Leslie Charles Payne

Name on Plaque

Connection with Effingham

He was not native to Effingham and nor were his parents. The latter were living here in Autumn 1945 but not before the War.

Genealogy

Leslie's father was Charles A. Payne, suspected to have been one of the following: Charles Andrew with birth reference [GRO Ref: Edmonton 3a 276, 1892 (Q1)]; Charles Arthur [GRO Ref: St. Neots 3b 295, 1892 (Q1)]; Charles Amos [GRO Ref: St. Saviour 1d 110, 1892 (Q2)].

Leslie's maternal grandparents were William Edward Chamberlain and Lucy Harriett (née Davies). William Edward's birth reference may be [GRO Ref: Kensington 1a 172, 1865 (Q4)], but this is by no means certain. Lucy Harriett was born in Harting, Sussex around early 1870 [GRO Ref: Midhurst 2b 403, 1870 (Q1)]. They married in 1890 [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 1104, 1890 (Q2)]. The 1891 Census finds them living in Tooting:
 

Here, William Edward gives his birthplace as Tooting, but the GRO index offers no such birth.

Around early 1894 their son Edwin Austin was born [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 809, 1894 (Q1)]. Their daughter Annie died aged "3" in 1894 [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 372, 1894 (Q3)]. In 1896 their daughter Violet May – the future mother of Leslie – was born [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 770, 1896 (Q2)], followed by another daughter Lucy Orange around early 1899 [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 812, 1899 (Q1)].

Later in 1899 William Edward died aged "33" [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 552, 1899 (Q4)]. About a year afterwards Lucy Harriett remarried, to Alfred Jasper [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 1401, 1900 (Q4)]. Here she is with Alfred in the 1901 Census:

The 1911 Census finds the family still living in Tooting:

In 1917 Violet May married Charles A. Payne [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 951, 1917 (Q2)]. In 1922 their son Leslie Charles was born [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 1d 1108, 1922 (Q3)]. It appears from the GRO birth index that he was their only child.

Currently, all that is known of Leslie is that he served in the Royal Tank Regiment during the War and was killed in Italy in 1944.

The Electoral Register for 1945 (October edition) finds his parents living in Effingham Lodge, Guildford Road. This small cottage was situated on the west side of Dirtham Lane close to where the latter joins the Guildford Road and was actually in East Horsley parish. It once belonged to the Horsley Towers Estate and is believed to have then been a gardener's lodge. It has since been greatly altered.

In 1946 Leslie's father died aged "54" [GRO Ref: Surrey S.W. 2a 728, 1946 (Q1)]. A resident who lived in Effingham during that period has stated that Charles had hanged himself in the woods nearby. There appears to have been no report of this in The Surrey Advertiser and County Times.

The Electoral Registers indicate that Violet May lingered on, alone, at Effingham Lodge for several further years until her death, aged just "56", in 1952 [GRO Ref: Surrey S.W. 5g 741, 1952 (Q2)].

In 1959 Lucy Harriett died aged "89" [GRO Ref: Wandsworth 5d 573, 1959 (Q3)].

Military Records

1. Service Record - not yet available

2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record