The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Captain H L Beeston

Photograph by Viv Walker

Photographs by "Jim from London"

Captain Harold Lewis BEESTON, 5th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died, Cranbrook, Kent, 24th October 1918.

Born 1889, Stockport, Cheshire, son of Lewis & Betsy Jane Beeston. 43 College Road, Bromley, Kent.

1911 Census - Peatswood, 73 Hayes Road, Bromley - Lewis Beeston, head, age 45, married, assistant clerk to justices, born Tripley? Staffordshire; Betsy Jane Beeston, wife, age 42, married 23 years, 3 children, all still alive, born Dimsdale? Staffordshire; Harold Lewis Beeston, son, age 22, single, assurance clerk, born Stockport, Cheshire; Maud Ada Downing Beeston, daughter, age 20, single, typist. born Stockport, Cheshire; Edith Milly Downing, niece, age 18, single, born Bombay, India, resident; Louie Humphreys, (female), servant, age 22, single, general domestic servant, born Gravesend, Kent.

17th February 1915, posted BEF; 18th August 1915, Gazetted, received commission, previously Private (Rifleman), 5th London Regiment, 332.

1st January 1916, St Michael at Bowes, Southgate marriage of Harold Lewis Beeston, age 26, bachelor, army officer, Peatswood, Hayes Road, Bromley, father Lewis Beeston, assistant magistrates clerk; Beatrice Mary Slattery, spinster, age 20, Avondale: Brownlow? Road, father Michael Lewis Slattery, traffic manager SCC Tramways.

1st January 1919, Probate, Beeston Harold Lewis of Peatswood, 73 Hayes Road, Bromley, Kent. Captain Royal West Kent Regiment, died 24th October 1918 at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Sanatorium, Cranbrook, Kent. Probate London, 1 January to Beatrice May Beeston, widow. Effects £675 16s 5d.

Buried at Hayes (St Mary Churchyard), North of Path, East of church, Bromley, Kent & commemorated on the War Memorial. Commemorated on Bromley War Memorial.

NOTE: In Regimental History and on CWGC web site but not in Officers Died in the Great War. Regimental History shows rank as Captain and CWGC web site shows it as Lieutenant.

25th March 2021, email from Valerie Moore - I chanced upon your site and have a little info re Captain Beeston's father/Grandfather that you may or may not be interested in ...but just in case for anyone researching his history. Peatswood & Tyrley are on the edge of Market Drayton in Shropshire. The Parish of Market Drayton (aka Drayton in Hales) covers land in both Shropshire and Staffordshire and the Beestons are traceable here back to at least the 17th C. Captain Beeston's Grandfather Edwin (A Coachman) appears in the census for Market Drayton and by 1881 his Father Lewis appears as a Soliciters Clerk living in Market Drayton ...it sounds like in 1911 he called his home Peatswood to remember where he had been born.

London Gazette 18th August 1915.

Private Harold Lewis Beeston, from the 5th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade) to be 2nd Lieutenant. Dated 13th August 1915.

London Gazette 22nd July 1916.

The under mentioned 2nd Lieutenants to be temporary Lieutenants 10th April 1916 - H. L. Beeston.

London Gazette 20th October 1916.

The under mentioned 2nd Lieutenants (temporary Lieutenants) to be temporary Captains. - 1st September 1916:

H. L. Beeston.

London Gazette 8th May 1917.

War Office, 8th May, 1917. TERRITORIAL FORCE. INFANTRY.

The under mentioned officers relinquish their temporary rank - 9th May 1917.

2nd Lieutenant (temporary Captain) H. L. Beeston.

London Gazette 9th June 1917.

The under mentioned 2nd Lieutenants to be acting Captains - 9th May 1917: H. L. Beeston.

London Gazette 15th September 1917.

Royal West Kent Regiment. - 2nd Lieutenant (acting Captain) H. L. Beeston relinquishes the acting rank of Captain on alteration in posting. 1st September 1917.

London Gazette 30th November 1917.

Royal West Kent Regiment - The under mentioned 2nd Lieutenants to be Lieutenants - 1st July 1917 : H. L. Beeston.

London Gazette 15th March 1918.

The under mentioned to be acting Captains (additional):

Royal West Kent Regiment - 2nd Lieutenant H. L. Beeston (Territorial Force)

London Gazette 6th May 1918.

Lieutenant H L Beeston, Territorial Force, relinquishes the acting rank of captain (additional). 21st January 1918.

This page was last updated on 24-Dec-2023.