Choral evensong and quarter peel will honour fallen Hoby soldier, bell ringer and choir member

Harry died of wounds sustained in the later stages of the Battle of the Somme is currently buried in the British Cemetery at Puchevillers in France. The Society of Framland Ringers will ring a quarter peal in his honour at 7pm.

Mr Jeffs was born in Hoby 1882 and was the son of William and Esther Jeffs. Esther was the village postmistress before the war.

Harry was one of nine children and they lived in a cottage on Main Street on what is now the pub car park. His older brother William and younger brothers John and Tom also fought in the war and survived.

Steve Horsfield, a member of Hoby and District Local History Society, said: “When we carried out the initial research into the names that appear on Hoby’s war memorial we were fortunate to find an article in the Melton Times on October, 6, 1916.

“The article reproduced the letter Esther Jeffs received informing her of Harry’s death and from this we learnt Harry was a bell ringer and member of the choir at All Saints Church.

“We have no way of knowing in what ways the other men who died contributed to village life and so to commemorate the part Harry and all the men who died, played in the life of Hoby we are holding a church service at 3pm on Saturday. Harry’s commemorative peal will take place following this service.”

The Hoby and District Local History Society is a voluntary organisation. It brings people from all walks of life who are interested in the local history of the Leicestershire villages of Hoby, Rotherby, Ragdale and Brooksby and the district around them.

The society founded in 2013. For more information visit www.hobyanddistricthistory.co.uk