Alfred was born in Surlingham in 1881. His parents were William (1855-1928) and Matilda nee Blyth (1853-1896) of Cut Loke Cottage, Surlingham.
Alfred’s father William was a Water/Wherryman Alfred’s siblings:
- 1876 Mary Ann – 1896 Living in Surlingham was christened at St Marks Church, Lakenham. Possibly prior to marriage.
- 1878 William
- 1880 Agnes Matilda – 1896 living in Carlton Terrace, Norwich also christened at St Marks church, Lakenham.
- 1882 John James
- 1886 Beatrice Matilda – Married to a police sergeant living in Fulham London
- 1890 Elizabeth Ethel died aged 5 Months
Alfred married Eliza ne Wilson and their children were Mabel Eliza, Ethel Matilda, Arthur William, Hilda Mary, Walter Alfred.
Alfred served as a Deck Hand in the Royal Navy Reserve. He saw duty on HM Drifter ’Cloverbank’
Between 1911 and his death in 1916 the family moved to Great Yarmouth. Alfred is recorded on Great Yarmouth’s Role of Honour and commemorated on ChathamNavel Memorial.
It is likely that Alfred Tooley’s next of kin would at least have been sent his Memorial Death Plaque of WW1
HMS Cloverbank was a drifter built in 1912. Involved in net-work and hit a mine in a British minefield off Zeebrugge on 24 April 1916, 18 men lost.
Surlingham 