Tag Archives: records

Andrew Moynihan, Wakefield’s V.C.

If you mention the name Andrew Moynihan to anyone, do you think they will know of him?  Was he a criminal? Was he a business man?  What is his connection to Wakefield? Well, who was he?

As Ancestry have included a database of Victoria Cross Recipients on their vast website – wonderful I thought as it could help me with additional information when transcribing war memorials for my website.  So, to see who is there – a search with no criteria completed except the place, Wakefield.  To my surprise only one entry, Andrew Moynihan – lets go looking for him.  From his Ancestry entry I know he was born in Wakefield, in Saw Yard to be exact, in January of 1830 but could not find a baptism for him,  He could possibly have been a Catholic so would more than likely still be held by the church, not to worry. A search of FamilySearch soon came up with the goods – 14 March 1830 in St Austins Catholic Church, Wakefield with parents Malechy Monaghen and Ann. So on to the census of 1851 with his name, year of birth +/- 5 and his town of birth, Wakefield – again no joy.  Various search information was included and excluded, ending up with Andrew and Wakefield but still no entry for him.

One not to be beaten I googled him and came up with a site for Manchester people which did shed a little bit of light on him – the family moved to Dunkinfield when Andrew was a young child.  My search now went to the other side of the Pennines.  His early life seems to be a little mysterious but some sources say he worked in a couple of local mills and worshipped at a local Methodist Church.

At 17 years old he enlisted in the 90th Regiment of Perthshire Volunteers, who at the time were stationed in Ashton.  Aged 23, on the 31 December 1853, and with his name now being spelt Moyniham,  he married Ellen Parkin in Ashton Parish Church. With the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, Andrew and many others were sent to fight the Russians.  The following year he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

His citation in the London Gazette for 24th February 1857 states : Ensign Andrew Moynihan (note change of spelling), 8th Regiment, late of the 90th Regiment.  When Serjeant, 90th Light Infantry, at the assault of the Redan, 8th September 1855, he personally encountered and killed five Russians.  Rescued from near the Redan a wounded officer, under heavy fire.

The initial attack on the Redan Fortress at Sebastapol failed but Andrew’s actions made further attacks possible. Despite heavy Russian fire and being driven back numerous times Andrew re-entered a building to  rescue an officer but was wounded and taken prisoner.  The British were repeatedly pushed back to their trenches but further attacks enabled him to escape and save a wounded soldier despite his own injuries – Various reports say that he had 12 wounds by the end of the day.

A hero’s welcome greeted him on his return home to Dunkinfield and various presentations were made to him but in 1857 he received from Queen Victoria his Victoria Cross.

Andrew later served in Ireland, the Indian Mutiny, Gibraltar and Malta and it was in Malta in 1867 that he died of Typhoid Fever at his home in Floriana, and rests in La Braxia Cemetery (Section S, Grave 182).  He is also mentioned in memorium on the headstone of his daughter, Ada, in Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds.

Although, Andrew did not stay in Wakefield for very long at least we can say he was born within our city boundary.

Footnote – Wikipedia has an entry for Berkeley George Andrew Moynihan, who is listed as the son of Andrew.  He moved with his mother to Leeds, where he was educated and later educated at the Blue Coat School,  London and later at the Royal Naval School.  He returned to Leeds to study medicine and joined the Leeds General Infirmary as a house surgeon, reaching the height of consulting surgeon in 1927.  During WW1 he was on the Army Advisory Board and by the end of the war held the rank of major general.  He also served as President of the Royal College of Surgeons.  He was knighted in 1912 and created Baronet of Carr Manor in 1922.  In 1929 he wa raised to the peerage as Baron Moynihan of Leeds.

Sources :-

Ancestry

Civilian and Military heroes of Manchester

FamilySearch

Wikipedia

La Braxia Cemetery

Blue Plaque tribute to Andrew Moynihan

Absent Voters List 1914-18 War – update

A while ago I mentioned the the Absent Voters Lists as being a valuable source when looking for a WW1 soldiers army number, but I thought I would just update this and add to the information I told you about.

