Sunday, October 27, 2013

Able Seaman Thomas Henry Bramwell 233784

Thomas Henry Bramwell

There was only one result for T H Bramwell in the CWGC database and as it showed that his mother lived on Upper Stanhope St, I am happy that it is the correct man.

Family Information

Thomas Henry Bramwell was born on 21^st May 1888 in Liverpool and baptised in St Peter’s Church on 2^nd July that year. His parents were Louisa Charlotte Bramwell and Thomas Bramwell, a plumber, of Great Newton Street.

The 1891 census shows that the Bramwell family were living at 6 Great Newton Street and the head of the household was Louisa’s father, John Royle. The complete household was:

John Royle, head, married, 58, Booker on the L&NW Railway, born Manchester

Catherine Royle, wife, aged 50, born Liverpool

Charles Royle, son, married, aged 27, unemployed, born Liverpool

Thomas Bramwell, son in law, married, 23, loader on L&NW railway, born Liverpool

Louisa C Bramwell, wife, married, 22, born Liverpool

Thomas Bramwel, son, aged 2, born Liverpool

John Bramwell, son, aged 10 months, born Liverpool.

Thomas Bramwell attended St Bride's School, Toxteth. This school was opened in 1834 on Upper Stanhope St but by the time Thomas attended it was in Grey St, Toxteth very close to Fletcher St where the Bramwell family were living in the 1901 census:

11 Fletcher Street,

Thomas Bramwell, head, married, 32, Scales porter

Louisa Bramwell, wife, married, 30,

Thomas Bramwell, son, single, 12

Louisa Bramwell, daughter, single, 8

John Bramwell, son, single, 6

Ethel Bramwell, daughter, single, 3

George Bramwell, son, single, 3

Thomas Crebbin,visitor, single, 28, boiler maker

Ellen Royle, visitor, married, 33

Thomas Henry Bramwell joined the Navy when he was 15 (in 1903) so he wasn't enumerated with his family in the 1911 census. For this census Louisa was head of the household at 21 Upper Stanhope St with 8 of her 10 children, her husband wasn't there but she listed herself as married.

Naval Service.

I have a copy of Thomas Henry Bramwell’s record of service. He engaged for 12 years C.S. (continuous service) in the Navy which came into effect on his 18^th birthday, 21^st May 1906. His number was 233784 and port division Portsmouth. He was 5ft 3inches tall with brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.

His occupation when he signed up was ‘shed boy & general labourer’ and by the time the form was filled out in 1906 he had quite a few distinguishing marks:- scar right eyebrow, heart cross J.B. heart left forearm, anchor cross & star right forearm, star & dot back of right hand, 3 dots back of left hand.

[in traditional sailor's tattoos the stars are to guide you home, anchors denote the merchant marine and/or crossing the Atlantic, crosses are to ensure you get a christian burial, three dots in a triangle on the hand was the traditional tattoo after your first voyage.]

Thomas H Bramwell’s record of service gives the date of his 18^th birthday as the date of his engagement but he actually joined the Navy when he was 15 and the list the ships etc that he served on, with dates, shows that aged 17 he served as a “Boy second class” and “Boy first class” on HMS Boscawen (a shore establishment) HMS Hawke, HMS Victory I (Shore establishment) and HMS Good Hope. When he turned 18 he automatically became an “Ordinary Seaman” and was subject to naval discipline as an adult and I will have to check whether this is the point that the 12 years engagement was reckoned from.

As an Ordinary Seaman (O.S.) Thomas H Bramwell served on :

HMS Good Hope, (Drake-class armoured cruiser) 21/05/1906 – 31/12/1906, character VG.

He was then promoted to Able Seaman (A.B.) and served on the following ships or shore establishments:

HMS Good Hope, (Drake-class armoured cruiser) 01/01/1907 – 15/07/1907, character VG

HMS Vernon (Shore: torpedo school), 16/07/1907 – 31/03/1908, char V.G

HMS Victory I (shore establishment), 01/04/1908 – 01/08/1908, char V.G.-V.G.

