On a recent visit to the archives at Liverpool Central Library I found a few snippets of information about the war memorial and St James Church.
I was disappointed to see that the Records of Services didn't give any details other than a title for the services but they were still interesting. They showed that, as you would expect, the war was considered daily in church with either 'war intercession' or 'war litany' services/lessons.
The record of collections during services shows that money was collected for a variety of war-related causes including:
Roll of honour fund
St James wounded soldiers and prisoners of war
Blinded soldiers
Wounded soldiers
Sailors
French fund
Belgian fund
Armenian fund
I was also looking for family names connected with the memorial, there weren't any mentioned in the records of services but the Vestry meeting minutes had lists of sidesmen/women for each year (ushers) and several of them shared surnames with the men on the memorial. for the more uncommon names Tonkies, and Reay we can be fairly sure that they were the same family, for Irvine, Clarke, Owen, Jones and Harker it seems very likely they were relatives but without their christian names recorded it is impossible to be sure.
I was very pleased to find a record of the cost of the memorial, the annual church warden accounts for 1920-1921 show 'St James War Memorial £22-4-11 which would be about £840 today... not quite the £10,000 it's going to cost for a replica!
This blog presents information about the 62 men named on the WW1 memorial from St James Church, Toxteth. Use the tabs below or the search bar to navigate the site. The Names page has links to each man. Please leave comments or email me at thewarmemorial@gmail.com
Friday, February 28, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Lance Corporal Marcus McLean 356377
Identification
There was only one Marcus McLean on the census, BMD and CWGC records and he was from Liverpool.Family Information
Baptism records show that Marcus McLean was born in
Liverpool on 6th September 1893 and was baptised in St Peter's Church on 22nd
February 1894.
His parents were William and Sarah McLean and they lived on Roche
Street
(I believe this is a misspelling of Roach St). William was a joiner.
 |
| source Ancestry.co.uk |
In the 1901 census the McLean family were living at
32 Roach Street in Toxteth. William was still head of the household and working
as a joiner. The census shows us that Marcus was the youngest of 7 children and
the first member of the family born outside of Ireland.
At the time of the 1911 census the McLean family
lived at 208 Windsor Street, Toxteth. William was still head of the
household and stated his occupation as 'Undertaker and Joiner' working on his
own account and at home; the 1911 Gore's Directory of Liverpool and Suburbs has
the business listing for Mclean, William & Sons, Undertakers, 208 Windsor
St. Marcus was working as a builder's
clerk, his siblings at home all had jobs that suggest a good
education with 2 other clerks, one teacher and one undertaker's assistant in
the family business.
Military Service
Marcus McLean's Medal Index Card (below, source:
ancestry.co.uk) shows that he was a private in the Liverpool Regiment with
the regimental numbers 4868 and 356377. These numbers show that he enlisted sometime
in June 1915.
The card shows that Marcus McLean first entered the
war on 24th December 1915 in France. He was awarded the Victory Medal, British
War Medal and the 1915 Star, the card does not record his promotion to
Lance Corporal.
Death and Commemoration
Marcus McLean was
killed in action with the 10th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool
Regiment on 9th April 1918.
The battalion war diary shows that in
March the Battalion had been rested which means they were out of the front line
and took part in various training exercises and organised activities such as
performances by the Battalion concert party and a platoon 6-a-side football
tournament (which was won by Transport Coy). On 28th March the
Battalion was moved to the front line. 31st March was Easter Sunday.
On 1st
April the Battalion was occupying front line and support trenches directly
opposite La Bassee Canal. Over the next
week there was some shelling by the enemy including gas shells, we made a
successful raid on the German trenches and brought back a prisoner for
identification. The diary records various incidents of sniping and bombs being
thrown. It records that on the 8th April the battalion received
orders to relieve part of the Portuguese Division the following day then in the
early hours of the 9th April a heavy bombardment of our lines began,
followed by the order for battle positions. The 10th KLR moved to
occupy their battle position in Tuning Fork Locality, they were heavily shelled
with high explosives and gas shells en route and sustained heavy casualties. At
9.50am after 5 hours of heavy shelling, the Germans attacked along the front
line. The 10th KLR held off
the enemy attack but the Portuguese Division to their left could not, the
Germans penetrated our lines and the 10th KLR had to form a
defensive flank on that side which they did using Loisne Central trench. The
night was quiet.