Carol Sklinar 2010

So here goes – In the General Election of 1918 all those not at ‘home’, those who were away from their place of residence were classed as Absent Voters.  The reasons you were away could be for example, working, visiting family or serving your country in WW1.  The information for someone serving his King and Country usually included the following :- The man’s name, service and regiment along with rank and service number and his home address.  I say this information is usually included but in Morley his name and HM in a column are the only information you are getting, but it is still worth knowing he served.

It was an Act of Parliament passed on 6th February 1918 that allowed service men to register  and obtain their vote ‘at home’.  The first lists were published on 15th October 1918 and again on 15th April 1919 and the details were provided by the voters.  Men aged 21 and over could supply information about their vote, so for us family historians, a young man under the age of 21 but still serving his country could not vote.

Also, something to be remembered – a soldier’s number was not his for his service.  A soldier changed his service number for many reasons including changing regiment.  You will find many service records or CWGC information with the words ‘formerly’, very kindly giving a previous service number.  If you search for a serviceman by just his number you may find many men who were issued that number.  For example a search of the SWDTGW for 2497 comes back with 100 men issued that number.  It was not until 1920 that a unique number was issued to service men.

Something else to bare in mind is that during WW1 Officers were not given service numbers but by WW2 numbers were issued and again they were unique.

This wonderful source of information for Wakefield, has been transcribed and can be found here, the information has also been put on to a cd and is useful for those not wishing to use the internet and is available here along with many other useful tools for family historians.

When looking for AVL’s you may like to try your local history library, local archives or pose a question on a local messageboard – it may save you time.  Please note:- there is a chance they may not have survived in your area, so be prepared to use other sources to find the service number of your man i.e newspapers.  Years ago a service number was a must for you to take your research further, now with the internet and some very useful websites a service record, if it has survived can be found by inputting varying degrees of information i.e. name and town if that is all you know, but don’t forget to allow for transcription errors and a search could get longer if a name and town, in all the spelling variations, brings up nothing – you may have to resort to just a town, a little long winded but does eventually pick up all the wonderful spelling variations that transcribers try to put in our way.

Many family historians are a dogged bunch and are not easily put off by a name or town spelt in a way that bares no resemblance to what it actually should be.  I think sometimes it is just ‘lets pick a few letters, jumble them up and that will do’.

A selection of Absent Voters Lists online

Wakefield click here – search by constituency

Leeds click here – search by surname

Accrington click here – search by name or constituency

Grimsby & Cleethorpes click here – search by name

Woodchurch click here – complete list

WW1 casualty remembered in Golcar Parish Church

Over the past weeks, I’ve been doing a family tree for a friend and yesterday after threatening to go and visit the area and a local museum, off I went.  It was a nice day albeit a little nippy – my hands were feeling the chill while taking photographs in the churchyard…. but you carry on for the cause!

So, it’s 12:15 and the museum opens at 2pm and my plan was to photograph the family headstones in the churchyard and then cross the road to the museum that was once the home of the family I’m delving into – the Pearson family.  I’m not going to go into the family here as I still have to add some photographs etc., but that churchyard is a family tree in itself as many of the names on the headstones tie in with the Pearson tree.

I digress, as I said the Pearson people are not the aim of this blog, the true star of these lines is a young man named John T Gledhill.

Gledhill headstone. Carol Sklinar 2012

Who was John Taylor Gledhill, well he was born the son of Joe and Clara Gledhill, and lived in 1901 at The Green, Golcar.  Joe was aged 43 in the census and worked as a woollen percher.  Clara nee Taylor was aged 43 and the mother of  3 children aged between 9 and 16 (Jane, James and John).   For those of you wishing to find the family in 1901 they have been transcribed as GLADHILL.

By the time of the 1911 census the family were living at 38 Knowl Bank, Golcar in a 5 roomed house.  The 3 children were still living at home and all working within the woollen industry, weaver, spinners and twisters.  The census tells that Clara had had in total 4 children but only three had survived to the census and the couple had been married 26 years (Sept Qtr 1885 in the Huddersfield Registration District).

John Taylor Gledhill joined the Northumberland Fusiliers in Huddersfield and became Pte., 290/706.  He was later transferred to the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regt.,) 16th Battalion and changed his service number to 40858.  Soldiers at this time changed their service number when they changed Battalion or Regiment and Officers during this time had no service number.  During WW2 service men and women kept their number for the duration of service and now officers had service numbers.

