Q. I am wondering if you, or any of your members, can help me trace a family who live or lived at Mead House, Chislehurst.

My great-aunt, Kate Smithers, who died in 1968, aged 90, was in the army at Kandahar Barracks, Tidworth, Hants at the start of the first world war.  Amongst her memorabelia is a newspaper cutting, including a photograph, reporting that Second-Lieutenant Basil Pryce Cuxson was killed in action on  15th July 1915.  He was born in Sept 1890 and was apparently the only son of Mr. and Mrs. George Austin Pryce Cuxson of Mead House.

We have a hand written poem about life on the front which may have been sent to my great aunt by Lt. Cuxson. If we could trace his family it would be very interesting to know if they have any memorabilia of him and, if so, whether he had ever mentioned Aunt Kate  –  perhaps in a letter?  Would they like a copy of the cutting?
It would appear from your web site that Mead House is now divided into flats but perhaps some of the family still live there or locally.

Also, if you have a memorial of the First  World War, is 2nd Lt. Basil Pryce Cuscon listed there? I would be most interested in any information thank you. Mike Smithers

A. I am afraid that we have not yet found any information on 2nd Lt. Basil Pryce Cuxson. His name is not inscribed on the Chislehurst War Memorial, and he is not mentioned in Yvonne Auld’s book, For King and Country, which exhaustively reviewed all details of the names on the War Memorials of Chislehurst.