Henry Dyson 1889-1916

Henry Dyson in the Barnsley Chronicle 9 September 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Born:
1889 Barnsley
Baptised 30 May 1889 at St John's Church, Barebones, Barnsley 

Son of:
John Dyson b.1851 Barnsley d.1897 Barnsley
1891: 29 Wilson Street, Coal Miner
married at St John's Church on 23 September 1876
Sarah (nee Jackson) b.1853 Barnsley d.1891 Barnsley
(Her sister Elizabeth Jackson married Stephen Denton in 1880, their father was Henry Jackson, a miner)

Position in family: The youngest of at least 7 children (two born before the marriage of John and Sarah, but registered as Dyson and listed as their children in the census)
1. William Dyson b.1872
2. Martha A Dyson b.1875
3. Thomas Dyson b.1877 killed in Monk Bretton Colliery aged 19 in 1896
4. Jane Dyson b.1881 d.1884 aged 3 years
5. John Dyson b.1884
6. Jane Dyson b.1888
7. Henry Dyson b.1889 WW1 KILLED

Home address, age and occupation:
1891: 29 Wilson Street, Barnsley age 2
1901:58 New Street/2 John Street, Barnsley (The Dog and Gun Inn) age 11
1911:16 Lister Square, John Street, Barnsley age 23 Colliery Trammer 

Marriage: 
He was married at St George's on 1 March 1908
to Ada Davison b.1891 (daughter of James and Amelia Davison of Albert Street, Barnsley)

Children:
1. Albert Dyson b.1910 (referred to on 1911 census as 'Halbert')
2. James Edward Dyson b.1911 d.1911 aged 7 months
3. Walter Dyson b.1912 probably d.1912 although no burial found
4. Henry Dyson b.1913
5. Edmund Dyson b.June 1916 d.May 1918 aged 23 months at Beckett Hospital

Military Service:
Enlisted: 1914 at the age of 25 years
Regiment and Battalion: 13th Battalion York and Lancashire Regiment (1st Barnsley Pals)
Service number and rank:  13/236 Private
Transferred to the Royal Engineers in 1915
Service number and rank:  112695  Sapper
Arrived in France: 21 August 1915
Awards: 14/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal 

Death:     14 August 1916 aged 28 
Buried at:   Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St.Eloi, France 
Grave Reference:   III.D.19.

Remembered:
Henry is not remembered on any memorial in Barnsley that we are aware of.

Notes:

Dog and Gun Inn, New Street (with thanks to the Tasker Trust)

Henry's parents died in the 1890s and the family was split up. In the 1901 census Henry is living with his aunt Elizabeth Denton and her husband Stephen who was the landlord of the Dog and Gun Inn on the corner of New Street and John Street.  The picture above, from the Tasker Trust website, shows Stephen's name above the door of the pub which dates it between 1894 and 1912.

Henry's Life Story on Lives of the First World War

Henry's death was reported in the Barnsley Chronicle on 2 September 1916.

"Sapper H. Dyson, whose wife and three children reside at 24, Albert Street, Barnley, was killed in action on August 14th by an enemy mine explosion. At the time the deceased enlisted in the 1st Barnsley Battalion he worked at Barnsley Main Colliery and subsequently volunteered for sapping work he transferred to the Royal Engineers."

In the same issue was a death notice from his wife and children:

Dyson - In affectionate remembrance of Sapper Henry Dyson, R. E., the beloved husband of Ada Dyson, who was killed in action, in France, August 14th, 1916, aged 28 years.

Short and sudden was the call,
Of him so dearly loved by all:
His memory still is ever dear,
For oft is shed the silent tear.

'Tis only the wife that knows the sorrow,
'Tis only the widow that knows the pain:
Of losing her husband she loved so dearly,
But hoping to meet at judgement again.

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

Ada was left with three young children, so it was no surprise to find that she remarried a few years later.  She and Arthur Lee were married in late 1918 - probably in the Register Office.  They went on to have five children together, James, Ada, Ellen, Caroline and Harold.  Unfortunately James and Harold died young.  Ada and Arthur lived to a good age, eventually moving out of the town centre to the new estate at Kendray.  They are buried in Barnsley Cemetery with their two little sons.