Family History, Stemp Chart 0405 Thomas Stemp and Mary Ann Ansell

Thomas STEMP born 8th April 1887 baptised 8th May 1887 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey died Age 6 months buried 29th October 1887 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey	2Rueben STEMP born 26th July 1889 baptised 1st September 1889 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey occupation World War I Private 15619, 9th Bn Norfolk Regiment	2George STEMP born 26th July 1889 baptised 1st September 1889 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey occupaton World War I Royal Navy	Margaret STEMP baptised 24th July 1892 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst, Surrey died about 1982/1997 married 15th July 1916 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst, Surrey licence witnesses G STEMP Emma Maria ANSELL 5John NELSON born 1890 address 1916 Leytonstone London occupation Soldier	Job STEMP born 13th September 1894 baptised 21st October 1894 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst, Surrey occupation Gardener World War I Private 11668 11th Bn Hampshire Regiment, transferred Private T/391952 Army Service Corps. was still alive at age 90 and living in Bramley, Surrey married 16th December 1925 St Nicolas Cranleigh, Surrey witnesses Joyce Nancy KEMP, G STEMP T BOULT, I BOULT 3Ellen May BOULT born 1898 address 1925 Rudgwick, Sussex	Harry STEMP born 1st June 1897 Ewhurst Green Surrey baptised 3rd June 1897 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey Private Baptism died 5th June 1897 Ewhurst Green Ewhurst Surrey Age 2 days buried 7th June 1897 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst Surrey	4,7Walter STEMP born 1st June 1897 Ewhurst Green, Surrey baptised 3rd June 1897 St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst, Surrey Private Baptism Received into church 22nd August 1897 occupation Gardener World War I Bearer L/36870, 183rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery died 1993 cremated ashes buried St Peter and St Paul Ewhurst, Surrey married 30th December 1933 Crayford, Kent 6Daisy May SHUTTER born 3rd February 1897 Old Kent Road, London occupation Nurse - 16 years at St Mary’s Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey “slight attack of polio whilst a nurse”

