Francis George Cursham

Francis was the son of Henry Alfred and Frances Anne E. Cursham (née Rawson). Cursham’s father, was a district agent for the Union Insurance Society and also held the record for scoring the most goals in the FA Cup when playing for Notts County in the period 1877 – 1887; he scored 49 and he also accrued 8 caps for the English national football team. He was also a first class cricketer. In 1891 Henry and Frances and their young family were living at Grove Avenue, Nottingham, and Henry employed three servants, a housemaid, cook and nurse. By 1901 Henry and Frances were living at Holme Pierrepont where they were to continue to live until the end of their lives. Their daughter, Frances (15) was at home but their two sons, Curzon (13) and Francis (12), were pupils at a grammar school at 25 Henley Road, Ipswich. The headmaster of the school, Philip Raynor a clergyman (CofE), was their uncle having married their father's sister, Jessie. Another aunt, Katherine Cursham, was matron at the school. Both Francis and his sister were living at home in 1911 and their widowed maternal grandmother, Sarah Anne Rawson, was also living with the family. They had three servants, a cook, housemaid and parlour maid. Curzon, was a law student in London. Francis' father died at the age of 81 on 6 August 1941 and his mother on 8 March 1946. His sister Frances married Robert Sydney Challands, a chartered accountant, in 1912 and died on 4 September 1941. His brother Curzon died in 1981 age 93. Francis' cousin, Geoffry (sic) Cursham, the son of Henry Cursham's younger brother, William, served as a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) and was killed in action on 12 October 1917 age 20 (Tyne Cot Memorial).

He was educated at Repton School. In 1911 he was an insurance clerk and may have been working with his father who was also an insurance agent working on his own account and with an office at Weekday Cross, Nottingham.

He served in the Territorials as a second lieutenant with the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, seniority 26 April 1909, and promoted lieutenant the following year on 4 March 1910. He was promoted captain with the 2/8th Battalion on 4 August 1914 and then to major on 1 June 1916. He served in Ireland during the rebellion of 1916 and was wounded by rifle fire while attacking rebels holding Clan William House, Mount Street Bridge, Dublin. He served with the 1/8th Bn from January 1918 but was not on the strength when he died following an accident later that year. He died of injuries as a result of a road accident at Aldershot on 31 August 1918 and was buried in Holme Pierrepont (St Edmund) churchyard (grave ref: north of church).

'History of the 1/8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters 1914-1919', Captain WCC Weetman (pp217-218, Spring 1918) 'From the 2/8th Battalion, which was the Shewrood Forester Battalion of the 59th division, to be broken up, we also got a quota of five Officers ... Major FG Cursham ... who joined us on January 31. Frank Cursham, who later met such a sad fate in England, was known to some of the older members of the Battalion.' Article in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 27th August 1918 “ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. “MAJOR F. G. CURSHAM, Sherwood Foresters, who has been accidentally killed while on military duty at Aldershot, was the son of Mr. H. A. Cursham, of Holme Pierrpont, and was 29 years of age. It appears that he was riding on one of several motor lorries which were going out for instructional purposes, and as the result of a collision he sustained injuries to which he afterwards succumbed in the Waverley Military Hospital. Major Cursham held a commission in the local territorials for some years prior to the outbreak of war, and had since served on the western front, and in Ireland. The funeral is to take place at Holme Pierrepont on Thursday [5th September 1918] at 2 o'clock.” Article published 'Nottingham Evening Post,' 5th September 1918. “THE LATE MAJOR CURSHAM. “MILITARY FUNERAL AT HOLME PIERREPONT. “The funeral of Major Francis George Cursham, Sherwood Foresters, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Cursham, Holme Pierrepont, who was accidentally killed while on duty at Aldershot, took place with full military honours at Holme Pierrepont, this afternoon [5th September 1918]. It appears that deceased was riding on a motor lorry, and in passing a loaded timber waggon he was caught by a projecting piece of wood and thrown out, the wheel of the lorry passing over him. He succumbed to his injuries in the Waverley military hospital. “The coffin, which was covered with the Union Jack, was borne to the church on a gun carriage supplied by the A.S.C., and was preceded by a detachment of soldiers from a training battalion at a Midland camp, and a military band playing the Dead March in Saul. Officers of the Machine Gun Corps acted as bearers. The principal mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Cursham. Lieut. R. S. Challands (brother-in-law) and Mrs. Challands, Rev. John Orr, Great Glen Vicarage, Leicester (uncle) and Mrs. Orr, Mr. W. Cursham, Thrumpton Manor (uncle), Mrs. Sydney Raynor, Middleham, Yorks. (aunt). Rev. B. WilIiams, Rector of Bilborough (uncle), and Lieut. Kenneth Raynor, the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). “Amongst those who gathered at the church to pay a last tribute to Major Cursham's memory were Brigadier-General Le Marchant. Col. G. S. Foljambe, Col. C. W. Birkin, C.M.G., and Mrs. Birkin, Captain C. K. Kirby, Captain J. M. Gray and Lieut. H. R. Peerless, Sherwood Foresters, Lieut. J. W. Pell, Rev. Canon Morse, Rev. H. R. M. Hutt, Mr. R. M. Knowles, Mr. James Forman, Mr. T. B. Forman, Mr. H. A. Dowson. Mr. G. S. Dowson, Mr. Harry Wyles, Mr. B S. Wright, Mr F. Perry, Mr. R. Bradley, Mr. W. H. P. Morris, Mr. F. N. Ellis, Mr. J. W. danby, Mrs. Hales (Cotgrave), Mr. M. James, Mr. James, Mr. A. B. Oliver (representing the Radcliffe-on- Trent Golf Club), and Mr. W. V. Wilding. “The service was of an impressive character, and was conducted by the Ven. Archdeacon E. Hacking, assisted by the Rev. F. C. Cursham, and the Rev. W. T. Saward (rector of Holme Pierrepont). The special hymns were "Onward, Christian soldiers," and “For all the Saints,” and at the close of the service Mr. F. G. Perkins (the organist) played Chopin March Funebre. Following the pronouncement of the committal sentences, the firing party fired three volleys, and the bugles sounded the Last Post. “The wreaths included emblems from Lieut.-Col. G. A. Wigley and officers of the Sherwood Foresters, Lt.-Col. and Mrs. Western (Aldershot), the Officers' Syndicate, C4; officers of Malplaquet Mess, Senior Officers' School, Aldershot, and the Commandant and Staff of the Senior Officers' School, Aldershot; The Staff, Weekday Cross, Nottingham; the servants, The Firs, Holme Pierrepont and members of the Notts. Amateur Cricket. Club.” Above articles are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Inscription on headstone: 'Francis George Cursham, Major, 8th Sherwood Foresters, accidentally killed at Aldershot. S.O.S. Aug 31st 1918 aged 29 years. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.' Probate: Cursham Francis George of The Firs Holme Pierrepont Nottinghamshire major in HM Army died 31 August 1918 at Aldershot Administration Nottingham 11 April [1919] to Henry Alfred Cursham insurance broker. Effects £908 3s. 9d. Thanks to Diane Kidger for her help with researching this page.