Friday 31 January 2014

John William Page 1891-1916

John William Page's British War Medal showing inscription
Cpl. J.W.Page. R.M.L.I. PLY.793 - S -
(photo from Christopher Page)
Born:
2 February 1891 in Wombwell, Barnsley

Son of:
Francis Page b.1869 in Whitecroft, Gloucestershire
WW1 SERVICE
1911: Coal Miner, 56 Station Road, Wombwell, 
married Q2 1890 in the Barnsley area to
Elizabeth Page (nee Martin) b. 1876 in Walsall, Staffordshire

Position in family: The eldest of 14? children (four had died before 1911)
1.
John William Page b.1891 WW1 DIED OF WOUNDS 
2. Francis Page b.1894
3. Amy Page b.1896 
4. Edward Page b.1898
5. Mary A Page b.1900
6. Charles Henry Page b.1906
7. Johannah Page b.1908 
8. Constance Page b.1911
9. Raymond Page b.1913
10. Jack Hersin Page b.1918 in Rotherham (given the middle name Hersin after the burial place of the brother he never met)

Home address, age and occupation:
1891: 12 Queen Street, Wombwell aged 2 months

1901: 25 Queen Street, Wombwell aged 10
1911: 1 Kent Cottages, Carr Lane, South Kirby, Nr Wakefield, a visitor to the house, aged 20 and a Miner
1915: Station Road, Wombwell  aged 24, a Collier

Marriage: He was umarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 18 January 1915 at the age of 24 years
Regiment and Battalion:    Royal Marine Light Infantry 2nd RM Bn RN Division
Service number and rank:  Ply/793(S) Corporal
Awards:
1914-15 Star, Victory & British War Medals
 
Personal information:   **

Death:     22 June 1916  aged 25
Buried at: Hersin Communal Cemetery Extension
Grave Reference: I C 2

Remembered: 

Wombwell War Memorial, St Mary's Church, Wombwell

Notes:
This information was kindly supplied by Christopher Page.


More information and a photo of John William Page can be found on the Jack Clegg Barnsley Marines website.

................................................................................................
Taken from the Royal Marine Medal roll:

Enlisted Manchester 18/1/15
Draft for MEF 9/5/15, joined Plymouth Battalion 31/5/15-22/6/16 Discharged Dead

Died of wounds in 6th London Field Ambulance (Gun Shot Wounds left leg & left arm, fractured severe 21/6/16)

Entitled to 1914-15 Star, Victory & British War Medals (issued to his Mother Elizabeth)

................................................................................................

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Thomas Sagar 1884-1916

Thomas Sagar (Photo from EH)
Born:
Q1 1884 in Worsbro' Dale. Baptised
1 June 1884 at St Thomas', Worsbro' Dale

Son of:
Edward Sager b.1855 in Worsbro' Common, d.Q1 1911  

1901 occupation Coal Miner living at 13 Canning Street, Worsbro' Common
married at St Thomas', Worsbro' Dale on 24 December 1882 to
Mary Ann Sagar (nee Harper) b. 1866 Worsbro' Dale

Position in family: The eldest of 9 children (two had died before 1911)
1. Thomas Sagar b.1884
WW1 KILLED
2. Emma Sagar b.1885 d.1963
3. Charles Edward b.1888 dy?
4. Leonard Sagar b.1892 d.1960 WW1 SERVICE
5. Fred Sagar b.1893 d.1948
6. Walter Sagar b. 1895 d.1930
7. Hannah Sagar b.1897
8. John Sagar b.1904 d.1974


Home address, age and occupation:

1891: 8 Henry Street, Worsborough aged 7

1901: 13 Canning Street, Worsbro' Common aged 17, a Colliery Labourer
1911: 18 Highstone Road, Worsbro' Common aged 27, a Coal Miner
1914: 10 Grove Street, Worsbro' Dale, Age 30, a Coal Miner  


Marriage: He married Clara Wood 2 January 1904 in Barnsley.

