Sapper S.E. Purday Service number 1907 
Regiment Royal Engineers
Date of birth 2nd quarter 1894
Date of death 2nd December 1915
Age at death 21 years
His Story
PURDAY, Samuel Esau. 1894 – 2nd December 1915
Samuel Esau was born in 1894 at Leyton, the eldest son of Samuel Esau Purday, a plumber and his wife Nancy Finch who married on 25th December 1890 at Highbury, North London. The 1911 census for 179 Dawlish Road, Leyton, reveals this couple had been married for 21 years and had produced 10 children
At St. Mark’s church, Victoria Park on 15th July 1914 Samuel married Florence Alice Lock, a 20 year old spinster of 173 Armagh Road, Bow, daughter of Frederick a boot maker. Samuel was 22, a hot water fitter of 516 Old Ford Road, son of Samuel with the same occupation.
In 1915? Samuel enlisted at Victoria Park for the Royal Engineers as Sapper No. 1907 with the 2nd/1st London Field Company. He died aged 23 on 2nd December 1915 having served with his regiment at ‘Home’ and his death was registered at Ipswich. On 25th June 1919 his widow Florence was awarded a £4.6s.5d. gratuity.
PURDAY, Samuel Esau. c.1870–1930 aged 60
His father also named Samuel Esau saw service in WW1. Aged 45 Samuel, was part of the British Expeditionary Force and joined the Royal Army Service Corps on 27th August 1915 as Private 15881 where he was attached to the 51st Artizan Works Company.