| Notes: | MFP. He was born in Rackenford, Devon, enlisted 19/2/85, occupation Labourer, died at Colchester 16/2/02, left his widow Elizabeth the sum of £37-11-2d. Army Register of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929.
Frank Kingdom.
He has the same No. as L/Cpl F Miller, MMP.
Extract from the Chelmsford Chronicle, 21/2/1902. Military Funeral.
Sgt Frank Kingdom, 35 of the Military Foot Police died at the Military Hospital on February 16th after a long illness from consumption. The funeral took place yesterday.
Extract from the East Anglian Daily Times, 21/2/1902. Military Policeman's Funeral at Colchester.
Sgt Frank Kingdom of the Military Foot Police who died at Colchester, February 10th was buried in Thursday with full military honours. He had spent between 12 and 13 years in the police, being formerly with the Devonshire Regiment, and had been at Colchester about a year, but for the last two months had been very ill with consumption, from which he died on Sunday last. Deceased who was a Devonshire man, was greatly respected by the military and was very popular with bot military and civil police. He was only 35 years of age, and leaves a widow and one young child. The cortege left the Military Hospital shortly after two o'clock. First came the firing party of the Suffolk Regiment, followed by the band; immediately behind, and drawn by six horses was the gun carriage bearing the coffin, which was covered with the Union jack, and surmounted by several beautiful wreaths and the Sergeant's helmet and sword; non commissioned officers of the Military Police walked by the coffin, follow by four of the 12 Royal Lancers, who have been doing police duty at Colchester, and a like number of Colchester Borough Police under Inspector A Ward. The rear was brought up by the mourners carriages and a following party of the Suffolk Regiment, under Lieut. Nunn. Garrison Sergeant Major Adamson was present, in addition to several non-commissioned officers of various regiments. In one of the carriages was a grey headed Crimea veteran, whose breast was covered with medals; this old warrior who within a year of 70 has always lived with the Military Police, who made him a sort of protege, and attended as a mark of respect, although he was so infirm that he had to be assisted from the carriage at the cemetery. The cortege proceeded at a slow pace to the cemetery, the firing and following parties bearing their arms reversed, and the band flaying Chopin's "March Funebre." It may be mentioned that as a mark of respect to the deceased, the team drawing the coffin was driven by Sergeants of the Royal Field Artillery. The ceremony was performed by the Reverend W H Wardell, and at the conclusion three volleys were fired over the grave, the fifes playing a few bars between each volley. In addition to several wreaths from the deceased's relatives, Captain Cautley sent a "tribute of sincere Sympathy," whilst the Garrison and Staff Police and the non-commissioned officers of the Military Police sent a beautiful wreath. The funeral arrangements were in the hands of Mr J Went, who employed a special lowering machine to lower the coffin into the grave. |
