Private William (Jackie) Henry MEARS

The Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment G/13741

Although, William Henry Mears was born in Apethorpe, by the time he was called up to serve his country he was living at Woodnewton.

William was one of nine children of Robert and Priscilla Mears (nee Sharman) and was born on 19^th February 1881. After leaving school he followed his father and older siblings into farming.  Possibly, at Lodge farm at Apethorpe Hall, which is where he was working in 1921 as shown on the census for that year.

In April 1909, he married Louisa Lindsey, whose parents were the landlords of the Horse and Jockey in Woodnewton.  They continued to live at Apethorpe as both their children, Margaret (1910) and John (1911) were born in the village and they  are listed on the 1911 census at Apethorpe.  However they must have been living in Woodnewton by June 1913, as Margaret is shown in the village school register for that period.

No attestation papers can be found for William, but we have been supplied with some very important information from Surrey Archive Centre in Woking, who hold copies of the archives for the Queens (RWS) Regiment.  This is what they say: “William Henry Mears enlisted on 3 December 1915. He joined the 3^rd Battalion, Queen (RWS) Regiment, which is a reserved battalion where he would have undergone his basic training The battalion was sent to France on 26th September 1916. On 12th  October 1916 he transferred to the 10^th (Service Battalion), until the 28th June 1917. However, on 9th June 1917, he was wounded and attended a casualty clearing station before being transferred to the 24^th Ambulance Train”.  We have been able to ascertain that he was then transferred to the Royal Defence Corp under regimental number 91309, where he stayed until he was discharged  from the Army on 17th March 1919.  He is shown on the 1918 Absent Voters list  for Woodnewton.

It is known from the ‘Awards and Decorations of Honour’ cards on Ancestry that we was awarded both the Victory and British medals.

When the new houses were built in 1919 at St Mary”s Hill, he and his family moved into number five.  William had returned to work for the Apethorpe Estate, so as the houses had been built for Estate workers, he was entitled to be living in one. William would live there until his death in July 1976, but actually bought in the property from the Estate in 1964.

William was a very keen gardener and rented the land opposite his house, which would become St Mary’s Close in 1969.  His son, John William lived at the next house to him, and was also a very good gardener and shared the land with him.

Jackie Mears was a very well known and liked villager, but in 1962, his notoriety increased incredibly when he was a guest on the BBC television programme ‘This is Your Life’.  A newspaper reported on his day out.   See report below.

2022