Private William George BAYNES (1874–1898)

Most of this material was kindly contributed by Jemma Hayward

William George BAYNES (also spelt BANES, BANE, or BAINES) was born in Deddington, Oxfordshire in 1874. His birth was registered in the Woodstock registration district with his surname spelt Baines in the third quarter of that year, but no baptism has been found, and so it seems likely that his parents had joined the Methodist Church, as William stated that his religious denomination was Wesleyan in his army papers.

His father was William Baynes (born in Deddington in 1841 and baptised there on 24 June), who was employed as a viceman at a coach-building works, where he made axles. His mother was Ann Maria Hitchcox, known as Annie (baptised at Ardley in Oxfordshire on 7 April 1850).

His parents were married at St Peter & St Paul's Church in Deddington on Christmas Day 1872 and (William) George was their first child, followed by Harry, whose birth was registered in the fourth quarter of 1876 (again with the surname spelt Baines).

When (William) George was four years old his mother Annie died at the age of 29 and was buried at Deddington on 31 May 1879. (She may have died due to complications following childbirth, as a four-month-old baby boy called Walter Baines was buried at Deddington on 4 September that year.)

At the time of the 1881 census (William) George was six years old and he and his father and younger brother Harry (4) were living in the home of his paternal grandfather, another William Baynes (70), who was a widower still working as a shoemaker. (The latter may be the William Baines who died at the Woodstock Workhouse at the beginning of 1889, with his age recorded as 81, and who was buried at Deddington on 19 January.)

At the time of the 1891 census (William) George (16) and his brother Harry (14) were both described as being agricultural labourers and were living at Hempton (just to the west of Deddington) with their father. A year later, however, (William) George told the army that he had been a baker for two years, working for Mr Pratt (John W, Pratt, master baker of Hempton).

In April 1892 (William) George Baynes, 18 years and 11 months, completed his army attestation papers in Oxford, joining the Oxfordshire Light Infantry as Private George Baynes, dropping the William.  He was described as 5ft 10in tall with a fresh complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. He was initially posted to the 1st Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, and then in December 1893 he was posted to the 2nd Battalion and sent to India for the first time.

In 1897/8 (William) George Baynes served in Bengal as a Private in the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry (Service No. 3904), both with the Mohmand Field Force on the Punjab Frontier and then with the Tirah Expeditionary Force. He died of enteric fever on 22 June 1898 and was posthumously awarded the India Medal with two clasps.