Walter Swift 1885-1916

In Memoriam Notice in Barnsley Chronicle 21 Apr 1917
(with thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Born:
19 March 1885 (calculated) in Monk Bretton, Barnsley
Baptised 5 August 1888 at St Paul's Monk Bretton, Barnsley

Son of:
Amelia Swift b.1865 in Gawber or Higham, Barnsley d.1931 Hoyle Mill, Barnsley
She married on 30 November 1885 at Monk Bretton, to George Priestley b.1858 Monk Bretton d.1934 Hoyle Mill, Barnsley
1911: Labourer for Navigation on Canal, living at 7 Armin Street, Hoyle Mill

Position in family: 
Only child of Amelia before her marriage, but with 5 half sisters & a half brother
1. Walter Swift b.1885 WW1 MISSING/KILLED IN ACTION
 
2. John Priestley b.1888 d.1889
3. Agnes Mary Priestley b.1889 m.1910 to Thomas Pilling k.1916 at Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery, m.1918 Joseph S Hobson
4. Louisa Priestley b.1893 m.1913 to John Worstenholme
5. Norah Priestley b.1897 m. to 1917 Frank Horbury
6. Olive Priestley b.1897 d.1948 unmarried
7. Frances Priestley b.1900

1907 map of Cliffe Bridge showing Jaques Row (from NLS)

Home address, age and occupation:
1891: Cliffe Bridge, Barnsley age 6 (as Priestley)
1901: 2 Jaques Row, Cliffe Bridge, Barnsley age 16 Colliery Pony Driver below ground
1911: 16 Park Square, Off St George's Street, Barnsley age 26 Trammer Grimethorpe Colliery
1914 at enlistment: 10  Mill Street, Hoyle Mill Age 29 Miner

Marriage: 
He was married on 16 July 1910 at St Peter's, Doncaster Road, Barnsley to
Emily Walker b.1889 d.1977 Barnsley

After his death Emily remarried to John William Jackson in 1918.  They had eight children, Mary, Ernest, Mabel, Ernest, William, James, Edith and Thomas between 1919 and 1928.

Children:
1. Arthur Swift b.Q3 1910 d. November 1911
2. Elizabeth Swift b. 26 August 1912
3. Thomas Swift b. 25 October 1914 d. 19 October 1915 of Lobular Pneumonia
4. Walter Swift b. 23 May 1916

Military Service:
Enlisted: 21 September 1914 at the age of 29 years & 186 days
Regiment and Battalion:    13th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment (1st Barnsley)
Service number and rank:  13/890  Private
Awards: British War Medal and Victory Medal

Personal information:   5'4" tall, 36" chest, Brown eyes, Fair complexion, Light Brown hair.

Death:     1 July 1916  age 31
Buried at:   Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines
Grave Reference:  VII. A. 4.

Remembered:
Hoyle Mill War Memorial, Bethel Chapel, Hoyle Mill 

Notes:
You can read more about Walter Swift on Lives of the First World War and on this blog post which investigates the way his body was identified by his spoon.

Extract from the Additional Documents on the CWGC website relating to Concentration - note Titles On spoon