Person    | Male  Born 15/2/1900  Died 4/8/1912

James Henry Skipsey

James Henry Skipsey

James Henry Skipsey is the 1st on the right of the seven boys sitting in the photograph of the scout troop.

He was born on 15 February 1900 in Walworth, the eldest of the thirteen children of James Henry Skipsey (1878-1937) and Annie Eliza Skipsey née Harman (1883-1951). His birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1900 in the St Saviour registration district. On 11 March 1900 he was baptised in St John the Evangelist Church, Walworth, where the baptismal register not only confirms his date of birth but informs that the family were living at 67 Trafalgar Street, Walworth and that his father was a bricklayer.

In the 1901 census he is shown as living in one room at 67 Trafalgar Street, Walworth, with his parents and his father is still shown as a bricklayer.

When his father completed the 1911 census return form he is show as a schoolboy, now living in three rooms at 67 Trafalgar Street, Walworth, with his parents and four siblings (four others had died): Mary Ann Skipsey (1903-1999), Charles Skipsey (1905-1932), Elizabeth Skipsey (1907-1911) and Annie Lilian Skipsey (1908-1992). His father continued to describe himself as a bricklayer. His parent went on to have four more children.

As a boy scout in the 2nd Walworth Troop, he drowned, aged 12 years, on 4 August 1912 in the tragedy at Leysdown on 4 August 1914 and was buried on 10 August 1912 in the War Graves Plot, Square 52, in Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, London, SE15 3LP. His death was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1912 in the Sheppey registration district, Kent.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
James Henry Skipsey

Commemorated ati

Walworth Boy Scouts Tragedy - new memorial

{Left hand page of an open book:} To commemorate the scouts of the 2nd Walwor...

Read More

Walworth Boy Scouts Tragedy - original plaque

The plaque is actually a resin copy of the one that was attached to the origi...

Read More

Other Subjects

William Riley

William Riley

Drowned in the 1898 HMS Albion disaster, aged 11. Buried in grave 4 at the memorial in East London Cemetery.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial
George Claydon

George Claydon

Drowned in the 1898 HMS Albion disaster, aged 14. Buried in grave 2 at the memorial in East London Cemetery.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial
St Pancras

St Pancras

Christian orphan beheaded aged 14. Patron Saint of children, cramps, headaches, oaths, treaties, against false witness and against perjury.

Person, Children, Religion

2 memorials
Albert Edward Dack

Albert Edward Dack

Albert Edward Dack is the boy lying on his side on the front right in the photograph of the scout troop. Albert Edward Dack was born on 1 August 1899 in Walworth, the fourth of the ten children of...

Person, Children, Community / Clubs, Tragedy

2 memorials
Sarah Elizabeth Simmons

Sarah Elizabeth Simmons

Drowned in the 1898 HMS Albion disaster, aged 12. Buried in grave 1 at the memorial in East London Cemetery.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

William Hogarth

William Hogarth

Satirical artist and illustrator. Trained as an engraver, he depicted the unseemly behaviour of contemporaries in works like 'The Beggar's Opera' (1728) and 'A Rake's Progress' (1732). Much of his ...

Person, Art, Seriously Famous

12 memorials
Blackheath Proprietary School

Blackheath Proprietary School

SE3, Blackheath Village, 30 - 32, Selwyn Court

This plaque is doing a good job, masquarading as a City of London plaque, such as at the City of London School, but no erecting body is n...

1 subject commemorated