and his brother, Sidney John, have been singled out for inclusion here as they were listed as absent voters in the 1918-19 electoral registers for Frampton. Additionally, Tom's war service is commemorated on the plaque in the village hall. In 1901 Tom worked as a house boy in Painswick, progressing to become footman by 1905. In that year he enlisted in the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, serving in North India (where he contracted malaria) from 1907 until his repatriation and transfer to the Reserve in March 1912. He was then mobilised on 5 August 1914, posted to the 1st Life Guards, and served in France for the rest of the war. After being out of action with a shell wound to the head (November 1914-April 1915), he progressed steadily to sergeant, and was transferred to the Guards Machine Gun Regiment. Tom was later awarded the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. On 5 August 1918 Tom married Minnie Mary, sister of Christopher Charles, Clevedon Wells and Edgar John Fryer, at St Lawrence's, Barnwood. At the time she was a housemaid at Barnwood House Asylum. Edward Thomas Morse Light died on 25 January 1958, having lived with Minnie in Stroud. |