Lieut Sidney Alfred Maddick

• Age: 37
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• Died Monday 2nd December 1918
• Commemorated at: Nairobi South Cem Kenya
  Panel Ref: III.A.4

Sidney Alfred Maddick was born on 02nd February 1881 in Liverpool, the son of Richard James Maddick and his wife Jane Elizabeth (nee Andrews) who were married in the fourth quarter of 1859 at Holy Trinity Church, Plymouth. He was baptised at Christ Church, Kensington, Liverpool on 17th April 1881.

The 1881 Census shows the family are living at School House, Penton Street, West Derby. His father is listed as head of household, a 51 year old naval pensioner, now the school keeper, born in Plymouth, his mother, Jane, is a 38 year old born in Portsmouth. Also present are siblings: Elizabeth, Mary A, William, Richard, James, Alice and Rosa all born in Sidmouth, Devon, together with John who like Sidney was born in Liverpool. There is also a visitor, Richard Williams.

By 1891 the family have moved to Lothair Road, Walton on the Hill. His father, Richard is now 61 years of age and a caretaker of board schools. His wife is still present as are children: Mary, Richard, William, James, Alice, Rosa, John, Sidney now aged 10 and Arthur. 

His father died in 1900, aged 70, residing at 6 Neville Road, Waterloo. 

By the time of the 1901Census, his widowed mother, aged 59, is living with his widowed brother Richard, 34, at 15 Sandringham Road, Seaforth, with Alice, Rosa, John and Andrew. Richard and Andrew are bookkeepers, and Alice is a teacher. 

 Sidney is not found in the 1901 census; it is not known when he emigrated to South Africa, but a passenger list from London to New Zealand on 24th October 1900 shows an S. A. Moddick traveling with F.S. Anderson, but did not board, and S. A. Meddick, with the same traveling companion, travelled on 27th October on the Waiwera to Wellington route. Both entries show age 19, occupation clerk, but there are no births under the name Moddick or Meddick, and this is possibly Sidney.  

A possible record of him travelling to South Africa is when an S Maddock, aged 26, born about 1881, occupation surveyor is a passenger onboard the Goelpa a Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co. vessel headed for Cape Town on 05th October 1907.

 By 1908 Sidney had settled in Zululand, South Africa.  Records show that he belonged to the United Grand Lodge of England   Freemasons in Eshowe, Zululand, initiated 12/6/1908, age 27, occupation, “Natal Police”.  (Eshowe is the oldest town of European  settlement in Zululand, and its capital.) He was passed on 07th August 1908 and raised on 11th September 1908. Records show that he resigned on 09th April 1912. 

Sidney travelled back to the U.K. to volunteer.  He is found on the S.S. Intombi as a 2nd class passenger, age 34, occupation planter, place of residence Natal.  The ship sailed from Durban via Lourenço Marques to London, and arrived on 5th November 1915.  Sidney is listed with three fellow passengers, likely friends or acquaintances, who all joined up together on 22nd November 1915 and served as Privates in the King Edward’s Horse (and who all survived the war): 

Arthur Walter Bennett, 29, farmer, Natal, 1357 K.E.H.

Claud Anthony Wayne, 28, farmer, Natal, 1358 K.E.H., discharged 2/5/1918, awarded a Silver War Badge 

George Hardwick Matterson 28, merchant, South Africa, 1359 K.E.H. Commissioned 2nd Lt. K.E.H. in 1917. 

After arriving in the U.K. Sidney travelled from London to his home town and whilst in Liverpool he joined the Freemason Lodge of Sincerity, initiated 18th September 1916, and his dues were paid until his death. After enlisting, Sidney was quickly sent for officer training, possibly because of his police background, and was Gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 29th January 1916, 10 weeks after he arrived in England.

This was reported in the Liverpool Daily Post on 21st January 1916:

SECOND RESERVE

King's (Liverpool Regiment) S. A. Maddick to be temporary Second Lieutenant (on probation)

Sidney Alfred was serving with the 20^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as a Lieutenant having been Gazetted. He saw service in France and was wounded. He was admitted to the Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital at Millbank on 28th October 1916 with Trench Feet and Gastritis. He was discharged on 07th December 1916.

He was then attached to the 1st/6th King’s African Rifles.

Sidney died at No.3 B.G. Hospital in Nairobi of Heart Disease on the 02nd December 1918, aged 37.

He now rests at Nairobi South Cemetery, Kenya.

During the First World War, Nairobi was the headquarters of the King's African Rifles and became the main hospital centre for the East African campaign. Nairobi South Cemetery contains 155 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, mostly in one section, interspersed by civilian graves. There are also two burials of the Second World War. The cemetery also contains the Nairobi British and Indian Memorial, a screen wall which commemorates British and Indian officers and men who lost their lives in the East African campaign before the advance to the Rufiji in January 1917.

His burial record shows that Sidney had served for six months in British East Africa when he died.

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 24th December 1918:

The following casualties are reported by the Colonial Office:-

Died:  Lieut. S. A. Maddick, King's Liverpool Regiment and King's African Rifles. 

His family placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 27th December 1918:

MADDICK - Mrs MADDICK and family tender their sincere thanks for the numerous kind expressions of sympathy extended to them in their bereavement.

Sidney earned his three medals. His medal card shows his mother was living at Claremont, Coronation Drive, Crosby.  She died in 1924, aged 82. Although living in Crosby, she was buried with her husband in Kirkdale Cemetery. 

Sidney Alfred is commemorated on the following Memorials:

St Mary the Virgin Church, Waterloo, Crosby

Masonic Hall in Liverpool

South African Roll of Honour 

WW1 Masonic Roll of Honour