Lt. Col. Theodore Longridge DSO Esq (1860-1940)
Theodore Longridge was born on 20 July 1860 in Kensington, London, the son of James Atkinson Longridge and Hannah Pembroke Josephine Stanley Longridge, née Hawks. He was the eighth of nine children. He was baptised at St. Philip's Kensington. After prep school in Berkshire, he was educated at Eton College, where his older brother George had attended before him. George was a Rev. in the Anglican Church who led missionary work in India with the University of Oxford, where he was educated, to build orphanges and shelters. At Eton, Theodore took part in the procession of boats. Leaving Eton in 1878, he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
His older brother, Cecil, was also in the army, though he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. At Sandhurst, Theodore had hoped to join the 5th Regiment of Foot; however, he was not accepted. He was instead posted to the 16th Regiment, also known as the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was commissioned in 1880 as 2nd Lieutenant, entering the army in January 1880 aged 19. He served as Adjutant from 1 July 1881 to 30 April 1892 being promoted to Captain 1 February 1889 age 28.
In the early 1890s, he was stationed in India for roughly 5-10 years. At age 33, he married 7 March 1894 in Bengal, India to Emma Harriet Elizabeth Fowle, daughter of Thomas Everett Fowle Esq of Chute Lodge, Charlton, and Durrington. As Emma's father, Tom, had previously passed away in 1877, she was guided or 'given away' by General Roberts, later known as Lord Roberts of Kandahar, 1st Earl Roberts (1832-1914). His cousin, Lt. Col. James Atkinson Longridge, was also married in Inida. A few years later, their son, Theodore Ernle Longridge (Tel), was born 29 January 1894 in Rawalpindi Cantonment, Punjab, now Pakistan. As Captain, Theodore served in the 1892 Isazai Expedition, a British military campaign against the tribal resistance on the North-West Frontier of India. A few years later, in 1895, he took part in the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. He participated in the storming of the Malakand Pass near Khan and the subsequent descent into the Swat Valley to relieve the besieged British garrison at Chitral. He was awarded the India General Service Medal with clasp. Theodore served as Adjutant to a Militia unit from 1 October to 18 August 1898. He later served as Garrison Adjutant during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) and later on Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, taking part in major operations across Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and the Cape Colony. He was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette on 10 September 1901 where he received the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps and the King's South Africa Medal with two clasps. He was also appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). His DSO was presented in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in January 1903. He was eventually promoted to Major on 11 January 1902 and later served as a Staff Officer in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony until March 1903. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 2 May 1908 at age 47. He eventually retired from the Bedfordshire Regiment on 2 May 1912 aged 51, entering the Reserve of Officers. He returned to service in 1914 as Commandant at Headquarters.
His wife, Emma Longridge née Fowle sadly passed away on 11 February 1924 from an illness. He eventually remarried Molly Ewart. He spent the remainder of his life living in Painswick, Gloucestershire, where he died at Court House 29 June 1940 age 79.
His older brother, Cecil, was also in the army, though he attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. At Sandhurst, Theodore had hoped to join the 5th Regiment of Foot; however, he was not accepted. He was instead posted to the 16th Regiment, also known as the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was commissioned in 1880 as 2nd Lieutenant, entering the army in January 1880 aged 19. He served as Adjutant from 1 July 1881 to 30 April 1892 being promoted to Captain 1 February 1889 age 28.
In the early 1890s, he was stationed in India for roughly 5-10 years. At age 33, he married 7 March 1894 in Bengal, India to Emma Harriet Elizabeth Fowle, daughter of Thomas Everett Fowle Esq of Chute Lodge, Charlton, and Durrington. As Emma's father, Tom, had previously passed away in 1877, she was guided or 'given away' by General Roberts, later known as Lord Roberts of Kandahar, 1st Earl Roberts (1832-1914). His cousin, Lt. Col. James Atkinson Longridge, was also married in Inida. A few years later, their son, Theodore Ernle Longridge (Tel), was born 29 January 1894 in Rawalpindi Cantonment, Punjab, now Pakistan. As Captain, Theodore served in the 1892 Isazai Expedition, a British military campaign against the tribal resistance on the North-West Frontier of India. A few years later, in 1895, he took part in the Chitral Relief Force under Sir Robert Low with the 1st Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment. He participated in the storming of the Malakand Pass near Khan and the subsequent descent into the Swat Valley to relieve the besieged British garrison at Chitral. He was awarded the India General Service Medal with clasp. Theodore served as Adjutant to a Militia unit from 1 October to 18 August 1898. He later served as Garrison Adjutant during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) and later on Adjutant of the 3rd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers, taking part in major operations across Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and the Cape Colony. He was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette on 10 September 1901 where he received the Queen's South Africa Medal with three clasps and the King's South Africa Medal with two clasps. He was also appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). His DSO was presented in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in January 1903. He was eventually promoted to Major on 11 January 1902 and later served as a Staff Officer in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony until March 1903. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 2 May 1908 at age 47. He eventually retired from the Bedfordshire Regiment on 2 May 1912 aged 51, entering the Reserve of Officers. He returned to service in 1914 as Commandant at Headquarters.
His wife, Emma Longridge née Fowle sadly passed away on 11 February 1924 from an illness. He eventually remarried Molly Ewart. He spent the remainder of his life living in Painswick, Gloucestershire, where he died at Court House 29 June 1940 age 79.