The service records for John don’t seem to have survived but from Soldiers who Died in the Great War I have been able to glean that he Died on 24 July 1917 .  The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms his service number for the West Yorkshire Rgt. It also confirms his date of death but also tells us where he now rests – Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery and the position within the cemetery, IV D 27 – relating to section, row and number within that row.  Each cemetery has a box within or near the entrance where you can find a plan to help pinpointing the grave.

Another source, The Medal Rolls Index told that John was eligible for the Victory and British Medals which would have been given to his next of kin.

John is recorded on the War Memorial inside the church and also on the St John’s School  Memorial, also in the church.

St John's School Memorial. Carol Sklinar 2012

What did John look like ? How tall was he ? Did he have any scars or tattoos ? With the lack of his service record I may never know. Has John ever had a visitor to his resting place in France and how many people have strayed from the path and wondered among the many headstones and learnt of Johns fate – in modern times probably not many. But today John will have his name written once more and many will now know of this young man from Golcar.

Lest we Forget

Find My Past – Irish and Australian sites

Find My Past has recently set up sites for Ireland and Australia with information specific to those countries.  Fantastic I hear you say, and yes I agree, but there is a BUT !  If you are an annual subscriber to FMP you would think that for an extra charge you would be given entry to those two sites – NO.

Unlike Ancestry, who for an extra charge or upgrade the world becomes your oyster and you can visit any section i.e.   ancestry.ca (Canada) ; ancestry.com (USA); ancestry.com.au ( Australia) and even ancestry.fr (France) to name a few.

120x60: I’m, your Nan

Ancestry                              FMP England                  FMP Ireland                         FMP Australia

So, after all which do I prefer ?  Well, to tell the truth I love Ancestry as I find the search easier especially for the census as I know where my rellies were born but not where they were living.  FMP likes you to put where your family were living…. come on how are you supposed to know where they went after they were born.  I have one family who moved after the birth of every child, and they didn’t just move around the corner they moved big time!

A birth certificate tells you where they were born but does not give you a crystal ball and tell you where they will be months or years later – I wish one came as standard !

Find My Past does or did have records that were stand alone to them and were very useful when I was transcribing naval records for war memorials.

So, if anyone at Brightsolid is reading this, just think about those of us whose families venture overseas or in the case of Australia came from overseas.  Twoor three memberships may not be an option but an upgrade could well be a possibility in these days where we have limited income to spend on things that we love!!

Men from Wakefield in Lijssenthoek CWGC

Resting in Lijssenthoek CWGC Military Cemetery are over 35 young men from the Wakefield area.  I know there names and in which section they rest but only two I know very well – one being my great uncle Herbert Siddle.  Herbert was 1 of 13 children born to Charles Siddle and his wife Emma Mills – Emma lost 3 of her children within months of their births.

The siddle family lived in the Kirkgate area of Wakefield, with cousins living just up the hill on Warrengate, Stanley Road and in the East Moor area.

Herbert was born in  Wakefield in the year 1892 and by 1911 he was a driller at the local boiler works, living with his parents, 4 siblings, a nephew and a niece, an uncle and a boarder on Hardy Croft, Wakefield – 11 people in a 5 roomed house.  I was brought up in that house and I can’t imagine how it would have been living in a house with a dining kitchen, front room, 2 double bedrooms and an attic.  It would have been so different from when I lived there with my parents.

Herbert enlisted in Wakefield, joining the KOYLI and becoming Pte 242874.  He had been wounded in the Somme and sent home to recuperate before being sent back to France and Belgium.  In April of 1918 he was in a trench and was shot in the neck.  Very quickly he was taken to a Dressing Station at Kemmel before becoming one of the many who are KIA.

Kemmel Wood bunker copyright C Sklinar 2008

Mrs Siddle had 2 other sons serving in WW1, Claude served as 241166in the RFA; Edwin served as 268976 and had been in in the WRVAD Hospital – he had been awarded, along with his other service medals, the Silver War Badge which he would have worn on his lapel to show he had been injured out of service.

