Colin McMillan has provided the following:
David Froud was born in or about 1884. In 1891, at the time of the census, he was the son of 31 year old Thomas Froud, a labourer, and 31 year old Hannah Froud. He was 7 and had an older brother, John Thomas Froud (8) and a younger brother, Anthony (5). All the boys were at school and every member of the family was born in Morpeth. They were living at Bullers Green, Morpeth at the time.
By 1901 the family had moved to 21 Stanley Terrace, Morpeth. 39 year old Thomas was now an engine man and his three sons were still within the household. John Thomas Froud (18) was working as a market gardener, David Froud (17) was a miner putter working under ground and Anthony Froud (15) was a metal dresser. Two more children had joined the family; Mary E Froud was 9 and Thomas Froud jnr was 5. Both were born in Morpeth. Also living with them was Thomas snr’s uncle, 62 year old Patrick Kelly, an Irish born general labourer.
David Froud’s marriage to Ellen Froud (nee Allen) was recorded in the Oct-Nov-Dec quarter of 1904 of the Civil Marriage Registration Index.
By 1911 he was head of the household at 2 Walker’s Buildings, Morpeth. He still worked as a coal miner and was 29. His wife was 23 and in the seven years of their marriage had produced three children; Robert Froud was 5, Hannah Froud was 4 and Lizzie Froud was 1. WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards give the dates of birth of his children. Robert was born on 07/07/1906 and Hannah was born on 11/01/1908. There is no evidence of Lizzie and she is presumed dead as there is a record of two more children born since the 1911 census; Thomas on 10/04/1912 and Mary Ellen on 23/05/1914.
David enlisted at Edinburgh and served as 3203 Private Froud, D. with the 5th Battalion Royal Scots (Queen’s Edinburgh Rifles) Regiment. He was killed in action on 19th June 1915 at Gallipoli in the Balkans Theatre of War. He belonged to one of several Morpeth families who lost more than one son, as his brother, John also made the ultimate sacrifice.
David was awarded the Victory medal, the British War Medal and the 1915 star.
Morpeth Herald 23/07/1915 carries a brief obituary:
FROUD.- Pte. David Froud, son of Mr T. Froud, Morpeth, 15th [sic] Royal Scots, killed in the Dardanelles on 19th of June. He only enlisted in January, and was previous to that, employed as gardener with Mr Murie, nurseryman, Lady Road, Edinburgh.
He was 32 years of age, and leaves a widow and five young children. A pathetic coincidence is the fact that the youngest boy was born the same day that his father was killed. He resided at 40 North Richmond Street, Edinburgh.
David Froud is remembered at Morpeth on M17.01 M17.09 and M17.17 M17.31 and as Froude, David on M17.29
