Friends of Hastings Cemetery

JB I183 -   Emily Riddle - died 4th February 1916, aged 71

Private Edward Riddle - died 13th June 1917, aged 35

George Riddle - died 4th September 1931, aged 89.

Edward Riddle was killed in action.  He was serving with the 11th Battalion, Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment.  He is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres and is remembered on the grave of his parents.

Edward also served with the Middlesex Regiment.  He had enlisted on 11th December 1915 in Hastings and at the time of his enlistment he was a cab proprietor, living at 2 Royal Mews, West Marina, with his wife Frances Mary (nee Winner) whom he had married on 10th August 1912.

They had no children.

At his enlistment he was 33 years old and 5’ 5’’ tall.

 

Edward’s father had also been a cab driver.

The first census record for Edward is 1891 (he was born in 1882) when the family were living in Riddles Mews, Caves Rd.  There were seven children, Edward being the youngest and his father was a ‘Fly Proprietor’.

His father George (born c1843) came from Catsfield and his mother Emily came from Newport on the Isle of Wight.  The 1901 Census reveals a shift in the family fortunes.  They are living in Royal Mews, Caves Rd, and Emily is now the cab proprietor and George is an employee (coachman, not domestic).  Edward is a groom and his brother Frederick is also a coachman.  By 1911 the situation had reversed again and George is the coach proprietor and Edward was a cabman.  The census revealed that Edward had been one of 12 children, only 6 of whom had survived.

1874: RIDDLE, George  - Cab proprietor, no.50 Gensing Station Road

1887: RIDDLE, George  - West Marina Mews and Livery Stables, no.10 Caves Road, 1887

[There is another Private Edward Riddle remembered on the Ypres memorial; he was born 9th December 1885 and died on  8th November 1914, in his 30th year.  He served with the Royal Sussex Regiment.]