Children:

Edward Sagar b.18 May 1904 baptised at St Thomas', Worsbro Dale 3 July 1904  d.1987
George Sagar b.1906 baptised at St Thomas', Worsbro Dale 15 April 1906 d.1937

Military Service:
Enlisted:  28 November 1914 at the age of 30 years
Regiment and Battalion:    York and Lancaster Regiment, 13th Battalion, 1st Barnsley Pals
Service number and rank:  13/1194 Private

Personal information:   5' 6" tall, 37" chest, 


Death:     1 July 1916 aged 33
CWGC Remembered: Theipval Memorial Pier and Face 14A and 14B

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of Edward and Mary Ann Sagar, Of 1, Hudsons Buildings, Worsbrough Common, Barnsley; Husband of Clara Sagar, of 124, Summer Lane, Barnsley.

Remembered:
 
Worsborough Common, St Lukes Church, Highstone Road 
 

Notes:
Information submitted by EH

Saturday 25 January 2014

Ernest Ardron 1896-1918

Memorial Plaque (also known as Dead Man's Penny)
for Ernest Ardron
(photo by EH)
Born:
Q2 1896 in Barnsley (9c 221)

Son of:
Herbert Ardron (b.1868 in Gawber),  Iron Foundry Labourer 1901 and Blacksmith's Striker in 1911 who married Q4 1890 in Belper to
Elizabeth, maiden name Frear or Frean (b.1870 in Holme on Spalding Moor, Yks)

Position in family: Probably the second of 8 children (2 had died before 1911)
1. William Ardron b.1893
2. Ernest Ardron b.Q2 1896 WW1 KILLED

3. Arthur Ardron b.1898
4. Frances May Ardron b.1900
5. Annie Ardron b.1904
6. George Ardron b.Q2 1912
 
Home address, age and occupation:
1901: 1 Ct 4 House Somerset Street, Barnsley aged 5 years
1911: 8 Wilkinson's Yard, Worsborough Common aged 15 years, Glass Bottle Worker


Marriage: Ernest was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 1914/1915 at the age of 18 years
Regiment and Battalion:    13th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (1st Barnsley Pals)
Service number and rank:  13/26  Private

Personal information:   ** 


Death:     12 April 1918  age 22 years
CWGC Remembered: Ploegsteert Memorial Panel 8

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of Herbert and Elizabeth Ardron, of 8, Wilkinson's Yard, Worsboro' Common, Barnsley.

Remembered:
 
Worsborough Common, St Lukes Church, Highstone Road  
 
Notes:

Ernest's cousin Harold Ardron, also in the 1st Barnsley Pals, regimental number 13/16 was killed in April 1916 and is remembered on the memorial tablet at Barnsley, St Peter's Church, Doncaster Road.


We are grateful to EH for sending us the picture of the Dead Man's Penny above.  It was given to her great, great grandma when one of her sons died.  


Wednesday 22 January 2014

John Edwin Cornish 1883-1914

John Edwin Cornish (from JS)
Born:
Q3 1883 in Aston, Warwickshire

Son of:
Thomas Cornish (died before 1890) Engine Driver 

who married Q3 1877 in Newport Pagnall to
Sarah (nee Howson) b.1856 in Emberton, Buckinghamshire

She later married Thomas Hanson 25 December 1890 St Gabriel, Birmingham

Position in family: The third of 4 children
1.
James Thomas Cornish b. 1877 in Birmingham, m. Emma Asbury in 1899
2. Fanny Ellen Matilda Cornish b.1882 m John Robert Abraham 26 Dec 1903 at St Thomas's Worsbro' Dale - they had at least seven children, but most died young.  They lived at 4 Ebenezer Square, Worsbro' Dale and later in Doncaster.
3. John Edwin Cornish b. 1883 in Birmingham WW1 KILLED
4.  Ada Ellen Cornish b.3 Aug 1885 in Birmingham

