His father, PC 60421 Thomas Richard Fox joined the Metropolitan Police on 29 May 1876 and was assigned to V Division. In the 1881 Census for Epsom one finds him as Thomas Fox, Boarder, aged 25, born at Moreton in the Marsh, Glos., a Metropolitan Police Constable. In the name of Tom Richard Fox, his marriage to Annie Page (born Holmwood) was registered in Dorking for the June Quarter of 1881.
The birth of a son from that union, George Richard Fox, appears in the registers at Epsom for the March Quarter, 1885. By 1891 the family were living at 29 Adelphi Road and they remained in Epsom District for at least another 10 years.
George, an Errand Boy, signed up for service with the Royal Navy, 23 August 1899, stating his date of birth to have been 16 January 1884 and age 15 although he was in fact a year younger.
Having been admitted as a Boy 2nd Class, on 16 January 1902, he re-enlisted for a further 12 years regular engagement, with a service number 206034, and was discharged as 'time served' on 29 March 1914.
Mobilised from the Royal Fleet Reserve, 2 August 1914 immediately prior to the outbreak of WW1, he remained in the Navy only until 23 February 1915 when he was invalided out and granted a pension with effect from the following 10 March. A 1915 medal was awarded to AB Geo. R. Fox 206034.
As a time-expired seaman called back to fulfil a reserve liability George would have been categorised as 'Royal Naval Reserve' but he never rose above the rank of Able Seaman. The only other candidate from the CWGC list has been eliminated by other evidence.
In 1911 George's parents, Tom and Annie, had been living in Willow Cottage, 2 The Common, Ashtead. Described as a Metropolitan Police Pensioner/horseman on farm, and resident in one of Weller's cottages, Tom Richard Fox was probably working at Woodfield Farm. They remained in the parish long after 1918 but do not appear in a Street Directory for 1927.
Entries in the register of burials in Epsom Cemetery are, however, revealing: -
Fox George Richard* Sailor 30 Charing Cross Hospital, Strand 8 May 1915 C34A 5329 *Registered St Martin 6/1915 as George H Fox.
Fox Annie Married woman 75 2 Willow Cottages, The Common, Ashtead 15 October 1932 C34A 8300 Two of Thomas Fox's other children are also interred in the plot as depicted below.
Since Leading Seaman George Richard Fox expired from a spinal disease rather than from any injury sustained in the Great War it remains a family plot. It was apparently not adopted by the War Graves Commission under the rules that applied to casualties of that war.
The Fox family grave in Epsom Cemetery: source Bouchard
text: Brian Bouchard, with thanks to David Underdown for
his assistance: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 13 Aug 2010: updated 28 Feb 14