John Rose 1895-1916

John Rose Barnsley Chronicle 16 September 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)

Born:
24 September 1895 (calculated from age at enlistment)
Baptised: 5 January 1896 St Peter's Barnsley

Son of:
Edwin Rose b.1862 Barnsley d.1937 Barnsley
1911: Coal Miner Hewer 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley
married at St Mary's, Barnsley on 7 April 1882 to
Sarah Ann Rose (maiden name Ward) b.1862 Barnsley d.1942 Barnsley

Position in family: 8th out of 10 children (2 died before 1911)
1. Albert Rose b.1883
2. Walter Rose b.1884 d.1909
3. Joe Rose b.1886 d.1899
4. Vincent Rose b.1888
5. Edwin Rose b.1890  WW1 SERVICE
6. Annie Rose b.1893
7. John Rose b.1895  WW1 DIED OF WOUNDS
8. Eliza Rose b.1899
9. Horace Rose b.1902
10. Arthur Rose b.1904 d.1926

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: 58 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 5
1911: 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 15, Bottle Hand in Glassworks
1915: 52 Heelis Street, Barnsley aged 20 years 14 days, Miner

Marriage: John was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 8 October 1915 at the age of 20 years
Arrived in France: 5 April 1916
Regiment and Battalion:    "C" Coy, 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  14/1480 Private
Awards: British War Medal, Victory Medal

Personal information:   5' 5.75" tall, 37.5" chest, normal vision, weight 133lbs.

Death:     1 September 1916 age 20 years and 11 months
Buried at: Abbeville Communal Cemetery
Grave Reference: III C 18

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of Edwin and Sarah Ann Rose, of Barnsley, Yorks.

Remembered:
St John's Church, Barebones, Barnsley (memorial lost)

Notes:
He died of "Gun Shot Wound to Back" inflicted 12 August 1916 according to his Army Service Records.  He had been noted as "dangerously ill" on 21 August 1916.

Barnsley Chronicle 9 September 1916 (thanks to Barnsley Archives)

From the Barnsley Chronicle 9 September 1916:
At the early age of 19 years, Private J. Rose, of the Second Barnsley Battalion, late of the 15th Reserve Y & L, has died of wounds received in action on August 17th.  A single man, Private Rose joined the Forces in November 1915, at which time he was working at Grimethorpe Colliery and residing with his parents at 52, Heelis Street, Barnsley.  He succumbed in No. 1 South African General Hospital, France.  Another brother of the deceased soldier, Pte E. Rose, is in the First Barnsley Battalion.  A photo of Pte. J. Rose will appear in next week's "Chronicle".

As you can see the above article contains several discrepancies - John was nearly 21 years old and he joined up in October 1915.  The date of his wounding also differs from that given in his Army Service records.

According to the new records available on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site his mother was willing to pay for the additional words "Though Death Divides, Still Memory Clings" on his gravestone.  As I understand the charge should have been 3.5d (old pence) per letter, but it was not generally enforced.  Unfortunately many poor families were probably deterred by the cost from requesting the additional inscription.

Thomas Goldsby West 1891-1916

Thomas West on the Darfield Village Club Memorial

Born: 
23 May 1891 10 Newton Street, Barnsley.  
Baptised 1 November 1891 St. Mary’s Church, Barnsley
 
Son of:
William Goldsby West b. 1864 Coventry, Warwickshire
1911: 18 Station Lane, Coal Miner Hewer
married at St Catherines Church, Sandal on 24 March 1883 to 
Mary Margaret Green b.1864 Milnthorpe, Yorkshire
 
Position in family: The sixth of 14 children (4 died before 1911)
1. Emma Goldsby West b 1883
2. George Goldsby West b 1884 (died in infancy)
3. Eliza Goldsby West b
4  William Goldsby West b 1888 Cudworth, Yks
5. George Goldsby West b 1889 Barnsley, Yks WW1 SERVICE Cpl. Y&L
6. Thomas Goldsby West b 1891 Barnsley, Yks WW1 KILLED
7  Jane Goldsby West b 1893 Barnsley, Yks
8. Agnes Goldsby West b.1895 Wombwell, Yks
9. Mary Margaret (Polly) Goldsby West b.1897 Wombwell, Yks
10. Walter Goldsby West b.1898 Wombwell, Yks WW1 SERVICE Pte. Y&L/RAF
11. Alfred Goldsby West b 1898 Wombwell, Yks WW1 KILLED
12. John Goldsby West b 1900 (died in infancy)
13. Albert Edward Goldsby West b 1902
14. Irving Goldsby West b 1907 (died in infancy)