Coming forward many decades to the 1980’s my father and I often met and chatted with an old gentleman whom we met while shopping.  After not seeing him for many months I mentioned to dad that we’d not seen him in a while, to which I was informed that he had died.  The conversation went on about the gentleman only for it to be brought up that this man was next to or very near great uncle Herbert when he had been shot !!!  By the 80’s I’d already started the family tree and there are no words to describe how I felt at this moment – should I scream ‘Why did you not tell me?’, utter a few choice words or just throttle my dad.  The reply I got from a bemused father was ‘Well, didn’t think you’d be interested’, like hell!!

I could have throttled my dad but could give my great grandma a very big hug for she kept all the paperwork from the army, including an eye witness report from Sgt Greasby and the Red Cross along with a newspaper from the time with Herbert on the front page. The local paper tried to put a picture of the young men on the front page  when Wakefield lost a son, brother or father.

I have this about my Wakefield soldier but do you have a soldier from Wakefield or know anything about your Wakefield soldier who was KIA or DoW during WW1?  Please let me know.

Please contact me with information.

York Family History Fair June 2011

What a fantastic day and well done to the organisers.  The day was nice and breezy outside but where I was on the Morleyfhg stand it was quite warm and sometimes a lack of a breeze made it a little overpowering – but saying that the group had a good day and promoted their new booklet, East Ardsley Monumental Inscriptions complete with the burial listings, so every grave has an entry regardless of whether there is a marker or not……..now isn’t that good, you can now find the plot without disturbing any of the church staff.

Morleyfhg @York ©C Sklinar 2011

Morleyfhg seemed to be busy most of the day with people seeking us out to buy publications, ask questions or just a known face saying ‘hello’ – that is so nice.  I sold quite a few of my ‘Family History Diary’s’  both in the A4 and A5 formats and a few of the ‘Interview Diary’s’.  It was so nice that people who had bought them at previous events stopped by and said how useful they were with all the information you had at your fingertips and more important, you could see what was missing !

Wakefield & D FHS © C Sklinar 2011

So who else was there, well next to us was another local group (with whom I also have a connection), Wakefield & D FHS, who also seemed to have a good day. Huddersfieldfhs was also present along with many other local societies.  There were also many businesses selling maps, old and new books, family tree items, family tree printing and transcriptions.  There was also a company that I have had a connection with for many years – Parish Chest and are a lovely couple – you will probably seen them at your local event.  There company is for want of a better explanation a ‘shopping centre’ for all your family history needs.

One of the stands opposite Morleyfhg was FINDMYPAST who were such a friendly bunch of people, always helpful and smiling.  They were promoting their website and offering tips on how to get the most of your searches.  They also had a competition which I entered, won’t win but went through the process of entering.  It was nice to meet you all.

FindMyPast @York © C Sklinar 2011

Around the corner from us was Ancestry, they were a little late setting up and when I snapped them first time were not ready at all to be photographed, but I did anyway!  When I caught them later they were in full swing.

Ancestry @ York © C Sklinar 2011

Upstairs there was The Western Front Association, The Metcalfe Society and more, then up onto the next floor to find Family Search, the website of the LDS Church again, a very friendly, helpful and smiley bunch and willing to take time from setting up to ‘pose’ for a snapshot.  Oh ! if you need to know anything about a regiment, battle or uniform contact the Western Front Association, or better still become a member, they are very helpful and nice and it’s not just a man thing, there are lots of women members too.  Go along to one of their meetings as a guest and see!

Well a good day seemed to be had, but we did think that numbers were down a little from last year, but that did not dampen our spirits or the enjoyment of a good day had by all

Find My Past – new additions



Over 500,000 Militia records, 1806-1915

Find My Past have  just launched Militia Service Records 1806-1915 in association with the National Archives. This collection, searchable and online for the first time, contains 580,281 soldiers’ records with 2,223,510 associated images.

These are fascinating and detailed records offering a slice of life about the men who joined the Militia (think of it as a precursor to the modern Territorial Army). Find out details of the regular jobs the men held, information about their military career and personal details including physical appearance.

I always like to add meat to bones, you know the type of thing, especially when transcribing war memorials.  These young men and sometimes women are not my relatives but do belong to someone, so I find it nice if I can imagine them – know how tall they were, what colour eyes they have and any physical marking – tattoos or scars.  Sometimes scars can be the result of a work related accident and if you know what job they did in ‘civvy street’ it all fits together.

