Robert Belchamber, and his brother, Louis Belchamber, are both referred to as being “ in khaki”, i.e. serving in the army, in a report dated 5 February 1918 in The Surrey Comet of their sister’s, Lillie Louise Belchamber’s wedding on 2 February 1918 to Mr William John Chamberlin at St John the Baptist Church, Hampton Wick.

The Parish Church was apparently crowded with “all classes of parishioners” as it was a marriage of two members of “very old Hampton Wick families”. The bride was the eldest daughter of Mr Robert J Belchamber, sub-postmaster and confectioner of 16, High Street, Hampton Wick and the groom was the only son of Mr and Mrs George Chamberlin of Thurlaston,19 Cedar’s Rd, Hampton Wick. The Vicar, Rev AC Kestin, was assisted by Rev AG Ingram, Chaplain at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court as the bridegroom had been a chorister there for many years.

The Belchamber family lived in the sub-post office at 16, High Street, Hampton Wick. At the date of the 1911 Census the family was headed by Mr Robert J Belchamber (53) a widower who had been born in Vauxhall. He describes himself as a baker and confectioner (rather than sub-postmaster). Mr Belchamber had five children including three daughters who were all employed in the business and two sons who were still at school. All the children had been born in Hampton Wick except the eldest, Lillie, who had been born in Teddington. The children are listed as Lillie Louise (21); D (daughter (17); HM (daughter 15) and Robert (13) and Louis (10). The family also had four employees who lived on the premises.

The Chamberlin family lived at Thurlaston, 19 Cedars Road which had been named after the birthplace of Mrs Chamberlin in Leicestershire. At the date of the 1911 Census three generations of the family were living together. The Head of the family was George Charles Chamberlin (48)whose occupation as assistant to the Custodian of Pictures employed by the Board of Works suggests that he was employed at Hampton Court Palace. His wife ? Greta (possibly Meta) was 50 and from Leicestershire. The family had two daughters Greta/Meta (22) a typist for a ?Lift Manufacturer and Olive (20),a teacher and a son William (17) a clerk for the same company as his eldest sister. Also living at 19 Cedars Road were George (Senior) (72), George Charles’s father, who was still working as a carpenter and his second wife (George Charles’s step-mother) (73). The entire family other than the Head of the household’s wife and step-mother (both born in Leicestershire) had been born in Hampton Wick.

Robert Belchamber, and his brother, Louis Belchamber, are both referred to as being “ in khaki”, i.e. serving in the army, in a report dated 5 February 1918 in The Surrey Comet of their sister’s, Lillie Louise Belchamber’s, wedding on 2 February 1918 to Mr William John Chamberlin at St John the Baptist Church, Hampton Wick.

The Parish Church was apparently crowded with “all classes of parishioners” as it was a marriage of two members of “very old Hampton Wick families”. The bride was the eldest daughter of Mr Robert J Belchamber, sub-postmaster and confectioner of High Street, Hampton Wick and the groom was the only son of Mr and Mrs George Chamberlin of Thurlaston,19 Cedar’s Rd, Hampton Wick. The Vicar, Rev AC Kestin, was assisted by Rev AG Ingram, Chaplain at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court as the bridegroom had been a chorister there for many years.

The Belchamber family lived in the sub-post office at 16, High Street, Hampton Wick. At the date of the 1911 Census the family was headed by Mr Robert J Belchamber (53) a widower who had been born in Vauxhall. He describes himself as a baker and confectioner (rather than sub-postmaster). Mr Belchamber had five children including three daughters who were all employed in the business and two sons who were still at school. All the children had been born in Hampton Wick except the eldest, Lillie, who had been born in Teddington. The children are listed as Lillie Louise (21); D (daughter (17); HM (daughter 15) and Robert (13) and Louis (10). The family also had four employees who lived on the premises.