SPRATTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Lewis was born in Spratton on 30 April 1887, the son of James Payne, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Sarah.  They lived in Station Road (now Brixworth Road) Spratton.  By 1911 Sarah was a widow, earning a living as a laundress and Lewis was working as a farm labourer and cowman. On 28 August 1915 Lewis married Mabel Rose Brown, a housemaid who worked for Mrs Georgina Roberts, the widow of the former Vicar who lived at The Sheiling, Church Road, Spratton.  Their daughter, Ivy Agnes, was born on 13 May 1916.

Lewis signed his Attestation papers on 6 December 1915 (using his middle name James) under Lord Derby’s Scheme and was trained in this country until posted to France on 18 March 1917. On 24 September 1917 he was wounded in a gas attack and invalided home on the ship Stad Antwerpen.  After treatment in hospital in Birmingham, he was moved to lighter duties with the Labour Corps and finally designated as “surplus to military requirements” on 23 July 1919. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Lewis died on 23 January 1964 in Banbury aged 77.