The Stevens Family of Sutton
John Henry Stevens came from a Sutton, Surrey family whose roots in that town spanned at least three generations. His grandfather, his father Arthur, and John himself were all born in Sutton. The family were boot and shoe manufacturers — a substantial trade. The 1881 census records John’s grandfather employing eleven men and three boys. Arthur Stevens, John’s father, is described on the birth certificate as a Boot Maker (Master), meaning he ran his own business.
John Henry was born on 20 December 1923 at “Kirkside”, Church Road, Sutton — a substantial Victorian house, ivy-clad, with a visible street sign at the corner. His mother was Minnie Stevens, née Rowden. He had at least one brother, Walter, who served in the RAF during the war.
Childhood
Little is recorded of John’s early childhood beyond what the documents tell us. A hand-tinted studio portrait by Howard M. King of Croydon, taken around 1925–26 when John was approximately one or two years old, survives in family custody.
A later photograph from the 1930s shows Walter and John Henry together with other family members.
The family’s connection to the shoe trade extended beyond Sutton. John’s placement as a management apprentice at a shoe company in Northampton — recorded in his obituary — was almost certainly a deliberate family business connection, following a well-established pattern of the trade.
Birth Certificate
John Henry Stevens was registered on 7 March 1924 at the Registration District of Epsom, Sub-District of Carshalton, County of Surrey.
Epsom College
John Henry Stevens attended Epsom College, Epsom, Surrey — a well-regarded public school. The College Register (1937 edition) records him in Farrer House, leaving in 1940 aged 16. He is described as a keen all-round sportsman.
He is commemorated on the College’s 1939–1945 memorial panel, still displayed on the school wall. “STEVENS J. H.” is visible in the fourth column from the right, towards the top.
The College Register carries a post-war note against his name:
“Sergt. R.A.F.V.R., killed on active service 1945.”
The designation R.A.F.V.R. (Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) in the College Register is significant — it forms part of the open question about John’s precise status within the Glider Pilot Regiment. See Open Questions for detail.
Before the War
After leaving Epsom College in 1940, John worked as a management apprentice at a shoe company in Northampton — the family trade connection. The obituary records that before joining the Glider Pilot Regiment he served for approximately two years in the Guards, making him an experienced soldier before he ever flew. He enlisted around 1942–43.
When the opportunity arose to join the Glider Pilot Regiment — which was urgently rebuilding after the losses at Arnhem in September 1944 — John was, according to his obituary, delighted. He had a lifelong ambition to fly.
Known Family Members
| Person | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Stevens | Father | Boot Maker (Master), Sutton |
| Minnie Stevens (née Rowden) | Mother | Received all official notifications alone after Arthur’s death |
| Walter Stevens | Brother | RAF service during the war |
| John Arthur Stevens (1946–2017) | Nephew | Son of Walter; spent his final years researching John Henry |
| Ann Elizabeth Charman (1948–2016) | Niece | Daughter of Walter |
| Susan Joan Lord (1951–2020) | Niece | Daughter of Walter |
Sources: Birth certificate (20 December 1923); Epsom College Register (1937 edition); contemporary newspaper obituary (c.1945); family photographs.