HMS Argonaut (Diadem-class cruiser), 02/08/1908 – 17/08/1908, char V.G.-G

HMS Venus (Eclipse-class cruiser), 18/08/1908 – 04/12/1910, char V.G. –SAT

HMS Excellent (shore: gunnery school), 05/12/1901 – 06/05/1911, char F-SAT

HMS Victory I(shore establishment), 07/05/1911 – 15/05/1911, char MOD

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser), 16/05/1911 – 07/08/1912, char V.G. –

10 DAYS CELLS

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser) 18/08/1912 – 30/10/1912, char FAIR – SAT

30 DAYS DETENTION (ABSENCE)

HMS Victory I(shore establishment), 27/11/1912 – 27/11/1912

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser) 28/11/1912 – 09/05/1913

14 DAYS CELLS

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser) 24/05/1913 – 05/11/1913

21 DAYS DETENTION (ABSENCE)

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser) 26/11/1913 – 23/12/1913

HMS Victory I(shore establishment), 24/12/1913 – 17/01/1914

HMS Vindictive (Arrogant-class light cruiser,). 18/01/1914 – 29/07/1914

HMS Victory I(shore establishment), 30/07/1914 – 02/08/1914

HMS Invincible (Invincible-class battlecruiser) 03/08/1914 – 31/05/1916

D.D. [Discharged Deceased]

CLASS FOR CONDUCT: 2^nd

N.P. 4060/1916 D.D. 31^st May 1916 KILLED IN ACTION

HMS Invincible (source: Wikipedia commons)

We can see from this record that Thomas Henry Bramwell’s war service took place on the HMS Invincible. The H.M.S. Invincible was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country. After an initial period of near-continual modification she became an active unit of the Battlecruiser Force. Thomas Henry Bramwell was serving on this ship when she participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight (28^th August 1914), the Battle of the Falkland Islands (8^th December 1914) and the Battle of Jutland, where she was sunk in action at 6:34pm on 31 May, 1916. The total number of officers and men on board at the time was 1,031. Of these only six survived. Thomas Henry Bramwell was not one of the lucky six.

HMS Invincible being destroyed (source: Wikipedia)

Click here to view a list of all casualties of the HMS Invincible. (external website)

Commemoration

Entry in “UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919”

Name: Thomas Henry Bramwell

Rank: AB

Birth Date: 21 May 1888

Birth Place: Liverpool, Lancashire

Branch of Service: Royal Navy

Cause of Death: Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action

Official Number Port Division: 233784. (Po)

Death Date: 31 May 1916

Ship or Unit: HMS Invincible

Location of Grave: Not recorded

Name and Address of Cemetery: Body Not Recovered For Burial

Relatives Notified and Address: Mother: Louise Bramwell, 21, Upper Stanhope Street, Liverpool

Thomas Henry Bramwell, as well as being commemorated on the St James Memorial, has two entries in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall.

PANEL 12, RIGHT	(A.B.)	T.	BRAMWELL		H.M.S. "INVINCIBLE."
PANEL 14 LEFT	GUNNER	T. H.	BRAMWELL		H.M.S. "INVINCIBLE."

They must both be for the same man as there are no records of a second T Bramwell being killed on the Invincible. This is not unusual in the Hall of Remembrance as family members may have duplicated entries, or confusion about rank may have led to two entries being made.

Local newspapers

On 12^th June 1916, an article in the Liverpool Echo contained information about T.H. Bramwell, with a photograph. The article was entitled “More Local Naval Men Who Fell” and gave details of 8 sailors. I have reproduced only the part about Thomas Bramwell.

Thomas Henry Bramwell, seaman-gunner, whose mother resides at 21, Upper Stanhope Street, Liverpool, was on board H.M.S. Invincible. He was educated at St Bride’s School. He joined the Navy at fifteen years of age and had been in the Venus, Good Hope, Boscowan as well as the Invincible where he met his death. He was just finishing his time. He fought in the Heligoland, Falkland Islands and the Lowestoft battles.

Thomas Henry Bramwell has no known grave but his name is inscribed on Panel 12 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Copyright CWGC)

Click here for more information about this memorial.

Click here toview the CWGC entry for Thomas Henry Bramwell.

Lance-corporal William Bolton 2390

William Bolton

Identification

The CWGC had 17 results for William Bolton. I could rule out 14 of them from the information on the certificates (born and lived in places other than Liverpool) The three that were left were from different parts of Liverpool, one was from Everton, the other two from the Toxteth Park area. I have selected the William Bolton who was in the area nearest to the Church, during his life he lived in the same street as several of the other names on the memorial. Also, when I researched their births, the other William had a middle name (llewellin) which doesn't match the name on this memorial.

Family Information

William was born on 24th November 1894 and baptised in St Michael's Church, Toxteth, on 30th December 1894. The baptismal record shows his parents to be Richard and Margaret Bolton who lived at 29 White Street. Richard was a Ship Smith.

In the 1901 census the family lived at 13 Geraint Street. The census return shows us that Richard was born in Newton-in-Furness and Margaret in Liverpool. Margaret’s widowed father was living with them, James Brown, aged 71 and a retired mariner from Scotland.