 |
| Trench map showing the Tuning Fork area. Loisne Central would be in the very top left of the map if it was shown. |
Marcus McLean is
commemorated at Gorre British and Indian Cemetery. The following paragraphs are
from the CWGC Cemetery Information Page for Gorre, and give the wider picture
of the battle:
The British section of the cemetery was used by infantry and artillery units stationed in the area until April 1918, when the relative quiet of the sector was shattered by the German Spring Offensive and Gorre became a support post close behind the front line during the Battle of Estaire. This battle was one of two massive German assaults on the Commonwealth positions from Ypres to Festubert that became known as the Battle of the Lys. When the battle erupted on 9 April, the 55th (West Lancashire) Division occupied the front-line trenches running north from Givenchy to Richebourg L’Avoué. The Allied positions to their left, around the village of Le Touret, were held by Portuguese units.
After a preliminary artillery bombardment that began on the evening of 7 April the German Sixth Army, spearheaded by storm troops, attacked in force early on the morning of the 9th. Heavy mist enabled the attackers to get very close to the Allied lines before they were observed and Portuguese units suffered heavy casualties and began to retire. Further south, the various formations of the 55th Division were hard pressed from the outset and the front line trenches around Givenchy were the scene of fierce fighting between British and German troops. The divisional brigade holding the northern section of the British line was forced to pull back, but well-organised counter-attacks and determined defence elsewhere enabled the 55th Division to hold its ground for the rest of the battle and prevent a major German breakthrough. Fighting continued in the trenches east of Gorre until 17 April when the German forces finally broke off the attack. In just over a week of fighting almost 3,000 officers and men of the Division had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, but the territory over which they had fought remained in Allied hands.
Marcus McLean’s
grave is ‘special memorial 2’ which I believe means that his is one of the
graves which was lost due to shelling so he has a gravestone which indicates
that he lies somewhere in the cemetery. There are only 4 of these special
markers in the cemetery, the text on them reads "Believed to be buried in this cemetery". His mother had added to the inscription the motto of the 55th Division "THEY WIN OR DIE WHO WEAR THE ROSE OF LANCASTER"
You can view (and
purchase) images of his gravestone on The War Graves Photographic Projectwebsite. His family in Liverpool also had him included on the family headstone
which reads:
In
loving memory
of
William,
the beloved husband of
Sarah Cameron McLEAN,
who passed away 28th March 1918,
aged 63 years.
*Thy will be done.*
Also Marcus, L’Cpl: Lpool Scottish,
youngest son of the above,
killed in action in France 9th April 1918,
aged 24 years.
*Greater love hath no man than this.*
Marcus’s mother
lost her husband and her youngest son within a few weeks. (I will add a photo of this headstone)
The entry in “UK
Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919” for Marcus McLean records the
following information:
Name:
|
Marcus
Mclean
|
Residence:
|
Liverpool
|
Death Date:
|
9 Apr
1918
|
Death Location:
|
France
& Flanders
|
Enlistment Location:
|
Liverpool
|
Rank:
|
L/Corporal
|
Regiment:
|
King's
(Liverpool Regiment)
|
Battalion:
|
10th
Battalion
|
Number:
|
356377
|
Type of Casualty:
|
Killed
in action
|
Theatre of War:
|
Western
European Theatre
|
The 10th Battalion
of the King's Liverpool Regiment were the Liverpool Scottish. Click here to open the Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum
website. This site also contains images of the Liverpool Scottish WW1 Roll of
Honour, a beautiful book which of course contains Marcus McLean's name.
Marcus’s family and his fiance, Elsie Hodgson, also posted the following notices in the Liverpool Echo:
(26th April 1918)
Monday, February 3, 2014
Private Edward Burston 1544
Edward Burston
Identification:
I found two results for Edward Burston in the CWGC database. One had the
full name Edward but was in the Devonshire Regiment and it stated that he was
from Somerset. The other had only the initial E and was in the South Lancashire
Regiment with no details as to where he lived.
