Cree Family History Network

The search for your Cree, Crie, Crea, Cre, Crey and Chree origins

I have lived in "Tusculum" at North Berwick for the past fifteen years and only now am I trying to write a history of the building.

  The building was founded by James Cree (wine merchant) in 1858 and was then taken over by his son James Edward Cree (a rancher and atiquarian) and finally by his daughter Irene Cree.

This line of the family stems from William Cree (born 1791) and Margaret Low (born 1790)

If anybody has information that would fill in the story of "Tusculum" I would be most grateful to receive it. Here is a picture of the house dated 1867.

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Hi Anthony

 

James Fleming Cree was my great uncle. I have some information about him which I have scanned and attached here. I also have copies of the letters of condolence, enlistment papers and the war penny if these are of interest to you.

Aparently James wanted to enlist earlier in the war but was unable to due to medical reasons and I know little more. I hvae been trying to get hold of his records with the Northumberland Fuseliers, however they are closed to new enquiries at the present and have been for several months.

The details of his military history are signed by his father, James Edward Cree and state his date of birth as 28th March and so I am confident that this is correct!!!

If you want more pictures etc, please let me know.

James

Anthony Whitaker said:

I am interested in James Fleming Cree named in the above post and can, maybe, add some further information about him.

His name appears on the War Memorial of Northaw Place School, formerly in the village of Northaw in Hertfordshire and now in Hampshire, although known as Norman Court School these days. I know that he was born in 1895, on either 3rd March or 28th March (I'm not quite sure why there is a discrepancy except that as he was born in Galveston, Texas, records are not readily available in England.)  

I know, too that his parents were James Edward Cree and Eliza Mabel née Fleming.  After attending Northaw Place (for I know not how long since all records have been lost) he went to Haileybury also in Hertfordshire but was only there for one term in 1909.  

In the 1911 census he is listed as a student at Tingewick Rectory in Buckinghamshire but it looks to have been quite a small establishment.  His brother(?) Gerald Edward Cree as a pupil at Northaw Place in 1915.  

He enlisted as a Private in the King's Own Scottish Borderers in December 1916 and then was discharged from that regiment in January 1918 upon taking up a commission in the Northumberland Fusiliers.  

He was killed in action on 3rd September 1918 and is buried in Sailly-Labourse Communal Cemetery.  Can anyone shed any further light on him?  I am Chairman of the former pupils' association of the school, hence my interest.

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Hi James

Thanks so much for your speedy reply.  I am so pleased that I made the enquiry.  If I can work out how to do it, I will attach a few pictures etc of my own.  Are you UK based?  Would you like to know more about Northaw Place School?  

Three years ago I found a Memorial book at Norman Court School, just as it was closing down, so I "borrowed" it for safe keeping and still have it.  Happily the school re-opened in 2013 and seems to be going from strength to strength.  Photograph of the page for JFC herewith - as you can see, they didn't have much detail on him!  He is listed on the WW1 Memorial, still in the school chapel.  Photograph of that, too, attached.

I assume you have seen his Medal card?  I also have his Discharge papers from the KOSB.  I can send these, if you haven't seen them.  I visited his grave in France last summer and have a picture of that as well, if you haven't seen it.  I haven't yet studied his Army records at Kew but will get there eventually.  

Was I correct about Gerald Edward being his brother?  Perhaps he was your grandfather?  I know he (Gerald) was at Northaw Place in the winter term of 1915 because I have the school calendars (basically a list of the pupils plus the term dates) for several terms between 1913 and 1915.  All other early records are lost.

I have plans to put together a file on all those listed on the War Memorial, to live at Norman Court.  Would you be happy for me to use the photograph of JFC when I do this?  I would, of course, give you full credit.  If so, might you be able to send it again as a jpeg rather than a pdf?

I'd be delighted to receive any other documents, photographs etc that you may have as they all help to build up a picture.  A good friend in the village is ex KOSB and has volunteered to see what, if anything, he can find out about JFC's career in the regiment.

best wishes

Anthony

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