Father - Job ANSELL - Labourer 1891 Ewhurst Green, Ewhurst, Surrey Father - Thomas BOULT - Bailiff David STEMP writes that Walter lived on the Green, Ewhurst, Surrey with Mr. HUBBARD a shoemaker. In WWI he was at Mons when he was wounded in the chest and arm, and where he lost a leg. He played cricket and football, even with one leg. He was a Church Warden and did everything needed in the church. He lived in Plough Lane, Ewhurst, Surrey after his marriage. Janet KELSEY writes that "Walter was still alive in Cranleigh a couple of years ago and David STEMP interviewed him". (Walter STEMP died in 1993) Father - William NELSON - Gardener In January 1998 Janet BALCHIN of the Ewhurst History Society suggested I might like to contact Daisy STEMP who “is over 100 years old”. I believe this could be the Daisy STEMP referred to on page 122. Later I found out that she was visited by David STEMP on the 16th February 1998, made him a cup of tea and carried it to where they were sitting. The following was found on this Web Site - http://www.ewhurstfallen.co.uk/reflections.htm#War_Memoirs_of_Walter_Stemp Walter Stemp was born in Ewhurst on 1st June 1897, the son of Thomas and Mary Stemp (nee Ansell). He was the youngest of four sons and a daughter, George (b 1890), Job (b 1894), Reuben (b 1889) and Margaret (b 1892). The family lived at The Wicket Gate at Ewhurst Green. Having been educated at Ewhurst school, which he left at the age of 14, Walter was employed as a gardener at 'Heathside', 'Woolpits' and 'Mapledrakes' before the commencement of the First World War. Walter's cousin on his father's side of the family was Albert Stemp, who also grew up on Ewhurst Green. Walter's elder brothers were already serving with the forces, George in the Royal Navy, Job in the Hampshire Regiment and Reuben in the Norfolk Regiment, when on the 4th August, 1915, Walter enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery at Scotland Yard. He was sent overseas as a signaller in April 1916, initially to Ploegstreet, to the south of the Ypres Salient, and then to the Battle of the Somme in July 1916. Walter contracted trench fever in October 1916, and was returned to England for treatment, remaining in hospital for 6 months. Having served on home duties at Command Depot in Ripon in April 1917, and then signal school in Swanage, Walter returned overseas in December 1917. Writing in the Ewhurst Parish Magazine in later life, Walter described his experiences of the German Spring Offensive of 1918: "I have a vivid memory of The Retreat in 1918 on the Amiens front. 21st March - zero hour - and the opening barrage, then the silence as Jerry attacked and the guns were silent." Serving with 183rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery, from 8th August 1918 Walter was attached initially to the Australians, then Canadians and finally a Scottish Brigade before he was wounded on 15th October 1918 near Cambrai. Evacuated to England, Walter was in hospital in Cheltenham where he underwent several operations before discharge in March 1919. Walter wrote in 1985 of his recollections of the last month of the First World War: "A day towards the end of October 1918, four of us were in our telephone dug-out in a railway cutting near Denain (Cambrai). A whizz-bang (a high velocity shell) arrived all to ourselves. Two of us were wounded; the other two unhurt. Passing through dressing stations, hospital ship and train, I found myself on the veranda of the dining room of Cheltenham Racecourse as this had been commandeered as a military hospital. On November 8th, a visit by the surgeon brought the verdict, " I'm afraid I may have to amputate, but will give you a few more day's grace". Rumours of a cease-fire were rife, when on the 11th this came about, everyone went mad. The veranda where I lay had a glass front and the view was over the race-course, where German prisoners were doing maintenance work. Our lads made for these groups and handed out cigarettes and chocolate, fraternising, glad that the slaughter was over. In the afternoon transport of every kind was laid on for the patients, and they were taken to the town. The majority had been convalescent, and in the evening there were only two of us left in the ward: a jock of the Black Watch, shot through the jaw and unable to eat, drink or shout for joy, and myself with one leg strung up with ligature and the other on a splint. However, this the end of the slaughter on both sides, was the tonic needed for my recovery. Thanks to this and the splendid nursing, I was discharged from Hospital, still walking on my own two feet (the leg did eventually need amputation later, November 1939). One vivid memory remains: one of the VADs, although off-duty, came back to stay with us until some of the staff and patients returned. She had quite recently lost her fiancée, and didn't feel in the mood to celebrate." Walter was discharged from the army on 29th March 1919. He returned to Ewhurst, but was unable to work for a year. He eventually entered employ at 'Firethorn' (now Campions), in Plough Lane, where he remained until 1962, and was captain of the Ewhurst bell ringers and a member of the Parochial Church Council. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service. With the first anniversary of the Armistice in November of 1919, Walter witnessed the act of remembrance in Ewhurst: "The hooters at Swallow Tiles and Elliott's Timber Yard gave the signal, everything and everybody stopped for two minutes in silent tribute to the fallen. The number of volunteers from Ewhurst and Ellen's Green was 'second to none'. The memorials show the price they paid." In 1982, shortly after the end of the Falklands War, Walter wrote briefly of his association with the poppies of Flanders that form the centrepiece of Remembrance Sunday, base on his experience in 1916: "between Messines and Armentieres, dawn in late June. I was one of a detail for duty at Observation Post to check zero target of battery. Some part of the way from the gun line to the observation post was once farm land, now derelict and pock-marked with shell holes, poppies and mag weed were prolific. This no man's land had to be traversed before entering the communication trench to the front line. During the night in extended order, relief rations, wiring parties, and stretcher bearers crossing this waste crushed these flowers and the acrid scent will never be forgotten." Walter Stemp wrote regularly about his memories of bygone Ewhurst in the Parish magazine in the 70s and 80s. He passed away in 1993, aged 96. All of Walter's brothers survived the war and their details can be found at Parish Men Who Served and Returned, his cousin, Albert Stemp, failed to return. I have searched for Reuben ANSELL and Margaret ANSELL, who were witnesses at the wedding above, I have come to the conclusion that they were a brother and a sister of Mary. Their father was a Job ANSELL. Will put further details on later.

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This is a Chart for Thomas Stemp and Many Ann Ansell