David Ricmond, 'The Enigma'

[James18]

Hi all,

A cousin of mine is currently writing a book on soldiers who were killed during the First World War and whose family received their 'death penny' or memorial plaque. These were issued to soldiers who were killed prior to the Armistice, as well as to soldiers who died of war-related injuries prior to August 31st 1921. No doubt many of you will have seen one of these medallions before, and perhaps have one of your own that had been issued to a grandparent.

I've been helping my relative with some of his research, primarily with regards to tracing these individuals across census records. One of his case studies is called 'David Ricmond, The Enigma' and having read the chapter on him, I can see why.

Someone (presumably a next-of-kin) applied for a man named David Ricmond to have a 'death penny' made, and my relative has a photograph of it, along with the original envelope and letter from King George V. They all appear to be in near-pristine condition.

The problem is that it would appear Mr. Ricmond's service records do not appear to have survived - not that surprising, as the majority of WW1 personnel files were destroyed in a fire during the Blitz - and there is no medal card index for him. (That we can find, anyway).

The only information we have to go on is the memorial plaque and a single possible lead: an entry on the 1912 Electoral Register (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/2584/M0466k-00055?pid=4876228&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DwnR5175%26_phstart%3DsuccessSourc e%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26gsfn%3DDavid%26gsfn_x%3D0 %26gsln%3DRicmond%26gsln_x%3D1%26cp%3D0%26catbucke t%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dyke%26pcat%3DROOT_CAT EGORY%26h%3D4876228%26recoff%3D5%25206%26db%3DMidl andsElectoral%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=wnR5175&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true) for a David Ricmond living at 32 South Street, Birmingham. It may not even be the same man, but if the name is correct then it likely is.

There are no UK births, marriages or deaths recorded for a Ricmond or Rickmond. If he was born in the UK, it's possible his name has been mistranscribed from Richmond, but if so that opens up a fairly wide field of possible suspects. I thought I had a promising lead with a David Richmond from Lanchester, Durham who I'd found across three census records, but I found a 1920 marriage (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/2253/32355_249649-00858?pid=3577727&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk//cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DwnR5170%26_phstart%3DsuccessSourc e%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26gsfn%3DDavid%26gsfn_x%3D0 %26gsln%3DRichmond%26gsln_x%3D0%26msbdy%3D1889%26m sbpn__ftp%3DLanchester,%2520Durham,%2520England%26 msbpn%3D83454%26msbpn_PInfo%3D8-%257C0%257C0%257C3257%257C3251%257C0%257C0%257C0%2 57C5263%257C83454%257C0%257C0%257C%26cpxt%3D1%26cp %3D11%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dyke%2 6pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D3577727%26recoff%3D10% 252011%252035%26db%3DWYorkCoEMarriage%26indiv%3D1% 26ml_rpos%3D19&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=wnR5170&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true) for him and so it's probably not him.

We don't even know when David Ricmond died, simply that it must have been prior to August 31st 1921 for him to have qualified for a memorial plaque.

Anyone fancy a challenge?

[James18]

Currently looking into this chap (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/179373/RICHMOND,%20DAVID), who I've found in 1891, 1901 and 1911 (on a census summary page).

[kiterunner]

Do the envelope and letter have an address on, James?

There are two David Richmonds from Scotland who come up on CWGC as having died in WW1. Have you ruled them out?

Edit - oh, one of those two was in the Merchant Navy, but that still leaves the other one. Actually it just says D Richmond so maybe not David:
Rank: Gunner

Service No: 175407

Date of Death: 06/04/1918

Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery "A" Bty. 150th Bde.

Grave Reference: P. IX. F. 11A.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
Additional Information: Husband of Mrs. Richmond, of 136, King St., Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.

Also there is this one who I didn't mention before:
Rank: Lieutenant

Date of Death:09/10/1918

Age: 34

Regiment/Service: Canadian Infantry "B" Coy. 31st Bn.

Grave Reference: IV. E. 34.

Cemetery: BUCQUOY ROAD CEMETERY, FICHEUX

Additional Information:
Son of David and Sarah Richmond, of Forshaw Heath, Warwickshire; husband of Annie Richmond, of 34, Woodland Rd., Northfield, Birmingham.


(Further edit - I see he is the one you linked to in post #2.)

[Merry]

The only information we have to go on is the memorial plaque and a single possible lead: an entry on the 1912 Electoral Register for a David Ricmond living at 32 South Street, Birmingham. It may not even be the same man, but if the name is correct then it likely is.


This one is aged 57 in 1911. The name on the census is Richmond.

[Merry]

Oh, he's got son of 17 with the same name though.

[James18]

Oh, he's got son of 17 with the same name though.
Ah, would that be David James Richmond?

[Merry]

Ah, would that be David James Richmond?

Yes.

[kiterunner]

I found a post on another site which says that "D. Richmond" (no 175407, see post #3) was a David:

http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic2180-0-asc-615.html

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Two thoughts - 1) perhaps Mr Ricman didn't serve overseas ("leave his native shore") in which case he wouldn't have been awarded medals nor would there be a medal card.

2) Not all men who received the death penny had been killed in action and the other condition, "died of war-related injuries," is a bit ambiguous. One of my relatives had TB, which was exacerbated by a stint in cold and wet conditions in a UK training camp. He was discharged on the grounds of ill health and sent home; died a couple of months later and his parents were sent a plaque.
A plaque was sent to my aunt after the death of her husband in hospital in January 1919 - there was a full military funeral and he was buried in his local cemetery, and has a CWGC headstone. The death certificate gives sole cause of death as pneumonia; there are no family stories that the death was attributable in any way to his military service, but it is possible, of course, that he was in hospital as a result of a wartime injury. As there is no service record, or newspaper report, we just do not know.

Jay

[James18]

Thanks for your help everyone. Much appreciated as always. :)