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: 4 Gordon Terrace, Trevor St, Aston, Birmingham 17 years old Labourer at Tube Mill

17 June 1901 (on enlistment): 4 Gordon Terrace, Trevor St
1911: 12 Graisby Lane, Wednesfield, Staffs 26 years old Labourer at Axle Box
16 Aug 1914 (on re-enlistment):  10 Howard St, Worsbro' Common, Barnsley

Marriage: He was married to Florence Mason on 3 June 1906 in Andover, Southhampton

Children: 

1. Stanley Edwin Cornish b. 7 March 1907 in Andover, Hampshire
2. Gladys Ena Cornish b. 13 July 1908 in Farnborough, Hampshire
3. Leslie Harvey Cornish b. 10 July 1910 in Wednesfield, Staffordshire
4. Hilda Lilian Cornish b. 2 September 1914 in Barnsley, Yorkshire

Military Service:
Enlisted: 17 June 1901 at the age of 18 years, he was a Labourer
Regiment and Battalion:  Royal Field Artillery
Service number and rank:  17688 Gunner

Re-enlisted: 16 August 1914 at the age of 31 years
Medals: 1914 Star and Victory Medal

Personal information:   5' 5 7/8" tall, 132 lbs, chest 34" to 37"

Death:     20 November 1914 aged 31 years
CWGC Remembered: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel 5 and 9

Remembered:
 
Worsborough Common, St Lukes Church, Highstone Road 
 

Notes:
His initials on the Worsbro' Common memorial have been a little confused with the other man who died in 1914.  In the newspaper report Jepson is A, but on the memorial he is J E.  Those initials should be John Edwin Cornish's.

Florence Cornish (nee Mason) 1889 - 1938

John was a professional soldier between 1901 and 1911, he re-enlisted as soon as war was declared in 1914.

John moved his family from Wednesfield, Staffordshire to Worsbro' Common, Barnsley in 1914 before he re-enlisted, maybe to be near his sister Fanny and her family.  Fanny's husband John Robert Abrahams also enlists in November 1914, giving a Doncaster address, so neither family had a man at home during the war. 

John and Florence's fourth child, Hilda Lilian was born in Barnsley in September 1914.  
 
In 1915 Fanny Abrahams gives the Doncaster address but brings her son Ernest back to Barnsley to be baptised at St Thomas's Worsbro' Dale. 

Florence remarried to George Blacknall in Q3 1923 in Barnsley.  She died 11 October 1938 aged 50 years.



This information has been submitted by his granddaughter, JS, who is willing to be contacted through the Barnsley War Memorials Project.  Contact us here.

Friday 10 January 2014

George Armer 1893-1916

*picture if possible*

Born:
Urswick, Lancashire 1893

Son of:
George Armer,  Coal Miner of 23 Watson's Yard, Blacker Hill in 1911

and his wife Alice

Position in family: The second of 9 or 10 children

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: **
1911: 23 Watson's Yard, Blacker Hill aged 18, a Trammer - Colliery Underground

Marriage: He was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: *date* at the age of **years
Regiment and Battalion:    2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  10396 Corporal, promoted Lance Sergeant 22 Feb 1916
Awards: Military Medal June 1916, Bronze Star 1914 and clasp.

Personal information:   ***

Death:     20 May 1916  aged 23 years

Buried at: Essex Farm Cemetery, Belgium
Grave Reference: II N 4

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of George and Alice Armer, of 23, Watson's Yard, Blacker Hill, Barnsley.