Take for example, John Jones born in 1885 in the parish of St Johns, Batley.  He resided with his parents at 51 Chapel Street, Ancoats, Manchester.  The next question is not what we would call PC – ‘What is the Name and Residence of your present (or former) Master.  John answered Mr Cooper, grocer of Chapel St, Gt. Ancoates.  John was aged 19 years 4 months  and was single, never been married.  Never been in prison and had no children.

He had never belonged to any Force and was not receiving a pension and was willing to be vaccinated.  He acknowledged that he had recieved a Notice and did understand its meaning and was willing to be attested for the term of 6 years, providing  His Majesty should so long require his services as a Militiaman for the County of Lancashire.

John duly signed on the 23rd day of August in the year 1904.

So what did John look like.  We know he was 19 years old but now we can get an idea of his stature – he was 5’ 6″ tall, weighing 126lbs and a fully expanded chest of 35 ” – a 2″ expansion.  He had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.  He had a scar on his left thumb and was a Roman Catholic – a hint when trying to find him in church records.

As to the names of his next of kin and his service, that’s not listed but we can now at least imagine him walking down the street in Manchester or working in Mr Cooper’s shop.

Source :-

The National Archives reference:

WO96 / 1011 / 241

Unknown Soldier

Just over  a month ago I was given a framed picture, I say picture, as it is not truly a memorial.  Anyway, this picture was for a soldier who served in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry during WW1.

KOYLI Badge

It would have been quite colourful, with its curled horn with a central white rose surrounded by a horse shoe shaped wreath containing the Battle Honours of the Regiment.

The framed picture must have been on a family wall for many years as the soldiers number, rank and name are very faint and I do mean faint.

Armed with a good source of light, magnifying glass, large cup of tea and a couple of tried and trusted websites I set off on my quest.

The first two numbers and the last few numbers were easy to read, it was the ones in the middle that were the problem.  His regiment was clear, he was  a Private.  His initial was clear, an old fashioned L, you know the one, similar to a £ sign.  His name, well, I decided on M for the first letter, with a L in the middle.  Variations of the names first few letters went on for a while, varying from Mc, Ma, Me and Mo.

As you can guess one of my favourite websites was getting well and truly used and I was certainly making my subscription work.  The eyes of a neighbour and fellow family historian were also called upon and she achieved the same as me.

One thing that we both felt certain about was that he did not die as the CWGC and SWDTGW have no match for any permutation of his army number.

The frame was put on my desk and left in view, but it was certainly not forgotten.  Where else could I look? What else could I do? He was an army man.  He may not have volunteered but he was called to Serve King and Country in some way but where? Who would know the regiment better than the Regimental Museum?  The KOYLI museum is housed within Doncaster Museum, being moved from The Barracks at Pontefract.  I ‘phoned, spoke to a nice man who told me he would get someone to call me back as the person who I needed to speak to was on his holidays.  I didn’t have to wait long and Steve rang – I gave him the numbers, rank and what I thought was his name.  He’d ring me back.

Guess what ?  He rang and came up with the same as me – no trace of our man.  He did however, suggest that I go over and take the picture to the Museum, so that he could possibly, shed light on the matter.  Believe you me, it needs a lot of light !

Today was the day I ventured to South Yorkshire, that OK as it was once part of the West Riding before all that reorganisation stuff in the 1970’s.  The Museum is a nice place with nice helpful staff,  but parking is ‘iffy’ as you need a voucher from reception to say you are in the library and you need to sign in but that’s not a problem, but the car park is smallish.

Anyway, Steve looked at the picture and went on the web.  He put various variations of the army number into websites and the numbers came up but with nothing matching the Regiment of anything that even on a good day you could say was his name.

Steve, who works for the library, changes his ‘hat’ and does work for the KOYLI Museum one day a week  and he told me that he thought ‘our man’ did serve, we know that, but that he could have served and done his duty only in the UK and therefore would not get a medal.

What have we come up with in the past weeks :-

We know who gave/lent me the picture BUT NOT from where it came

We know ‘our man’ served in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.

We know his rank.

We know his initial

We know that WW1 service records were damaged by the enemy in WW2 and are called ‘The Burnt Records’ for that very reason.  Some were partially  burnt,  some have water damage and others were totally destroyd.

