Caterham Cemetery

Caterham, Surrey

The Remembrance Trust has funded the restorations of several graves in Caterham Cemetery belonging to members of the Grenadier Guards. There is very little information about the men buried in these graves, save for Private Alfred Leefson below.

Alfred Leefson (1871-1890)

Alfred Charles Leefson was born in Bristol to Louis and Eustacia Leefson. His father was a Jewish hairdresser of Dutch origin, whilst his mother was English. Both had been married before and Alfred had at least 14 siblings. His father committed suicide in 1879, a year after his mother had died. Alfred may have been a pupil at the Gordon School in Chobham, Surrey, a school run on military lines. His younger brother Edward was certainly a pupil. IF so, sometime after he turned 18, when pupils left the Gordon School, Alfred enlisted in the Army. However, he was not destined for a long career in the military. After 6 days in hospital, Alfred died of Pneumonia at Caterham barracks, one of the million people globally, during the global pandemic of 1889-1890.
Restored by Steve Davies, with research by Paul Cox

Robert Halliday (c.1868-1890)

Robert was born to Thomas and Alice in Kilmore, Co. Cavan, Ireland. He joined the Scots Guards on 6th December in Liverpool when he was 22 years old but quickly contracted Pneumonia and Measles and died at Caterham barracks after just 24 days of service. According to his records, he was 5ft 9 and ¼, with a scar at the base of his left thumb, with grey eyes and fair hair.