Home address, age and occupation:
1891: 10 Newton Street, Barnsley
1901: 8 Summer Lane, Wombwell
1911: 18 Station Lane, Wombwell aged 19, Coal Miner Hewer
?Address on enlistment 24 Darfield Main

Marriage: 
He was married to Laura Adelaide Copeland at Wombwell Parish Church on 4 July 1915

Children: None

Military Service:
Enlisted: **
Arrived in France: 26 August 1915
Regiment and Battalion:    King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 8th (Service) Battalion
Service number and rank:  16688 Private
Awards: 1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Death:     1 July 1916 age 25
Buried at: Serre Road Cemetery No 2, Beaumont-Hamel, France
Grave Reference: Plot 4 Row G No 16

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of William Goldsby West and Mary Margaret West, of 42, Pitt St., Low Valley, Wombwell, Barnsley.

Remembered:
Wombwell St Mary’s Church Book of Remembrance,
Wombwell St Mary’s Church War MemorialWombwell, Wombwell Reform Club Members WW1, Nu Well Shopping Mall, Hough Lane 
Darfield, Darfield Village Club, WW1 Roll of Honour

Notes:
With thanks to Kevan Goldsby-West for this story.

Burial Return from CWGC website

According to the new information on the Commonwealth War Graves site Thomas's body was identified by his disc when exhumed and then concentrated into and reburied in the Serre Road Cemetery.

John Henry Bird 1898-1917

John Henry Bird (photo from Eileen Bird)

Born:
Q1 1898 Hednesford, Staffordshire (Cannock 6b 550)

Son of:
Samuel Bird b.1869 Newcastle, Staffordshire, d.1933 Barnsley
1911: 28 Wilson Street, Barnsley Boiler Firer at Colliery
married at Stafford Registration District on Q4 1894 (6b 31 - NB. Byrd)
Hannah Bird (maiden name Moore) b.1872 St Mary's Stafford, d.1937 Barnsley

Position in family: Possibly second oldest of twelve children (5 died before 1911)
1. Annie May Bird b.1897 Hednesford d.1910 Barnsley
2. John Henry Bird b.1898 Hednesford WW1 KILLED
3. Samuel Bird b. 1900 Hednesford m.Elizabeth Swift 1918
4. Ann Gladys Bird b.1902 Hednesford m.John Henry Traviss 1921
5. Harry Bird b.1904 Hednesford
6. George Bird b.1906 Hednesford
7. Martha Bird b.1909 d.1910 Barnsley
8. Charley Bird b.1911 Barnsley
9. Arthur Bird b.1916 Barnsley

Home address, age and occupation:
1901: 14 Rawnsley Buildings, Rawnsley, Cannock, Staffordshire, aged 3
1911: 28 Wilson Street, Barnsley aged 13, at School
1917: 77 Thomas Street, Barnsley aged 18 years and 11 months, Glasshand

Marriage: John Henry was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 15 January 1917 at the age of 18 years and 11 months
Regiment and Battalion:    10th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment
Service number and rank:  32953 Private
Awards: British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Personal information:   5' 5.5" tall, 33" chest, weight 114lbs, good vision.

Death:     30 September 1917 age 19
CWGC Remembered: Tyne Cot Memorial Panel 125 to 128

Remembered:
Barnsley, Redfearn Brothers Glassworks & Aldham Works
St John's Church, Barnsley - Oak Memorial Tablet (lost)
 
Notes:
With thanks to Eileen Bird for the photo, letter and other information about John Henry Bird, couldn't have done it without you!

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

The family appear to have moved to Barnsley from Hednesford between 1906 and 1910. 
Annie May and Martha Bird both die in Barnsley in 1910 and are buried in Barnsley Cemetery.

John's youngest brother, Arthur is born at the end of 1916 and it is his birth record on FreeBMD that gives us the clue to Hannah's maiden name of Moore.  That allowed me to backtrack and find Samuel and Hannah's marriage, where, just to complicate matters Samuel gives his surname as Byrd!