It seemed likely that the second record was the correct Edward Burston.
Cross referencing with the Soldiers Died in the Great War results from
Ancestry.co.uk gave me further proof that this was the correct man. As you can
see below the SDGW entry shows that this E Burston in the South Lancs was
Edward and from Toxteth, Liverpool. I am happy that I have the correct soldier.
Family information:
Edward Burston was born December1894-January 1895 and registered in
Liverpool. He was baptised on 6th Feb 1895 at St John the Baptist, Toxteth
Park. His parents were Samuel Frederick Burston and Priscilla, Samuel was a
labourer and they lived at 41 Gaskell St.
Edward's mother died in 1901. In the census that year Edward aged 6 and
3 of his brothers (William 11, James 8, John 3) were enumerated at the house of
their uncle and aunt Charles and Julie Burston, 90 Stanhope St. His father and
3 further brothers (Thomas 19, Joseph 15, Frederick 13) were next-door at 92
Stanhope St.
The 1911 census return shows Edward with 3 of his brothers (Joseph,
Jim and John) and his father. They were living at 8 Friendship Place, Hampton
St. This may sound pleasant but I think it was court housing with a pretty
name.
Military information:
Edward enlisted in the Territorial Force on 20th April 1912. He was given the regimental number 1544 in the
South Lancashire Regiment.
He was mobilized from the army reserve on 8th August 1914,
embarked at Southampton on 4th December 1914 and was posted to the 2nd
Bn South Lancashire Regiment 5th
December 1914.
Some of Edward's paperwork survived (although damaged) in the National Archives.
His attestation document shows that Edward was aged 17yrs 4months when he
signed up in April 1912 for a period of 6 years. He had been working as a
casual labourer and had a reference from his employer Mr J Hewitt of 22 Hampton
Street.
Edward listed his next of kin as father Frederick and brothers Joseph,
James and John all of 12 Court, 8 House Hampton St, Liverpool.
His medical report shows that Edward was examined on 19th April 1912
when he was 17yrs and 4 months old. He was 5ft 2 and 5/8 inches tall and
weighed 121 lbs. His physical development was good and he had been vaccinated
in infancy. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair. His distinguishing marks
were ‘ a circular scar inside left shoulder blade, a scar small of back and a
mole below left nipple.’
During his time in the army Edward may not have been the perfect
soldier; in the few months he was in France, his record sheet shows several punishments.
His conduct sheet has the following entries:
Wounded 23/1/15 the 'where' looks like 'Linden Hock'
Awarded 3days field punishment No2 for
“Irregular conduct on parade ie laughing on
parade.”
13/2/1915
Awarded 7 days field pun No2 for
“not complying with an order eg not carrying a
wounded man’s equipment when ordered to do so by an officer” and “Disobedience of battalion orders ie wearing
gum boots on parade”
14/2/1915
Awarded 3 days field punishment No2 for
“not being properly dressed on parade ie being deficient
of a waterproof [sheet/shirt?]”
?/3/1915
[Field punishment number 2 involved being shackled
and handcuffed but not attached to anything and sometimes also hard labour.]
The papers also note that Edward "Died, from
wounds received in action. Place: Kemmel" and was "buried in the cemetery
north of the chateau, Kemmel." A later note shows that his body was exhumed
and reburied in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery.
Edward’s record also shows that he made an allotment of pay to his
brother Frederick Samuel Burston of 112 Upper Essex St, Liverpool. His father
had passed away in 1913. In 1920 Frederick completed Eligibility Forms for and listed Edward’s family as consisting of himself, two other
brothers (John and James) and Thomas who was listed as a half-brother. Joseph
and William were not mentioned.
