Henry John Stone

Formerly an Officers Steward 1st Class with H.M.S. Pembroke I, Henry died on 30th of May 1919 at the age of 35. 

Henry was born at Canterbury on 9 August 1882, a son of Henry Quested and Emma Agnes Stone. In 1891 his family lived at 10 Saint Paul’s Terrace, Canterbury. By 1901 Henry was lodging at 32 Plantation Road, Faversham, and working as a carpenter.  

Henry married Lilian Spendler, formerly Absolon, the widow of Edmund Spendler, in 1915: this was registered in the Mutford district. Lilian came from Lowestoft. In 1917 they lived at Rochester, Kent, and by 1919 they were living at 19 Laundry Lane, Lowestoft. Note that Commonwealth War Graves records give his wife’s first names as Harriett Elizabeth. It seems that she alternated between using the names Lilian and Harriett.  

Henry was working as a carpenter when he joined the Royal Navy, as a Domestic 2nd Class. He joined H.M.S. Resolution on 12 January 1905 and, on 20 March 1906, H.M.S. Venerable. On 22 February 1907 he joined H.M.S. King Edward VII. He was advanced to Domestic 1st Class on 5 March 1907 and re-rated as Officer’s Steward 1st Class on 1 October 1907. He went to H.M.S. Pembroke I on 27 March 1909 and H.M.S. Formidable on 21 April 1909.

Henry joined H.M.S. Pembroke I on 3 April 1911 and on 5 April 1911 he was discharged to shore at his own request. He then joined H.M.S. New Zealand on 6 June 1911 and H.M.S. Africa on 24 July 1911. He went to H.M.S. Pembroke I on 25 March 1912, and joined H.M.S. Halcyon on 17 May 1912. His final deployment was to H.M.S. Pembroke I on 15 November 1916. 

Henry was invalided from the service with a medical condition (this is illegible on his service register entry) on 13 April 1917. He was awarded the Silver War Badge. Henry is believed to have died from phthisis. Note: Commonwealth War Graves records infer that Henry was serving with H.M.S. Halcyon when he died, his service register details show that he had already been discharged and the last ship that he had served with was H.M.S. Pembroke I. 

Henry’s brother Albert served with the Border Regiment and died in 1915.