Remembered:
 
Worsborough, Memorial Plaque, St Mary's Church, Worsbro' Village
Blacker Hill War Memorial, Small Park, Blacker Hill
 

Notes:
There is also a photograph of George and one of his headstone on a downloadable .pdf here

Leonard Bassinder 1894-1917

*picture if possible*


Born:
Attercliffe, Sheffield Q1 1894

Son of:
Leonard Bassinder and his wife Agnes E Bassinder


Position in family:
Five siblings

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: **
1911: 148 Sheffield Road, Birdwell, aged 17, Pony Driver Underground
1916: 43 Cemetery Road, Barnsley, aged *, occupation *

Marriage: He was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 3 June 1916 at Sheffield at the age of **years
Regiment and Battalion:    12th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  12/1471  Private

Personal information:   **

Death:     KIA reported missing 1 July 1917
CWGC Remembered: Thiepval Pier & Face 14A &14B

Remembered:
 
Worsborough, Memorial Plaque, St Mary's Church, Worsbro' Village
 

Notes:
His meager possessions were returned to his father Leonard (living at 23 Hay Green Lane, Birdwell) in Sept 1917. This sad collection amounted to: 2 wallets, photos, cards, testament, Book of Suez Views, 7 coins.

John Thomas Draisey 1890-1916

John Thomas Draisey is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial (picture from CWGC)
Born:
Hoyland or Jump Q3 1890

Son of:
Elizabeth Draisy (later Thorpe) married George H Thorpe Q4 1890


Home address, age and occupation:
1891: Bethel Street, Jump, aged 9 months

1901: **
1911: **

Marriage: He married Mary Birdsall in 1913.

Military Service:
Regiment and Battalion:    14th York and Lancaster Regiment (2nd Barnsley Pals)
Service number and rank:  14/29 Lance Sergeant

Death:     1 July 1916 aged 27
CWGC Remembered: Thiepval Pier & Face 14A &14B

Remembered:
Worsborough, Memorial Plaque, St Mary's Church, Worsbro' Village

Blacker Hill War Memorial, Small Park, Blacker Hill
 

Notes:
JT Draisey appears in the nominal roll 14th Btn in Jon Cookey's Barnsley Pals book.


Lives of the First World War

Thursday 9 January 2014

Ernest Christopher Elmhirst 1895-1915

2nd Lieutenant Ernest Christopher Elmhirst's Medal Card (from Ancestry)

Born:
Q1 1895 in Laxton, Yorkshire

Son of:
William Heaton Elmhirst,
vicar at Laxton, Yorkshire in 1901, Clergyman of Est Church, living on private means 1911, living at Pindar Oaks, Barnsley
Married 19th November 1890 in Felkirk to
Mary Elmhirst (nee Knight) daughter of William Knight, Clerk in Holy Orders

Position in family: The third of 9 children

1. William Elmhirst, born Q1 1892 in Hemsworth (which includes South Kirby) WW1 KILLED
2. Leonard Knight Elmhirst, b Q3 in Howden (which includes Laxton)

3. Ernest Christopher Elmhirst, b Q1 1895 in Howden WW1 KILLED
4. Thomas Elmhirst, b Q1 1896 in Howden
5. Edward Elmhirst, b Q4 1897 in Howden (died Q1 1898)
6. James Victor Elmhirst, b Q4 1898 in Howden
7. Richard Elmhirst b Q3 1900 in Howden
8. Alfred Octavius Elmhirst, b Q3 1901 in Howden
9. Irene Rachel Elmhirst, b Q4 1902 in Howden2. 


Home address, age and occupation:
1901: Rhyddings Road, Ilkley, Yorkshire - probably schoolboy, aged 6  - with his brother Thomas, aged 5
1911: Malvern School, aged 16


Marriage: He was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: *date* at the age of **years
Regiment and Battalion:   Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
Rank:  Second Lieutenant

Personal information:   ***


Death:     7 August 1915  aged 20
Remembered on:  Helles Memorial, Gallipolli
Grave Reference: Panel 117 to 119

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of the Rev. W. H. and Mrs Elmhirst, of "Elmhirst", Barnsley, Yorks.


Remembered:

St Mary's Church, Memorial Plaque, Worsbro' Village

Elmhirst Tablet, St Mary's Church, Worsbro' Village
Thurgoland War Memorial
Worsborough Combined Memorial, St Thomas And St James Church, WorsboroughDale

Notes:
A blog about researching
Ernest Christopher and his brother William can be found here.

