Edwin Betony 1889-1916

Edwin Bettony (from Steve Betony's Ancestry Tree)

Born:
1889 in Pogmoor, Barnsley
Baptised 9 May 1889 at St George's Church, Barnsley

Son of: 
James William Betony b.1859 in Louth, Lincs d.1943 Huddersfield
1911 census: Boarder in Sandal Magna, a Coal Miner Byworker below ground
married at St George's Church, Barnsley on 7 Jan 1884 (9c 170)
Bathsheba (maiden name Fox) b.1865 in Mortomley, Yorkshire d.Dec 1918 buried Barnsley Cemetery (Z 214) with her eldest daughter Mary Ellen.
1911 census: 22 Shaw Street, Barnsley (status: Married (separated))
 
Position in family: The third of 3 children
1. Mary Ellen b.April 1884 d.Sept 1884 buried Barnsley Cemetery (Z 214)
2. George William Betony b.1885 in Barnsley m. Marian Kilburn in 1905
3. Edwin Betony b.1889 WW1 DIED OF WOUNDS
 
Home address, age and occupation:
1891: 1 Wade Street, Barnsley age 2
1901: Shambles Street, Barnsley age 12 Scholar
1911: 10 Milton Road, Jump, Barnsley age 22 Coal Miner Hewer
1914: 10 Joseph Street, Barnsley age 24 occupation Miner

Marriage: 
Edwin was married at St John's Church, Barnsley on 16 May 1908
to Priscilla Poskitt b.1888 in Higham, Barnsley d.1971 in Huddersfield

Children:
1. Edith Betony b.6 Dec 1908
2. Doris Betony b.1910 d.Feb 1912 buried Barnsley Cemetery ((d) 488)
3. James William Betony b.15 Sep 1912 m.Edith Bennett in 1934 in Bradford
4. Frances Louvain b.Q1 1915 d.Dec 1918 buried Barnsley Cemetery ((b) 384)

Military Service:
Previous Service in York and Lancaster Regiment, discharged 1908
Enlisted: 2 September 1914  at the age of 25 years at Pontefract
Promoted to Corporal 8 Oct 1914
Promoted to Lance Sergeant 4 Dec 1914
Arrived in France 27 August 1915 
Regiment and Battalion: 9th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank: 16695
Promoted to Sergeant 29 July 1915
Returned to England suffering from Trench Foot in March 1916
Returned to France 31 August 1916 and transferred battalion to:
Regiment and Battalion:    14th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  12825 Sergeant
Wounded in Action: 11 December 1916 with shrapnel wounds to neck and abdomen
Died of Wounds: 18 December 1916
Awards: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Personal information:   5' 4" tall, 37" chest, weight 152 lbs (on enlistment) grey eyes, light brown hair.

Death:     18 December 1916 aged 27 years, 7 months
Buried at: Puchevillers British Cemetery in Somme, France
Grave Reference: VI F 32

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
No family information on his CWGC record

Remembered:
Not remembered on any Barnsley memorial (as yet found 24 Oct 2014)
Edwin Betony on Lives of the First World War

Notes:
With thanks to Steve Betony, great-grandson of Edwin for allowing me to use the photograph at the top of this page.  
Steve told me, "Edwin is still well remembered in our family, albeit one none of us met, my Dad's middle name is Edwin. In fact there are a couple of family anecdotes one of which is that had he survived 24 hours, he would have been promoted to Sgt-Major, the other I can recall my grandfather telling me the only thing he could remember of his Dad was polishing the buttons on his uniform. We still have his medals, along with the "death penny"."

Fallen Barnsley Sergeant - Fatal Wounds

Sergeant E. Betony, York and Lanc. Regiment, 10 Joseph Street, Barnsley who died on December 18th from wounds received three days before, had seen service in the Army before the war and re-joined on the 1st September only a month after the present conflict began. He had seen lengthy service at the Front and was previously wounded in May, 1915. A member at first of one of the earlier Y. and L. battalions, he subsequently transferred to the local Pals contingent. Twenty-seven years of age, he worked at the Barrow Colliery, and leaves a wife and three children. Much sympathy is felt for his widow who had already lost two brothers in the war.  

Barnsley Independent 13 January 1917 (Thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Priscilla's two brothers referred to in Edwin's obituary are Walter Poskitt 1174 York & Lancs who died on 2 Sept 1916 and is remembered on the Cudworth War Memorial and William Poskitt 3/2926 York & Lancs who died on 28/29 Sept 1916 and was remembered on the War Memorial in St John's Barebones, Barnsley, now sadly lost.

Items returned to Priscilla from Edwin's effects in April 1918 included photos, a watch, cigarette case, fountain pen, a 9 carat gold ring, and letters. 
 
Priscilla Betony had already remarried in Q1 1918 to Richard Puckering in the Sheffield Registration District (9c 815).  Priscilla and Richard had three children Rose Ann, Thomas Edward and Annie who died young and are buried in Barnsley Cemetery ((b) 384) in the same grave plot as Frances Louvain Betony. They also had Alice, Richard, John, William and Evelyn who survived.