History
We are not certain where Frederick was born, but on the balance of probabilities, he was the Frederick Guntrip born in Poole, Dorset, on 10 August 1895, one of at least four siblings.
We do know that in 1900 he and his brother Arthur came to live in Stoke Goldington with foster parents Mr Thomas Edmunds, a bootmaker, and his wife Elizabeth. The boys settled down happily, attended the village school, and made lots of friends.
Ten years later Frederick was living at 36 Chester Square, Belgravia, London, working as a servant (hall boy) in the home of Margaret Jane Goodlake. A year later he emigrated to the United States, sailing for New York on 2 March.
Following the outbreak of war he returned to England, and on 29 May 1915 enlisted in the Dragoons of the Line and was posted to the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons.
He was wounded during the Advance to Victory offensive in the second half of 1918, probably in September or October. He was evacuated to the UK for treatment and on 14 April 1919 was discharged as being no longer physically fit for war service.
He then settled in California and set up a laboratory carrying out research into plants suitable for medical use (amongst other things). He built it up into a successful enterprise and has two US patents to his name: one for a pot for transporting dentures and one for an improved colon anaesthetic!
He travelled all over the world for his business and often visited his friends in Stoke Goldington. He came more frequently after his wife died and expressed a wish that, when he died, he should be cremated and his ashes laid in the grave of his foster parents in the churchyard of St Peter’s Church, Stoke Goldington.
He died in California in May 1974, at the age of 79, and his ashes were sent to Stoke Goldington and interred in the grave of Thomas and Elizabeth Edmunds.
He remembered Stoke Goldington in his will and bequeathed the sum of just under £40,000 to be used for the benefit of elderly parishioners and to be administered by the Church and Parish councils.
Sources:
Mr Cecil Darby, a village friend of Frederick
The North Irish Horse website
