The son of "The Only Squabbling Couple" was killed at Gallipoli

Help Desk

Further to my earlier post The only squabbling couple in Hitchin Peter has drawn my attention to a posting on tumblr relating to the death of Private Ernest Saunders (son of Henry), in the First World War. It reports:

He enlisted in the Army in London and was drafted into the 1st Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, which came under the orders of the 86th Brigade, 29th Division, on the 2nd January, 1915. Although no Service Record appears to exist for him it would seem that he undertook his initial training and then on the 16th March sailed with the Battalion, via Egypt, and landed in Gallipoli on the 25th April, 1915, when he was killed. ... ... He has no known grave and his name is recorded on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli, and on the St Ippolyts War Memorial, Hertfordshire.

The Only Squabbling Couple in Hitchin

Peter sent me an interesting press cutting about a wife?? suing her husband for maintenance in 1901. A key question and a quick look at the online indexes suggests two possibilities, Either the "wife" was a Jeanetta Eugenie Gardiner who was genuinely married to Henry Saunders, and is telling a "porky" about a previous liaison - or she was a Jenny Latimer, married to Arthur Gardiner, jilted by him, and then bigamously married to Henry Saunders. 

In fact a closer look at the evidence suggests the second possibility - and the court told Henry to pay 5s a week despite the fact her marriage to him was not legal.

There is a big mystery about Henry. He can be found in the 1841 census with his brother, the 1891 census married to Eugenie and the the 1901 census staying with his brother. The evidence suggest that the family were not well or, although his brother built up a small timber business. However when Henry reappeared he is describe as "Living on Own Means" which normally means a private income. While his funds appear to have been limited (he died in the workhouse in 1905) the interesting question is: 

Where was Henry between 1841 and his meeting Eugenie about 1888?

For a detailed analysis of the available information see SAUNDERS, St Pauls Walden & Ippollitts

Ippollitts Page updated

The Ippollitts page has been upgraded with new links and an additional picture of the church.