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Barnsley Chronicle 7 October 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)
Second-Lieut. E C Elmhirst
Now Presumed Killed 

Second-Lieut. E C Elmhirst, who was officially reported missing at Suvla Bay on August 11 or 12 1915, is now presumed killed.  The third son of the Rev. W H Elmhirst, of Barnsley, he was educated at Stancliffe Hall and Malvern College, and was articled to Messrs. Fennell and Green, mining engineers, of Wakefield, when he volunteered for service.  His eldest brother, Captain W. Elmhirst, is serving on the Front, and another brother was on the Indomitable at the sinking of the Blucher, and is now Flight Lieutenant in the Naval Air Service. 
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William Elmhirst 1892-1916

Captain William Elmhirst's Medal Card (from Ancestry)
Born:
Q1 1892 in Hemsworth, Yorkshire

Son of:
William Heaton Elmhirst,
vicar at Laxton, Yorkshire in 1901, Clergyman of Est Church, living on private means 1911, living at Pindar Oaks, Barnsley
Married 19th November 1890 in Felkirk to
Mary Elmhirst (nee Knight) daughter of William Knight, Clerk in Holy Orders

Position in family: The eldest of 9 children

1. William Elmhirst, born Q1 1892 in Hemsworth (which includes South Kirby) WW1 KILLED
2. Leonard Knight Elmhirst, b Q3 in Howden (which includes Laxton)

3. Ernest Christopher Elmhirst, b Q1 1895 in Howden WW1 KILLED
4. Thomas Elmhirst, b Q1 1896 in Howden
5. Edward Elmhirst, b Q4 1897 in Howden (died Q1 1898)
6. James Victor Elmhirst, b Q4 1898 in Howden
7. Richard Elmhirst b Q3 1900 in Howden
8. Alfred Octavius Elmhirst, b Q3 1901 in Howden
9. Irene Rachel Elmhirst, b Q4 1902 in Howden2. 


Home address, age and occupation:
1901: Vicarage, Laxton, Yorkshire aged 9
1911: Malvern School, aged 19


Marriage: He was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: *date* at the age of **years
Regiment and Battalion:   East Yorkshire Regiment
Rank:  Captain

Personal information:   ***


Death:     13 November 1916  aged 24
Buried at:  Serre Road Cemetery No.1
Grave Reference: I D 4

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of the Rev. W. H. Elmhirst, of "Elmhirst", Barnsley, Yorks.

Educated at Malvern College and Worcester College, Oxford.

Remembered:
St Mary's Church, Memorial Plaque, Worsbro' Village

Elmhirst Tablet, St Mary's Church, Worsbro' Village
Thurgoland War Memorial
Worsborough Combined Memorial, St Thomas And St James Church, WorsboroughDale

Notes:
A blog about researching William and his brother Ernest Christopher can be found here.


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Barnsley Chronicle 9 December 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Barnsley Officer's Fate
Captain W Elmhirst Presumed Killed

Captain William Elmhirst, East Yorkshire Regt., who was at first reported 'missing, believed killed' is now presumed to have been killed on November 13.  Aged 24 years, he was the eldest son of the Rev. W H Elmhirst, of 'Elmhirst', Barnsley.  Educated at Malvern College he took a scholarship from the latter to Worcester College, Oxford, where he gained honours in law.  He volunteered in 1914, from the office of Messrs. Brown and Elmhirst, solicitors, York where he was articled.  His commanding officer writes, "He was a universal favourite both with the officers and men.  I looked upon him as one of the best young officers I have had in the battalion.  He always took such an interest in his work, was so keen, and nothing was ever too much trouble for him to do, and to do thoroughly.  His death is a sad loss, not only to his friends, but to the Army.  He was last seen rallying his men close up to the German position." His brother Sec-Lieut E C Elmhirst, was killed at Suvla Bay on August 12 1915. 
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