The entry in UK SOLDIERS DIED IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919 shows the following:
Name:
|
Edward
Burston
|
Birth Place:
|
Toxteth, Liverpool
|
Death Date:
|
12 Mar
1915
|
Death Location:
|
France
& Flanders
|
Enlistment Location:
|
Liverpool
|
Rank:
|
Private
|
Regiment:
|
Prince of
Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
|
Battalion:
|
2nd
Battalion
|
Number:
|
1544
|
Type of Casualty:
|
Died of
wounds
|
Theatre of War:
|
Western
European Theatre
|
Edward’s medal card shows that he was a
private, earned the Victory, British and 1915 Star medals and Died of Wounds
12th March 1915. It also shows that he fought in France, entering this 'theatre
of war' on 5th December 1914.
Death and Commemoration
The date of Edward’s death places it at the
Battle of Neuve Chapelle and it is likely that he received his wounds on the
opening day of the action, 10th March 1915.
You can read more about Neuve Chapelle here.
Private Edward Burston's body was exhumed from its original burial site and buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Belgium. This is about 8 miles from Ypres and holds 1131 casualties of WW1.
Private Edward Burston's body was exhumed from its original burial site and buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Belgium. This is about 8 miles from Ypres and holds 1131 casualties of WW1.
Edward’s family informed the Liverpool Echo
of his death and the following notice and photograph were printed on 6th
April, you will see that it mentions St James’ Church.
Edward’s name was placed on the St James
Memorial but, with the loss of that memorial, he was not commemorated anywhere in
Liverpool until 2012 when we had his name added to the Roll of Honour at Liverpool
Town Hall.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Private Thomas Hermann Lindburg / Girvin 157051, 3035, 241410
Thomas Herman Lindburg / Girvin
This was a puzzle, he is one of the last men to be identified and it was only due to a breakthrough by Kathy Donaldson that I found him at all.
Kathy spotted a soldier named Thomas Herman Lindburg whose mother was named Harriet Girvin, they lived in Brassey St, Toxteth so were right by St James Church. It seemed possible that this was the soldier from the memorial but some further research was required to prove it.
Family Information
Thomas Herman Lindburg was born on 3rd October 1895 in Liverpool. He was christened on 11th November 1895 in St Peter's Church, Liverpool. The christening record shows his mother Harriet Marian Lindburg of South Chester Street and no father.
A check of earlier records shows that his mother was indeed unmarried at the time of his birth as she was born 19th February 1874 and christened Harriet Marion Lindburg 14th March 1875 in St Peter's Church, Liverpool. Her parents were Hermann Lindburg and Harriet Lindburg of Brassey Street. Hermann was a mariner.
Harriet Marian's earlier life is unclear from the records, her parents were married 31st May 1868, her father's full name was Knutt Hermann Lindburg or Lindbury, aged 27 and a mariner, his father was Elias Lindbury, a carpenter. Her mother's name was Harriet Higgins, she was 18 years old and her father James Higgins was a shipwright. Both addresses were 'Mann St'. Harriet Marian was born in 1874, and a sister Martha Ellen Hodson Lindburg was born in 1878.
The 1881 census shows no trace of Herman or Harriet (mother) and both daughters were enumerated at the house of their grandmother Ann Higgins.
The 1891 census shows no trace of Herman or Harriet (mother) and both daughters were enumerated at the house of John Simpkins, they are described as his neices but due to Ann Higgins being present as his sister, it would appear that he was actually their grand-uncle.
Thomas Lindburg/Girvin was born in 1895 as shown above.
In the 1901 census there is no Harriet Lindburg, but there is a Harriet Girvin aged 26 and married (but with no husband at home) and two sons, Thomas Girvin aged 5 and William Girvin aged 3.
In the 1911 census Thomas Girvin, aged 40, was the head of the household at 13 Brassey Street with his wife Harriet Girvin, Thomas Herman Lindburg aged 15 (son), William Girvin aged 13 (son) and Reginald Broad Lindburg (nephew) aged 2. Thomas and Harriet say they have been married for 14 years and have had 2 children, one surviving.
In 1915 Harriet Marian Lindburgh and Thomas Girvin were married at St Nicholas Church, Liverpool. Bride's father Herman Lindburgh (deceased) and one witness Martha Ellen Lindburgh.
