Private Frederick Hamilton 879, 200051

Frederick Hamilton

I have taken my main information for this soldier from a pension record. This record shows that Frederick Hamilton was born in 1892 and died 3rd Feb 1919. He died in Liverpool Workhouse Hospital *(which was also a military hospital at the time) on 1st Feb 1919 of peneumonia but the fact that he has no record in the CWGC database suggests that it was not related to his service.

Then I found records for a Frederick Hamilton in the census returns etc and this Frederick seems to have been born in 1891 (baptism record confirms this)

However, the pension record shows that he married his wife Emily in 1915. Parish records show the marriage of Frederick Hamilton and Emily Humphries in April 1915, Frederick was 23 at the time and his father was William Owen Hamilton, a Smith's striker by occupation. This information ties both the records together, they are for the same man.

There was another Frederick Hamilton born in Liverpool (1889) but the evidence points to the 1891 man because he has no record on the CWGC and 'our' Frederick seems to have died after the war and at home (his death was registered in 1919 in Liverpool)

Family information

Frederick Hamilton was born on 23rd October 1891 and baptised in the Church of St Michael, Liverpool on 20th December 1891. (see baptism record below) his parents were William Hamilton (a striker) and Margaret, they lived at 2 Dalton's Buildings.

source: Ancestry.co.uk

In the 1901 census return Frederick was 9 years old and living with his parents, his 3 brothers and one sister at 94 Rathbone street. His father's occupation was Blacksmith's striker.

Frederick's mother died in 1902

In the 1911 census  Frederick was 19, single and living with his father, who hadn't remarried. Due to a mistake made filling in the form we know that Frederick's parents were married for 13 years and had a total of 8 children, 2 of whom died.

Frederick was 19 and his occupation was listed as Boot Salesman in Lewis's (a large department store)
His siblings were:
William Alfred Owen Hamilton aged 21 occupation boiler maker
John Hamilton 17 occupation Warehouse Porter
Matthew Thomas Hamilton 15 Chemists porter
Marguerite Adriana Hamilton 13 school
Arthur Neil Hamilton 9 school

They were living at 10 Sand Street which was close to St James and was in fact cleared for the Anglican Cathedral.

Frederick was married at the Holy Trinity Church in Liverpool on 12th April 1915 to Emily Humphries. (Holy Trinity was a few hundred yards from St James Church)

The certificate shows that Frederick was 23, lived at 11 Beaufort Street and was a boot salesman. His father William Owen Hamilton was a Smith's striker.

Emily Humphries was 22 and lived at 11 Beaufort Street, her father Alfred Humphries was a boiler maker's labourer.

Military Information

A single page survives from Frederick's service papers but it gives us a lot of information. It is the widow's pension application form, it gives his date of  birth as 1892 but other details show that it is the correct man.

source: Ancestry.co.uk

This record shows that they had one son born in 1917, birth records show that this was Frederick Hamilton, registered July-Sept 1917 in Liverpool. We know this is the correct child as the mother's maiden name was recorded.

The address on this record in 297 Mill Street, one end of which is right by St James' Church.

From the regimental number on the pension form we can match this medal card to Frederick. Showing that he was a Private in the Liverpool Regiment with the regimental numbers 879. The 5th Batallion of the KLR was Territorial Force and when the TF was renumbered in 1917 he was given the number 200051. The medal card shows that he served overseas but did not embark for a theatre of war before 1st Jan 1916 as he was not eligible for the 1914-1915 star. The 5th Bn landed at Le Havre in February 1915 so Frederick must have been part of a later reinforcement of the battalion.

Crown Copyright

Death and Commemoration

The death certificate for Frederick Hamilton states that he died on 1st February 1919 in the Workhouse Infirmary, Toxteth Park (a military hospital at the time). He died of pneumonia after 5 days illness. The occupation on his death certificate is Corporal 1/5 King's Liverpool Regiment (Boot Salesman) which does not make it clear whether he was discharged from the army or not. 

The informant was his wife Emily, resident 297 Mill Street, Toxteth Park.

www.toxtethparkcemeteryinscriptions.co.uk gives the following information about a private gravestone for Frederick:

Large upright sand-stone, pointed top.

  In 

 loving memory of 

 Cpl Frederick HAMILTON,

 5th Kings Liverpool Regt, 

 beloved husband of Emily HAMILTON, 

 died 1st Feb. 1919. 

 *Duty nobly done.* 

 Also of Emily, 

 wife of James KELLY, 

 and relict of the above 

 Frederick HAMILTON, 

 died 3rd June 1927, 

 aged 34 years.