Letter from John to his sister (from Eileen Bird)

About three weeks before his death John sends this letter to his sister.  

In it he says that he is sorry to hear of the death of Andrew Dolan and asks her to remind their mother about the socks she was going to send him. 

It gives a great insight into Army Life, John could get notepaper from the Church Army Hut (or Tent) which was "Open to All".  

He ends, "Give them all my best love at home. xxxxxxxxxxx".


 
John's death is reported in the Barnsley Chronicle in November 1917.

Barnsley Chronicle 3 November 1917

When Samuel Bird the younger gets married in April 1918 his wife is a Munitions Worker reflecting the continuation of the war.

In 1920 Samuel Bird the elder writes to the Army Record Office asking where his "son is put to rest has I have not been informed as yet".  The Infantry Record Office has to tell him that there is no record of a place of burial for John.  They do say they will inform him should any information be received - but as we know John is remembered on Tyne Cot, so John is one of the thousands of men who have no known grave.

When Ann Gladys Bird gets married in 1921 she is a Glass-hand, a job not usually associated with women.

Samuel and Hannah Bird, John Henry's parents, are buried together in Barnsley Cemetery in Section 4 Grave No. 424.  

Thomas Lockwood 1879-1916

1891 Map of Hoylandswaine showing Hill Top (from Old Maps)

Born:
1879 Hoylandswaine

Son of:
William Lockwood b.1837 Hoylandswaine d.Q2 1893
married at Barnsley Registration District on Q3 1857 (9c 149)
Ellen Lockwood (maiden name Stenton) b.1841 Hemingfield d.**
1911: Hoylandswaine aged 70 years
 
Position in family: The 11th of 12 children (one died before 1911)
1. Walter b.1858 bap.7 Nov 1858 Silkstone
2. John Arthur b.1860
3. Lewis b.1862
4. Frederick William b.1864
5. George Henry b.1866 bap.13 Dec 1867 Silkstone
6. ??
7. Philip b.1869
8. Lucy b.1871
9. William b.1874
10.Jonathan b.1877
11. Thomas b.1879 WW1 KILLED
12. Albert b.1881

Home address, age and occupation:
1881: Hill Top, Hoylandswaine aged 2 years
1891: Hill Top Cottage, Hoylandswaine, aged 12 years, Scholar
1901: Hill Top, Hoylandswain, aged 22, Coal Hewer
1911: Hoylandswaine, aged 32, Coal Miner Hewer

Marriage: Thomas was unmarried

Military Service:
Enlisted: 1914 from the reserve at the age of 35 years
Regiment and Battalion:    2nd Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI)
Service number and rank:  Private 7358
Awards: Distinguished Conduct Medal, Victory, British War Medal, 1914 Star and Clasp, Medal of St. George 4th Class
 
Death:     9 February 1916 aged 37 years
Buried at: Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension, France
Grave Reference: C 23

Information from Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
Son of William and Ellen Lockwood of Hoylandswain, Penistone, Yorks.

Remembered:
Hoylandswaine St. John's, Thomas Lockwood Memorial Plaque 
Hoylandswaine War Memorial, Barnsley Road, Hoylandswaine
Wombwell War Memorial, St Mary's, Wombwell  

Notes:
Citation for DCM: "For conspicuous gallantry on several occasions. He has continually volunteered for any dangerous enterprise and has on more than one occasion been behind enemy lines." (30 June 1915)
His Medal of St George is cited in the London Gazette on 25 August 1915 but no details of what the medal was awarded for are given.

Barnsley Chronicle 5 August 1916
(thanks to Barnsley Archives)

His next of kin on his CWGC headstone record is listed as Mr W Lockwood, Guyder Bottom, Hoylandswaine.

This piece from the Barnsley Chronicle from 5 August 1916 describes the unveiling of the Memorial Plaque in the church at Hoylandswaine.

"Private Lockwood was on the reserve list when war broke out, and rejoined his regiment in August 1914, going out to France in the early days of the fighting.  He took part in the memorable battle for Hill 60, and received the D.C.M. during the fighting near Ypres, when he paid several visits to the enemy's trenches in the night, and brought back valuable information."