So, Thomas and Harriet had lied about being married, it is possible that Thomas really was the father of Thomas Herman. In 1901 Harriet listed his name as Girvin so we can assume that is the name he went by. In 1911 either he had reverted to his real name or Thomas Girvin was more conscientious when filling in the census forms. Thomas Herman used his real name of Lindberg to enlist but his family had him added to the memorial as Girvin.
Pension records show that claims were made by his mother and by Lily Barrow, the mother of his illegitimate child. Her address was in Blackpool, the 6th Battalion KLR did spend some time training at Blackpool so we can speculate that perhaps that is how they met.
Pension records show that claims were made by his mother and by Lily Barrow, the mother of his illegitimate child. Her address was in Blackpool, the 6th Battalion KLR did spend some time training at Blackpool so we can speculate that perhaps that is how they met.
Military Service
Thomas's service records have not survived but his medal card shows that he served with The King's (Liverpool Regiment) with the regimental number 3503 and with the Machine Gun Corps with the regimental number 157051 and was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
His entry in UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 adds that he was born in Liverpool and enlisted in Liverpool.
Information on the King's Liverpool Regiment database at the Museum of Liverpool shows that he served with the 2/6th KLR with the service number 241410
Death and Commemoration
Thomas Lindburg died of wounds on 27th October 1918 whilst serving with the MGC. This means it is likely he was wounded during the Battle of the Selle which was part of the final advance on Picardy in the Hundred Days Offensive of the end of the war.
Thomas Lindberg is buried in Awoingt Cemetery, Awoingt is a village near Cambrai. The cemetery was used for about a month from the middle of October 1918. It holds 653 Commonwealth graves, mostly casualties from the 38th, 45th and 59th Casualty Clearing Stations which were posted in the area. As we know that Thomas Lindberg died of wounds it is likely that he died in one of these CCSs.
Thomas Lindberg's name does not appear on the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Private Norman Bracher 358365
Norman Bracher
Identification
There was only one entry for an N Bracher in the
CWGC database and this soldier was from Liverpool so I am confident that it is
the right person.
Family
Information
Norman Bracher was born in Liverpool on 2nd June 1898 (as shown on his
baptism record) He was baptised 10th July the same year in the Church of St
Margaret, Toxteth Park. His parents were John Edward and Elizabeth Alma of 62
Egerton St and John Edward's occupation was racquet maker.
The 1901 census return shows they were still living at 62 Egerton St
with a total of 8 children, two were listed as John’s step-sons so it would
appear that Elizabeth had been married before. John Edward (who was born in
London) was now employed as a 'Club Hall Porter'
In the 1911 census the family were living at 86 Berkley St, Elizabeth
Alma was listed as Alma Elizabeth and Norman was aged 12 and at school, we know
that he attended Granby Street School. John Edward was working as a Hall Porter
in a Racquet Club
Norman Bracher was a keen cricketer, he represented his school in three
‘A’ Division cricket finals and in three baseball finals. He was also a skilled
footballer. The sports section of the
Liverpool Echo shows an N Bracher playing cricket for St James Lorretonians.
[The Racquet Club opened in 1877 at 102 Upper Parliament Street, it differed from
other Gentlemen's Clubs in that it provided sports facilities as well as the
usual social club. It had two Racquets
Courts and an American Bowling Alley, a dining room and billiards room. All
available for an annual subscription of 5 Guineas. Between 1894 and 1896, the
dining room was enlarged again; a new private room was added, new kitchens and
electric lighting. At the same time the Bowling Alley was converted into two
fives courts - one Eton and one Rugby but by the turn of the century the Rugby
Fives court was being used as a squash court. A covered lawn tennis court with
sprung wooden floor was added in 1913. The Racquet Club continued here until
the building was destroyed by fire in the riots of 1981]
Military Information
Norman Bracher's medal card shows that he was a private in the Liverpool
Regiment with the regimental number 358365. He received the victory medal and
the British War Medal, the other sections of the card are blank.
His entry in UK SOLDIERS DIED IN THE GREAT WAR
1914-1919 gives the following information:
|
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)