We know that he survived the war.

We seem to know quite a lot don’t we?  But the important segments still remain a mystery.

What is his true army number?

What is his name? The surname that seems to start with an ‘M’.

Who does he belong to?

I think that this picture will be picked up and put down on my more occasions before I get totally exhausted from searching.

My thanks to Steve for his time and help and the fact that he like me, will keep looking.

King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum Collection click here

National Archives – Looking for a person incl. Military, Police, Clergy, Migrants, Wills & much, much more click here


Riach family in Yorkshire

It is another rainy Bank Holiday so have changed my plans.  I was going to go get some chuck food then do some weeding……NO, its chucking it down and not with hens.  So instead have decided to see how Riach people in the Brighouse area link in with mine from good old Morayshire.

A few minutes after my search began I came across a few people researching the same line and started to verify their work by looking at census returns, BMD entries etc.  Well, the good news is, but some would say bad news, is that yes I am related to the Brighouse Riach’s.

A couple of cuppa’s and a very large bowl of strawberries and creme fraiche later I have the family linked in to mine up to and around the second world war.

One of the men   born around 1923 triggered the old brain cells and got me thinking.  Not a pretty site I might add!  Years ago I bought a book giving the names of men and women from the Spenborough area who died in WW2 and who served in that war.  There were a few Riach names and they will need further work.

Yorkshire Trench, Boezinge. © C Sklinar 2009

There is however, a James Riach who lived in Brighouse.  So, who was James and how does he link into my tree ?  James is one of my 6th cousins.  He was born in May of 1871 in Bellie, Morayshire, the son of John Riach (1847) and Susan Goulder (1850).  John was a Police Constable in the 1881 census and by looking at the places his children were born, he seems to have come south of the border between May of 1871 and 1873 when he and his wife are having children in Fewston.  Susan according to the 1911 census wrote she had been married 41 years, given birth to 15 children and 11 of which were alive in 1911.  James had died a few years earlier so the entry had been crossed out by the enumerator.  Susan had answered the questions asked as there was no note saying that a widow/widower had no need to answer that section.  It is good to see those questions answered from a family history point of view.

Back to James, the 1911 census, the good old 1911 census has transcribed his place of birth as Forhibers, but Fochabers can be made out on the original document – it makes you wonder where the census was transcribed.  Anyway, James married Ada Louisa MacAulay in the Spring of 1894 in the Halifax Registration District.

James and Ada went on to have 3 children, Blanche, James and John.  Ada married William Sutcliffe ; James jnr married Elsie A Norcliffe and John married Doris Jackson and went to Australia after 1939.

On 24 July  1912 James signed papers to put him on the Special Reservists list for the Army.  He was found to be 5′  5″ tall with a 34 ” chest with a 2″ range of expansion. His physical development was ‘good’ and so was his vision He  gave his trade as that of Mechanic, employed by J Sharp and living at 35 Birkby St, Wilson Road, Wyke. He declared his age as 34 years.  He was given the no. 1442 and served as a Private in the West Riding Regt., Pioneer Corps being struck through and he signed his name in a good clear hand.  James on one of the forms gave details of his wife and children, his parents and siblings, including addresses for them all – what a fantastic piece of information.

James embarked from Folkestone on the SS Invicta on 14 April 1915.  By 10 July of the same he he was appointed unpaid L/Cpl and just over a month later on 15 August 1915 he was Killed In Action.

Colne Valley CWGC cemetery, Belgium from CWGC site

On the 14th of January 1916 the War Office, st James’s Park sent a memo to the Officer in charge of the Territorial Force Records, York ref: E/128920/1 (Accounts 4) requesting that the personal property in their possession belonging to No. 1442, Lance Corporal James Riach 1/4 Battalion West Riding Regiment be despatched to Mrs Ada Louisa Riach, 25 Birkly Street, Wilson Road, Wyke, Bradford.  The memo also requested that any medals in their possession now or at a later date also be despatched to Mrs Riach.

Ada L Riach was sent on 2 July 1919 a form requesting she complete and return so that the ‘Death Penny’ could be forward to her. Ada on September 25th 1919 signed a receipt for a medal, on  January 24th 1921 she signed another  receipt for medal awarded to her late husband. Ada was also eligible for a 21/- a week pension for herself and her two children with effect from 28 February 1916.

