Story
Montague Bryant, a carter by trade, had poor vision but still volunteered to join the Army in the January of 1915. Four months later, it was recommended that he be discharged because of his mixed astigmatism that meant he had trouble focusing. But that was not taken up and he was 'passed fit for Home Service with glasses'. During his Army years, Driver Bryant, who lived at the start of the war at Oakley near Canford Magna, Poole, married and his wife gave birth to a baby boy. He first enlisted for service at Poole on 17 January 1915, just a few months after the conflict began, joining the Army Service Corps (ASC) at Aldershot on the following day. He was given a B1 medical rating, meaning he was judged fit for service in France at a garrison on the tropics. His eyesight put paid to that. Driver Bryant stood at 5ft 8ins and had a 37ins chest. He also had a problem with teeth recorded at the time of his medical. His regimental number was 044113 A certificate was presented, certifying that he could drive a pair of horses. It was signed by Albert Bennett, of Oakley. (Driver Bryant's next of kin at the start of the war was named as Ada Bennett, Harold's older sister.) Later, after he married, his next of kin was changed to his wife, Evelyn Emily Pretoria Hardy. Their first child was born the following summer. During his war service, he is believed to have also served with the ASC at depots at Newhaven, Crowborough, Sussex, Woolwich and, possibly, was also posted to Ripon. During his nearly four years of service, Driver Bryant became a Lance Corporal and was then promoted, without pay, to Corporal but reverted to being a Driver again. He was hospitalised as a result of influenza and was finally demobbed on 24 May 1919, at which point his address was 287 Bear Cross, Kinson. Montague Bryant was born 12 May 1887 and baptised on 15 July of that year at Colehill. Four years later saw the family living at West Hill, Wimborne. Montague's father, Robert was an 56-year-old Army Pensioner who had been born in Diss, Norfolk, His mother Mary Ann, 37, came from Portsmouth. Montague's sister Ada, then 18, worked a general servant and three other sisters, Lottie (12), Lily (nine) and baby Jessie also lived at home. Ten years on and the family were still living in Wimborne, but now next door to the George Hotel in the Corn Market. Montague was now aged 13, his dad 67, his mum 48 and his two sisters still living at home, Ada and Jessie, were 28 and 11. (Montague's nephew, three-year old boy, William Victor Holman who was the son of Florence, another of his sisters, was also staying with them as a visitor on the day of the census.) By 1911, the Bryants were still at 3 Corn Market in Wimborne but, by now, Montague's father, Robert, had died. His mother, now 55, was earning money by working as a dressmaker. Montague, 23, was a carter and Jessie, 21 a waitress. But by now sister Florence had been widowed, too and had moved back to her family home from Reading. Earning some money doing domestic charring, Florence had three children, William, Lily and Walter, also living with the Bryant family, who all went to school. (Florence had had two other children who had, sadly, not survived. Three of her mother Mary's children, too had passed away. A Montague Bryant, of New Boro' Wimborne, had died at the age of three in 1884, three years before our Montague was born.) While in the Army and stationed at Newhaven, on 13 October 1917, Montague had married Evelyn Emily Pretoria Hardy at St Andrew's Church in Kinson. His bride was 17 years old and her father worked as a gas fireman at a Bournemouth water company where he had previously worked as a stoker. Evelyn, who was about 12 years younger than her husband, was one of seven children. She had been born at Bear Cross and baptised in Kinson on 12 October 1900. In 1918, Montague and Evelyn were living at Bear Cross, where he was registered as an elector. They were still there in 1921. (Two years later, in 1923, an Evelyn Emily Bryant, aged 24, had died and was buried at Tarrant Keynstone. Was she Montague's young wife? By 1939, a widower called Montague Briant was in living in Woolwich, employed as a labourer at a coal wharf. Was he the same man as our Montague Bryant? Both had been born on 12 May 1887. Or was that just a coincidence?) Please contact us if you wish to suggest an amendment or have additional information.