Alice Hilda Lancaster 1883-1918

Alice Hilda Lancaster's War Grave
in Wimereux Communal Cemetery (thanks to Ron Teague)

Born: 1883 in Barnsley
Baptised: 20 June 1883 at St George's, Barnsley

Daughter of:
Thomas Lancaster, born 24 September 1842 in Barnsley, died 1 March 1930 Monk Bretton, of The Cliffe, Monk Bretton in 1911, Auctioneer and Valuer
who married on 23 April 1874 in Holy Trinity Church in Wakefield to
Alice Halliley Lancaster (nee Milner) born 20 September 1844 in Leek, Staffordshire, died 17 August 1895 in Wakefield

Position in family: The youngest of 5 children
1. Rose Lancaster bap. 24 May 1876 St George's, Barnsley, died 1956
2. Thomas Edward Lancaster bap. 17 Feb 1878 St George's, Barnsley, died 4 February 1909 in Stretford, Manchester
3. George Bingley Lancaster b. 30 May 1879
bap. 10 Aug 1879 St John's, Barnsley WW1 SERVICE died 1956
4. Edith Marianne Lancaster bap. 5 Aug 1880 St George's, Barnsley, died 1952
5. Alice Hilda Lancaster WW1 ACCIDENTLY DROWNED

Home address, age and occupation:
1891: 111 Dodworth Road, Barnsley
1901: Cliffe House, Monk Bretton, Barnsley
1911: Cliffe House, Monk Bretton, Barnsley
Marriage: she was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: *date* at the age of **years
Regiment and Battalion: Territorial Force Nursing Service Special Military Probationer attd.
Service number and rank: Nurse
Personal information:   *unknown*

Death:     3 June 1918  aged 35 years

Buried at: Wimereux Communal Cemetery is approximately 5 kilometres north of Boulogne.
Grave Reference: IV A 2  (There is a picture of her gravestone above and more information on a website here)

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Daughter of Thomas and A. H. Lancaster, of The Cliffe, Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorks.

Remembered:
Memorial tablet in St Paul's Church Monk Bretton
Memorial book in St Paul's Church, Monk Bretton
War Memorial, Cross Street, Monk Bretton
On her mother's gravestone in Monk Bretton Cemetery (see below)

Notes:
None of Alice's siblings married.  Her mother, father, brothers and sisters are all buried in Monk Bretton Cemetery. Plots A222 and A223.
More about Alice in this blog post.

The gravestone of Alice Hilda's mother and brother
where Alice is remembered in Monk Bretton Cemetery



Close up of Alice's inscription on her mother's gravestone

From the Barnsley Independent 8 June 1918

Barnsley Nurse Drowned
Much regret was expressed in Barnsley on Wednesday at the receipt of the news of the death of Miss Alice Hilda Lancaster, youngest daughter of Mr Thos Lancaster JP of Cliffe House, Monk Bretton, who had been on hospital work in France.  Miss Lancaster, who was drowned whilst bathing, had only been overseas for about a week.  Since October 1916 she had been on the nursing staff of St Thomas' Hospital, London and prior to that period was on the nursing staff at Lundwood Military Hospital.  The deceased lady, who was 35 years of age, was well known, and had been prominently engaged on social work.

From the Barnsley Chronicle 8 June 1918

A Barnsley Nurse Drowned in France
Profound sorrow is expressed at the news of the death of Miss Alice Hilda Lancaster, youngest daughter of Mr Thos Lancaster JP of Cliffe House, Monk Bretton, who had been on hospital work in France.  Miss Lancaster, who was drowned whilst bathing, had only been overseas for about a week.  Since October 1916 she had been on the nursing staff of St Thomas' Hospital, London and prior to that period was on the nursing staff at Lundwood Military Hospital.  The deceased lady was well known at had been prominently engaged on social work.  The news of her untimely death caused a painful sensation amongst Miss Lancaster's many Barnsley and district friends.