Devonshire Regiment
Joseph Ellison Curtis was born in Fulham, London in 1883, the son of James Thomas Curtis who was a carpenter (1846-1921) and his wife Sarah Ellen (née Barford: 1851-1904). He was one of nine children, seven of whom were living at the time of the 1911 census. The family lived at 33 Victory Road, Tredworth, Gloucester.
On 6 April 1915 Joseph married Agnes Margaret Fostey (née Watts), a 38 year old widow at St Paul’s Church, Gloucester and the couple lived at 39 Victory Road. It is believed that Joseph’s civilian occupation was connected with water and possibly Gloucester Docks. The Gloucester Journal of 6 July 1912 carried a report of a court appearance, where he was described as a ‘ship’s mate’. He pleaded guilty to the theft of an oilskin coat, a pair of oilskin overalls and a sou’wester hat from a Mr Francis Joseph Savage at Hinton on 17 June 1912. His action was claimed to be ‘through beer’ and notwithstanding it being his first conviction he was committed to Gloucester Gaol for a term of one month.
Very little information appears to have survived about Private Curtis’ Army career although his number 57641, indicated that he served with one of the Devonshire Regiment’s Infantry Labour Companies (possibly the 7th).
Later he transferred to the Labour Corps, possibly with 776 Company and was allocated the number 102740.
A Medal Index Card exists for him, which may indicate that he saw service abroad but in the absence of an Army Service Record this cannot be confirmed or the dates of enlistment and transfer between units. A recently released Pension Record Card states that he was discharged from the Army on 26 April 1919 due to nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys), however no Army Pension Record has come to light.
Joseph Ellison Curtis died on 28 August 1920, aged 37 and a death notice appeared in the Gloucestershire Chronicle of 4 September. The Gloucester Citizen of 19 August 1922 carried an ‘In Memorium’ notice which stated that death occurred suddenly at the Bath Ministry of Pensions Hospital and that the notice had been placed by his ‘loving wife and step-daughters Maud and Violet’ (presumably from her first marriage).
The Bath Ministry of Pensions Hospital opened in November 1919, having previously been known as the Bath War Hospital (which opened in 1916).
The hospital closed in 1929 and the Royal United Hospital now occupies the Coombe Park site. How Joseph came to be admitted to this, rather than a Gloucester hospital is not known. Likewise, the cause of death but more likely it was linked to nephritis, the reason for his discharge from the Army. He was buried in Gloucester Old Cemetery, where a CWGC headstone marks his grave. It carries the inscription: We have lost, Heaven has gained, one of the best the world contained. His wife, Agnes Margaret died in Gloucester, aged 51, in October 1929.
Researched by Graham Adams 3 November 2019