Percy Harold Fortey 1884-1964

[Archivist_47]

Percy was in his later years a schoolmaster in Folkestone, Kent which is where he died. I don't know whether he served. Perhaps somebody here will enlighten me please.

[Michelle Young]

Where have you looked? Have you done any searches? There is a MIC for a Percy H  Fortey, RGA,  #96054, Bomaadier. Entitled to the pair. 

[Archivist_47]

I'm building a tree on a well known site. It hasn't hinted at any service in either wars.

[Michelle Young]

He is the only Percy H Fortey on the medal index cards, it’s not a common surname, so it could be him. I don’t have paid access to the well known sites. 

[Archivist_47]

No nor do I. I just use it to build the tree.

[PRC]

1 hour ago, Michelle Young said:

There is a MIC for a Percy H  Fortey, RGA,  #96054,

Roll in is in the name of Percy Harold Fortey. Even a free account on Ancestry, as well as giving visibility of the Medal Index Card, allows you to drill down in the indexes, so in this case all military records >> awards and decorations of honour >> UK, World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920 will bring up:-

@Archivist_47 - if it's any help, here's what I'm seeing in the civil records.

The birth of a Percy Harold Fortey, mothers’ maiden name East, was registered with the civil authorties in the Barton Regis District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1884.

The baptism of a Percy Harold Fortey took place at St John the Evangelist, Clifton, Gloucestershire on the 4th July 1884. Parents were Henry and Frances Amelia Fortey. Source “England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975” https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N14J-99R

On the 1891 Census of England & Wales the 6 year old Percy H. Fortey, born Clifton, Bristol, was recorded living at 18 Hughenden Road, Clifton. This was the household of parents Henry, (aged 61, living on own means, born Aylesbury, Herefordshire), and “Francis” A., (aged 42, born Wolverhampton, Staffordshire). The couple also have an older son living with them, Arthur H,. (aged 14, born St. Johns Wood, London) and an older daughter Emily C., (aged 25, born Chelsea, London). The household also runs to a live in nurse and two live in domestic servants.

The family were still at the same address on the 1901 Census of England & Wales. Father Henry, (71), is now described as a Retired Inspector of Schools, Along with wife France A., (52) there are the three children, Emily C., (35, occupation Classical Research), Arthur H(?), (24, employed as a Draughtsman + Designer) and Percy H, (16, no occupation shown). There are also two live in servants.

Henry Fortey would died in the Bristol District in Q4 1902, aged 73. His entry in the 1903 Probate Calendar shows he died on the 8th December 1902 and gives the 18 Hughenden Road address. Probate was granted at the London Court to Frances Amelia Fortey, widow, and Isabella Comber Fortey and Emily Comber Fortey, spinsters. His estate was valued at £11, 421 5s 1d. Interesting that neither Arthur or Percy were involved.

By the time of the 1911 Census of England & Wales widow Frances had moved the family to 46 Henleaze Avenue, Westbury-On-Trym, Bristol. Living with her are her unmarried children:-
Frank ….aged 35…..born Madras, India… Private Means
Arthur….aged 34….born St John Wood, London…Physical Culture Student
Percy…..aged 26….born Bristol………….Student
There is also one live in servant.

On the 1921 Census of England & Wales there is a Percy H. Fortey, born “Gloucester” c1884, who was recorded at Bristol. He was living in a household Frances A. (born Wolverhampton c1848), Isabel C., (born Chelsea c1864) and Arthur M, (born London c1876) plus probably others – I don’t subscribe to FMP so can’t see any more details.

British Newspaper Archive is showing a number of entries in the Western Mail from this era that mentions a Percy Fortey. Unfortunately don't subscribe so can't investigate further.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Archivist_47]

Thanks Peter. 

[johnmelling1979]

Name    Percy Harold Fortey
Military Year    1914-1920
Rank    Bombardier
Company    WO 329
Regiment or Corps   Base Details, Royal Garrison Artillery
Regiment Number    96054
Medal Awarded    British War Medal and Victory Medal

[charlie962]

In June 1918 he was with 149 Siege Battery (source hospital admission).

Age 34, 2 years completed service** and 8 months completed with Field Force.

 

**Close number 96055 had been mobilised June 1916 and posted to No 3 Depot RGA.

[PRC]

As the 16 year old Percy was at home on the 1901 Census of England & Wales and is not shown with any occupation I suspect despite his families comparatively comfortable life that he wasn't attending public school - at least not at that point. Many of the public schools have extensive archive with photographs, contemporary school magazines and rolls,of honour of those who served, not just those who died, and some of this material is online, hence the reason for looking. An appearance on a roll of honour that links the Royal Garrison Artillery man to any of the details in those civil records would help confirm we are on the right track, although age wise that hospital admission record found by @charlie962 is going to make it look a strong possibility.