Richard and Margaret had 5 children living with them in 1901:

Esther (daughter) single, aged 21, tailoress, born Liverpool.

Margaret (daughter) single, aged 18, assistant in shop, born Liverpool.

Annie (daughter) single, aged 14, dressmaker apprentice, born Liverpool

Richard (son) single, aged 9, born Liverpool

William, (son) single, aged 6, born Liverpool.

In the 1911 census the family lived at 45 Gwendoline St, this is the street next to Geraint Street where they lived in 1901. Margaret completed the census return, she listed herself as Head of the family and married, the census return shows that she had been married for 35 years (which means she married aged 18) and had 6 surviving children from 8 born. In 1911 Margaret was working as an office cleaner for the railway.

At home with Margaret were:

Esther, aged 31, single, sewing machinist for a tailor

Margaret, aged 28, single, shop assistant for a dairy

Richard, aged 19, single, freight clerk for a shipping office

William, aged 16, single, cooper’s apprentice

Also there was James Brown, a nephew, aged 22, single and an unemployed ‘printer’s machine man’

Military Information

William's service records survive and show us that he volunteered early in the war, signing up on 10^th September 1914 for 4 years service. He served with the 6th Battalion The King's Liverpool Regiment (The Rifles) with the regimental number 2390.

His attestation papers show that William was 19 years and 10 months of age when he enlisted.

The medical report shows that William was 5ft 9 and 1/2 inches tall and weighed 127lbs, his vision was good and his physical development was good.

William listed his family members as his mother, brother Richard, sisters Esther and Margaret all living at 14 Hemans Street and his sister Isabella (Jameson) living at 80 Madryn Street.

Details of rank:

Rifleman 10/9/14 to 30/10/14

Sergt 31/10/14 to 7/5/15

Rifleman 8/8/15 to 23/1/16 (rank reduced at own request)

Lance corporal 24/1/16 to 15/8/16

William's total service towards engagement in the territorial force to 15/8/16 (date of death) was 1 year and 341 days.

Death in consequence of gunshot wound head

His record shows that he was wounded in action (gunshot wound head) on 9/8/16 and died 6 days later at 1st Gen Hospital, Abbeville

The Battalion Casualty Ledger (available at the Maritime Museum Archives, Liverpool) give the following information:

Wounded in action 9/8/1916

Admitted 13 corps main dressing station 9/8/1916

Admitted 21 casualty clearing station 9/8/1916

Admitted number 1 South African General Hospital 15/8/1916 (gunshot wound head, penetrating brain) died 15/8/1916)

Transcription of William’s Medal Index Card.

Campaign:	1914-15				(A) Where decoration was earned.
					(B) Present situation
Name		Corps		Rank	Reg. No.		Roll on which included (if any)
(A) BOLTON		LPOOL REGT		PTE	2390		H/2/2B/5
(B) WILLIAM		“ “		“	“
Action taken		Medal	Roll			Page	Deceased
		Victory	H/2/102B			44
		British	Do			do
		Star
Theatre of War		(1) France
Qualifying date		8.8.15

Details of death

The 6th KLR battalion war diary for the day that William was wounded gives the following information:

TRENCHES IN FRONT OF MALTZ HORN FARM 9/8/1916

"C" Coy took over the new advanced trench from 5th Liverpools. Battalion bombers manning COCHRANE ALLEY. "A" and "B" companies in close support. There was considerable hostile shelling this day, particularly of all support trenches. At night "A" company received orders to join up the left of new advanced front line with the previous front line. Hostile machine gun and rifle fire prevented this being successfully accomplished. Casualties: 2 officers wounded; other ranks nine killed and 48 wounded. 2/Lt Adam with balance of Battalion Bombers reinforced the block in COCHRANE's ALLEY at night

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War

Name: William Bolton

Residence: Liverpool

Death Date: 15 Aug 1916

Death Location: France & Flanders

Enlistment Location: Liverpool

Rank: L/Corporal

Regiment: King’s (Liverpool Regiment)

Battalion: 6^th Battalion

Number: 2390

Type of casualty: Died of Wounds

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

Commemoration

The following information about the inscription on the family grave was found thanks to the ToxtethParkCemeteryInscriptions website

Consecrated section 14, grave number 539

In memory of

Richard BOLTON,

died 24th Jany 1907, aged 57.

Also his dear wife

Margaret,

died 28th May 1934, aged 80.

Our dear mother.

*Re~united.*

Also of Annie, their daughter

died 15th Dec. 1916, aged 30.

