J / George's Story.
78083 Driver “J” Bebbington – aka George Bebbington or G Babington of the Royal Horse Artillery (Royal Field Artillery), Ammunition Column, died of enteric fever (typhoid) at Kimberley on 30th May 1900. He is buried in Grave BA7 at Kimberley West End Cemetery, South Africa. He was 28.
What do we know about George?
George Bebbington was born in the village of Poole, near Acton, Cheshire East, on 3rd July 1871. He was the fourth child of George (1827 – 1902) and Sarah nee Beckett (1840 – 1925) and brother to Ellen, Sarah and William. His first home was at Poole Bridge, but by April 1881, aged 9, he was living on Colleys Lane, Willaston. His father was a farm labourer. By then, the family had another child living with them, also called George. George Henry Babbington (1878 - ) was George’s nephew, the son of his unmarried sister Ellen. He was originally listed as grandson of George senior and Sarah but in later censuses appears as their son.
George was a professional soldier. On 27th February 1890, he enlisted into the Royal Artillery, aged 18 years and 7 months. His attestation papers show that he was 5’ 5¾” tall with grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He weighed 126 lbs (9 stone). He had previously been in the 4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. George does not appear on the 1891 census in Crewe. However, his army records show that he was based in the UK until 1893.
In his service with the Royal Field Artillery, George was stationed in India from 21st September 1893 to 19th November 1897. While there, he committed a crime (unspecified) in May 1894, and was given a sentence of six months in military prison with hard labour. Shortly after his release, he committed another crime in 1895, and this time was given a year’s imprisonment, remitted to six months. On 30th November 1897, having returned to the UK, he transferred to the Reserve list.
In 1899, George was sent out to South Africa, attached to 10 Brigade Division Staff, as a driver.
He died of enteric fever (typhoid) in No 11 General Hospital, Kimberley on 30th May 1900, and was buried at West End Cemetery, Kimberley. He was 28 (his death certificate gives his age as 29). The grave entry for George mis-spells his name: 78083 Driver G Babington and he appears on the Queens Park Memorial as J Bebbington.
What do we know about George?
George Bebbington was born in the village of Poole, near Acton, Cheshire East, on 3rd July 1871. He was the fourth child of George (1827 – 1902) and Sarah nee Beckett (1840 – 1925) and brother to Ellen, Sarah and William. His first home was at Poole Bridge, but by April 1881, aged 9, he was living on Colleys Lane, Willaston. His father was a farm labourer. By then, the family had another child living with them, also called George. George Henry Babbington (1878 - ) was George’s nephew, the son of his unmarried sister Ellen. He was originally listed as grandson of George senior and Sarah but in later censuses appears as their son.
George was a professional soldier. On 27th February 1890, he enlisted into the Royal Artillery, aged 18 years and 7 months. His attestation papers show that he was 5’ 5¾” tall with grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He weighed 126 lbs (9 stone). He had previously been in the 4th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. George does not appear on the 1891 census in Crewe. However, his army records show that he was based in the UK until 1893.
In his service with the Royal Field Artillery, George was stationed in India from 21st September 1893 to 19th November 1897. While there, he committed a crime (unspecified) in May 1894, and was given a sentence of six months in military prison with hard labour. Shortly after his release, he committed another crime in 1895, and this time was given a year’s imprisonment, remitted to six months. On 30th November 1897, having returned to the UK, he transferred to the Reserve list.
In 1899, George was sent out to South Africa, attached to 10 Brigade Division Staff, as a driver.
He died of enteric fever (typhoid) in No 11 General Hospital, Kimberley on 30th May 1900, and was buried at West End Cemetery, Kimberley. He was 28 (his death certificate gives his age as 29). The grave entry for George mis-spells his name: 78083 Driver G Babington and he appears on the Queens Park Memorial as J Bebbington.
Could you be related to George?
As his Deceased Soldiers' Effects entry lists his father as his next of kin, we can assume George was not married. By 1891, his parents and siblings had moved to 21 Oxford Street, off West Street in Crewe. This terraced house would be the family home for the next thirty years. His brother William (born 1865) was a platelayer on the railway, working for LNWR, and lived with his widowed mother in Oxford Street until her death in 1925. He does not seem to have married. His sisters Ellen and Sarah may have had children. George's brother / nephew George Henry Bebbington (born 1878, the son of unmarried Ellen) joined LNWR in 1903 and may have died in Chester in 1917. (NB He is not the George Henry Bebbington (1878 - 1944), born in Audlem who lived in Edlestone Road, Crewe, and was married to Ada.)
Researched by S. Lewington 2025. Acknowledgements to “From Crewe to the Cape” by Mark Potts, Tony Marks and Howard Curran.
Researched by S. Lewington 2025. Acknowledgements to “From Crewe to the Cape” by Mark Potts, Tony Marks and Howard Curran.