Grenadier François Paul Peelman (1891-1964) was living in Wickhamford in 1923. He was a Belgian who was born in Brussels on 13th December 1891. He was in the Grenadier Regiment of the Belgian Army and was transported to England after being wounded.
In 1923 he married Katie Gwendoline Collett in Wickhamford and, according to the Banns records, both lived in the parish at that time. She was an elementary school teacher, living in West Bromwich at the 1911 census, but was employed by the Worcestershire Education Authority. Before their marriage, in late July 1922, several editions of the Western Daily Press carried an advertisement for placing advanced orders for preserving and dessert fruit from ‘Peelman, Badsey, Evesham’. He is listed in the 1924 local edition of W. & H. Smith’s Household Almanac as living in Willersey Road, Badsey (where his name is entered as ‘F.P.Peelham’).
On 17th January 1940, Francois Peelman became a naturalised British citizen, having previously anglicised his name to ‘Francis Paul Pellman’. At this time, his occupation was given as a market gardener, living at The School House, Binton, Stratford-upon-Avon. He died in Southport, Lancashire, in late 1964.