Andrew Behan has kindly provided the following research: Mary Read was born as Mary Carpenter on 6 March 1881 in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. She was the youngest of the nine children of William Carpenter (1837-1919) and Emma Carpenter née Burton (1838-1914). Her father was a Gardener. The 1881 census shows she was living at 1 Larne Place, Borough Road, Kingston upon Thames with her parents and eight siblings. On 22 May 1881 she was baptised at St Paul's Church Kingston Hill, Queens Road, Kingston upon Thames. The 1891 census confirms she was still living at 1 Larne Place, Borough Road, Kingston-upon Thames with her parents and five of her siblings. The 1901 census shows her at 40 Borough Road, Kingston upon Thames with her parents and one brother. She and an elder sister, Ellen Carpenter were shown on the 1911 census as general domestic servants at the home of Edward T. Holberton, a Bank of England pensioner, at Devon Lodge, 24 Mortlake Road, Kew, Surrey.
On 18 June 1913 she married Albert Edward Read (1886-1919) at St Paul's Church Kingston Hill. The parish register shows her address as 40 Borough Road, Kingston upon Thames. Her husband's address was 36 Borough Road, Kingston upon Thames and his occupation was a Private in the Royal Marines Light Infantry. The birth of their daughter, Hilda M. Read, was registered in the first quarter of 1915 in Kingston and their son, Edward Read (1916-1981), was born on 16 June 1916. Her husband died on 3 April 1919 and The Burial Register of Kingston Council's Kingston Cemetery at Bonner Hill Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3EZ, shows that he lived at 4 New Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and was buried at 2.30pm on 10 April 1919 in the Church of England consecrated section of Kingston Cemetery in Plot C, Grave 3617. The 1939 England and Wales Register confirms that she was still living at 4 New Road, Kingston on Thames, with her son and an elder sister, Annie Carpenter. Her son was an Electric Welder.
She was killed by enemy action, aged 63 years, at on 22 January 1945 at 2.35pm when the last V2 rocket to fall in Kingston exploded. The Burial Register of Kingston Council's Kingston Cemetery, shows that her address remained as 4 New Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and that she was buried at 11.30am on 29 January 1945 in the same grave as her husband. She is also commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey, London.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