A few months back we had a great thread on officers of one of the Bristol based TF Battalions of the Gloucestershire Regiment, and it turned out they had attended Bristol Grammar School. That school has a website about the Great War era and lists those who served - but no Fortey's there. https://www.throughthegreatwar.bristolgrammarschool.org.uk/e-g

Clifton College online presence is focused on those who died. https://archive.org/details/cliftonian-memorial-great-war/page/24/mode/2up
https://oc-online.co.uk/uk/cliftoncollege/uploads/files/75027_Clifton_GreatWar_FINAL.pdf

Having drawn a blank of sorts there, I did wonder if Percy might have been withdrawn from public school because of the ill-health of his father - perhap school-fees would have been too much of a drain on the family finances if they were also paying large medical bills - but that's pure speculation on my part. As brothers quick often go to the same boarding school I tried looking at the other ones we know about. Arthur was living with Percy on the 1891, 1901 and 1911 Censuses suggesting he too may have been a day student. But on the 1911 Census there is a 35 year old Frank, born Madras who was not with the family on the previous two censuses. On the 1891 Census of England & Wales there is a 15 year old Frank H. Fortey, born India, who was recorded as a scholar boarding at Brynmelyn, Weston-super-Mare. The school has 15 pupils, so although it was still going in 1911, (according to that years Census), there probably aren't any surviving records.

But while trying to find out more about the school it looks like from 1881 onwards, (possibly even after 1891), it was a Private Boys School established by Quakers. https://www.quaker.org.uk/documents/schools-lib-guide.pdf

In looking for a Quaker connection for the Fortey family I then turned up this piece with picture of sister Emily Comber Fortey, (who converted to Catholicism when she was 18). During WWI she moved to France and ran a small YMCA rescue home for girls in Le Havre. https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Lady-Magistrate-City-Emily-Fortey-Profile.pdf

It looks like the 1901 Census actually records her as a Chemical Researcher and not a Classical Researcher as I wrote earlier. She attended Clifton High School -  so possibly Percy did go to Clifton College. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Fortey

A number of her research papers are available on Archiveorg. although not as yet the biography of her "A torchbearer : memoirs of Emily C. Fortey" by F.P. Armitage, published in 1947 and including contributions from sister Isabel. https://search.worldcat.org/title/torchbearer-memoirs-of-emily-c-fortey/oclc/20476479

In her mid-teens as she wrestled with the prospect of becoming a Catholic she wrote to Cardinal John Newman to seek his guidance. Looking at Archive.org there are a number of books based on his diaries and letters  and which mention Emily. The first letter she she wrote to him in July 1884 also sheds some insight on the family

"Emily Fortey wrote on 4 July from 7 Vyvyan Terrace, Clifton: ‘I do not want to trouble you with my opinions and my affairs, but I do need your help so much and you could give it me by your advice. I am 16 years old and am entirely a Catholic at heart and have been so for about four years. I have lately read the “Characteristics of Your Writings” by Lilly and also “Loss and Gain” which have of course much influenced me. My parents are—nothing in the way of Religion. I have only a step-mother and my father has only been home from India a short time so I do not know either of them well and could certainly never tell them my opinions, or talk at all on the subject. I go to the Clifton High School and one of the mistresses is a great friend of mine. She is an Anglican and if any thing could keep me from joining the Church it would be love for her. But that seems so wrong. Do you think I ought to join the Church now, or wait till 1 am of age? I am sure my Father would never give his consent. And if I stay in the Anglican Church ought I to go to Communion? | have always believed in Transubstantiation in the Anglican Church, but after reading your books it seems to me impossible. And then do you think I am wrong in going to Catholic services? That I do without my father’s knowledge. I could not tell him. I never talk about these things to him. . . . It is because I feel sure that the Catholic Church is the “Ark of Salvation” that I dare do any thing that may lead me to it.’"

Page 595: John Henry Newman - a Portrait in letters, edited by Roderick Strange and published 2015. https://archive.org/details/johnhenrynewmanp0000unse/page/534/mode/2up?q="Emily+Fortey"

So doesn't look like they were a Quaker family.

(Apologies if you know all that!)

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 10 January by PRC
Typo