31 August 2018

GREAT WAR CENTENARY: George Pridmore

George Harry Pridmore was a distant cousin of mine and was born in Sheffield in 1896, eleventh of the thirteen children of William Thomas & Sarah Jane (nee Culpin).  By the age of fourteen, he was a chemist's errand boy.  In 1917, George married May Foster.

He and five of his brothers served in the Great War.

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph takes up the story:  "Second-Lieutenant G H Pridmore, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, who was 22 years of age, and lived at Walkley, Sheffield, has been killed in action.  Two of Lieutenant Pridmore's brothers had previously been killed, and one had died of wounds.  There are still two other brothers serving with the forces - an excellent family record.  Writing to Mrs Pridmore, one of Lieutenant Pridmore's officers says: "I know how great your sorrow will be, but you will, I hope, take comfort from the knowledge that he died taking charge of his men, and cheerfully doing his duty."

We will remember them.

22 August 2018

GREAT WAR CENTENARY: James Steward

James Wilson Steward was my third cousin once removed and was born in Sutton, Cambridgeshire in 1895. The ninth of eleven children of Robert Steward & Lucy (née Whiting), I next found James in Halstead working on the family farm in the 1911 census.

The Chelmsford Chronicle tells us that he joined the Royal Horse Artillery in 1914, possibly with three of his brothers, and died of wounds on 22 August 1918. He is buried in St Sever Cemetery in Rouen.

We will remember them.

16 August 2018

GREAT WAR CENTENARY: William Pates

William Henry Pates was my second cousin three times removed, was born in Birkenhead in 1893 and lived the rest of his 'normal' life in Rock Ferry in Cheshire.

The Liverpool Echo Roll of Honour on 2 September 1918 says it better than I can:

"Pates - August 16, Killed in Action, aged 25 years, William Henry Pates, 11th East Lancashire Regiment, the dearly-loved only son of Anne Jane and Thomas Pates, 6 Nelson-road, Rock Ferry."

We will remember them.

6 August 2018

GREAT WAR CENTENARY: Ernest Haddow

Ernest Haddow was born in 1893 in Biggleswade, Beds, second of the five sons of James & Ellen (nee Milton).  Christened in the Parish Church on 1 June that year, he was my half-cousin twice removed.  By 1902 the family had moved to King's Walden in Hertfordshire, moving again before 1911 and ending up in St Albans.

Shortly after this, on 19 December 1911,  Ernest, aged 18 years and 9 months, and a mere 5 feet tall, enlisted in the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment, signing on in Mill Hill.  He served in the UK until 1913 when he was sent out to the East Indies; returning home in November 1914.  The regiment was plainly sent to the Western Front in 1915 and Ernest served in the trenches, barring a few months at home recovering from a gunshot wound, until his death.

He died of wounds on 6 August 1918 and is buried in the Wailly Orchard Cemetery.

We will remember them.