James served 3 years 52 days in the army and was awarded the 1914 – 1915 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

L. Cpl 1442, Riach J, of the West Riding Regiment rests in peace with 47 Officers and Men in  Colne Valley Cemetery – 30 of those men are from the West Riding Regiment.

Colne Valley Cemetery is at Beozinge, just north of Ieper on the N369 towards Diksmuide.  For most of WW1 Beozinge faced the German front line.  The cemetery was begun in July/August of 1915 and was in use until around February of the following year.

Note:- Ada remained in the Bradford area and died in the June Qtr of 1958 aged 86.

Further information later came to light so you might want to visit this later blog

The War Memorial on the Green at Reeth

In May of 2008 we spent a day in North Yorkshire – I think I’d said something like, ‘do you fancy a day out on Sunday?’.  ‘Where?’ Would have been the answer and my reply would have been that I didn’t mind.  Ben, by now would have known the places I’d been and would certainly have known there would have been a war memorial or 10 involved, with the odd churchyard thrown in for very good measure.  It was a nice day but I seem to remember a little windy in Reeth.

The War Memorial, The Green, Reeth, © C Sklinar 2008

The Green in Reeth is a very large open piece of ground in the centre of the village surrounded by houses and a few shops.  The War Memorial sits proud, high on The Green, protected by small posts and a rail.  Although the structure is large, it is simple in design and bears the names of 28 men from the Grinton, Reeth and Marrick areas.

The memorial seemed very much similar to others I’ve transcribed over the years – young men who were sons, brothers and husbands but each with a simple story to tell, until…….. It came to sort out the WW2 section.  The first name of the memorial is that of Major A K Charlesworth.  I found him on the CWGC and that gave me his full name, I then went onto look at the Army Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 and confirmed information.

But when I googled him – he had a rank and a medal, so I thought there could be a little bit more about him on the great www. Yes, there was ! A connection to Wakefield. Albany Kennett had lived at Grinton Lodge and this had been purchased with its kennels and outbuildings by Col. Albany Hawke Charlesworth, born in Stanley, Wakefield,  who had been MP for Wakefield in the mid 1890’s, having purchased the hall in the 1880’s and becoming Lord of the Manor having purchased the rights from the Crown, using Grinton Lodge for shooting.

The census of 1891 has Albany Hawke with his family living at Chapelthorpe Hall, Wakefield.  He states he is  a ‘West Riding of York Colliery Proprietor’, born Chapelthorpe, West Riding of York – the transcription of that census is not correct. The family consists of Albany H aged 37, his wife Eleanor aged 24 and daughter Eleanor aged 21 months snf 15 servants including :- Housekeeper; Ladies maid; Housemaid; Laundress; Dairymaid; Grooms; Footmen, to name a few.

The census of 1901 has the family living in Portman Square, London with Albany Hawke living ‘on his own means’ with his family and 14 servants, including :- Governess x 2 ;  Housekeeper; Hospital Nurse; House and Kitchen Maids and Footman to name a few.  The nurse would have been for Albany Hawke as he had been injured in a hunting accident.  He had Grinton Lodge adapted to take his wheelchair.

Ten years late in 1911, we have Albany Hawke with his wife and two daughter living at Brockhurst, W Didsbury and a  mis-transcribed entry for places of birth.  A H is a Colliery Owner / Director and his wife is listed under occupation as Christian Science Practitioner, with two other people in the household giving their occupation as Christian Science Teacher or Practioner, aswell, as the usual amount of servants.

Albany Kennett, seems to be missing from the 1911 census or has been mis-transcribed and needs a little more time to find him.

Also mentioned on the WW1 section is Stanley H Moore.  Stanley Harding Moore had been born in 1898 in Reeth and in 1911 his father was  recorded as being Head Teacher of the Friends School, Reeth.

Tom Was, was the son of John Thomas Ward and Louise Alice.  Tom was 1 of 7 children and in 1911 was a Student Teacher – could he have been working under Mr Moore at the Friends School?  Tom’s father John Thomas Ward was noted as being the Registrar for BMD’s and a Mine Manager.

If you can help with further information or a photograph, please let me know.

To see Reeth War Memorial click here