Lance Corporal Sydney Alfred Everton was born on 5 October 1894 in Sudbury, Middlesex, the elder son of Alfred Wallis Everton (1863-1931) and Jessie Everton née Langford (1873-1965). His father was a meat purveyor (butcher). He was baptised at St John the Evangelist Parish Church, Wembley, Middlesex, on the 31 October 1894 and the family lived in London Road, Sudbury. When his brother, Edwin Everton (1896-1993), was baptised on 10 July 1896 the baptismal register shows the family address as Canterbury Terrace, Sudbury, Middlesex.
The 1901 census shows him living at 1 Lyme Terrace, Camden, the home of his maternal grandfather, Benjamin Langford (1833-1916) who was a pianoforte key maker, together with his mother, his maternal aunt, Amy Langford (b.1869) described as a singer and his brother Edwin Everton.
In November 1910 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman (Telegraph Messenger) in the London Postal Service and this occupation is confirmed in the 1911 census that shows him living with his mother still at 1 Lyme Terrace, Camden Town, London, whilst his father is recorded at 55 Turnpike Lane, Hornsey. In 1912 he enlisted at 33 Fitzroy Square, London, W1, in the 1st (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) - a Territorial Army regiment and his service number was 1220. In January 1914 he was promoted to the grade of Postman in West London.
On the outbreak of World War One he was called upon to serve full time in his regiment and entered France on 11 March 1915. He was killed in action, aged 21 years, on the 15 September 1916 whilst serving in the Battalion's 'F' Company and as he has no known grave is commemorated on Pier and Face 9D & 16B of The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme at Thiepval, Picardy, France.
He was posthumously awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal which were sent to his mother at 1 Lyme Terrace, Camden Town, on the 6 October 1920. It was not until 18 July 1925 that his army effects of £12-2s-5d and his £9-0s-0d war gratuity were divided and sent to his mother and his brother. He is also commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and on Page 120 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's 1914-1920 Book of Remembrance.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