Also of William, their son

died of wounds at Abbeville,

France, 15th Aug. 1916, aged 21.

Also of Richard, their son

died 29th April 1934, aged 43.

Steadfast. Immovable.

Always abounding in the works of the Lord.

William Bolton was also commemorated on the memorial currently in St Cleopas Church, Toxteth.

His name was also added to the Roll of Honour in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, on the day I visited it last his name happened to be on the open page:

Reported in the Liverpool Daily Post Monday 11th September 1916

Lance-Corporal William Bolton, KLR, died from wounds. Educated at St James's School, Toxteth, he joined at an early age the 10th company of the Boy's Brigade. His work in the brigade never ceased and, in addition, he was treasurer of St James's Sunday Schools, leader of St James's Junior Bible Class and organist of St James's children's evening service. At the time war broke out he was an apprentice cooper at Messrs Dodd, Stanhope-street. He joined the Liverpool Regiment in September 1914 and went to France twelve months ago. His death is mourned by a large circle of friends and the greatest sympathy is felt for his widowed mother, brother and sisters. Lance-Corporal Bolton was in his twenty-second year.

Family notices in the Liverpool Echo:

I have found several entries for William Bolton in the family notices of the local paper.

22^nd August 1916

BOLTON – August 15, died from wounds received in action, Lance-Corporal William Bolton (Willie) (Liverpool Rifles)

Somewhere in France lies a hero’s grave,

Who answered to the call:

He did his duty nobly and well

Until the day to fall.

That he may rest in his lonely grave

Until the second call,

Is the sacred wish of all at home

And his shopmates one and all. –A Rogers

- Inserted by his Foreman and Workmates

24^th November 1916

BOLTON – In loving birthday remembrance of my beloved chum, William Bolton, who died for his country. August 15^th 1916 and who celebrates his 22^nd birthday in the “Soldiers’ Paradise” to-day. (The best chum a fellow ever had. Our friendship is eternal, pal o’mine) – George M Spargo, Parent, Northern Quebec, Canada.

[Parent is a town in Canada, not his relationship to William!]

15^th August 1917

BOLTON – In proud and loving memory of my beloved chum, Lance-corporal Wm. Bolton, who died for his country, August 15, 1916. (Linked in friendship and love with me for ever.)- Sergt. George Spargo, 235^th Canadians, Ramsgate.

15^th August 1917

BOLTON – In sad and loving memory of my beloved brother, Willie, Lance-corporal K.L.R., who died August 15, 1916, of wounds received in action.

One of the first to volunteer – a sacrifice supreme.

We cannot yet realise his death, it seems such a hateful dream;

Though we understand God’s mercy in taking him to rest,

The parting gave great anguish to those who loved him best.

- His loving sister Maggie and Brother-in-law Ted (in France)

15^th August 1917

BOLTON – In loving memory of my beloved brother, Lance-corporal W. Bolton (Willie) K.L.R. who died of wounds at Abbeville Hospital, France, August 15, 1916.

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,

How sweet their memory still;

But they have left an aching void

The world can never fill.

- His loving sister Esther, Hemans-street, Liverpool

3^rd December 1917

BOLTON – In loving memory of Annie, the dearly beloved youngest daughter of Margaret Bolton, died December 3, 1916, sister of the late Lance-corporal William Bolton, died August 15, 1916.

Father in thy gracious keeping,

Leave we now our loved ones sleeping.

- Mother and family, 14 Hemans-street

15^th August 1918

BOLTON – in proud and loving memory of my beloved chum, Lance-Corporal WILLIAM BOLTON, who died at Abbeville, August 15, 1916.

Yet love, my love that is deathless,

Can follow you where you roam;

Over the hills of God, laddie,

The beautiful hills of home.

Sergeant G.M. Spargo, Mourat Hospital, Kingston, Canada

These notices show a strong friendship between William Bolton and George Spargo. A look at the Canadian Expeditionary Force papers for Sergt Spargo show that he was born 21^st May 1893 in Wales, his next of kin was his mother Annie Spargo in Arundel Street, Liverpool. Oddly though, a look at the 1911 census shows Annie Spargo in Arundel Street with all of her 7 children, the son of the correct age to be Sergeant Spargo is named Thomas George Spargo.

Checking the passenger lists shows that T.G Spargo sailed from Liverpool to Montreal on the Virginian on 13^th May 1914. George had previously served in the English Territorials and he attested on 4^th December 1916. He survived the war, although the mention of Mourat Hospital on the final notice may mean he was wounded.

The fact that William’s workmates also placed a notice for him is also an indication of how well-liked he was.

CWGC commemoration

William Bolton is buried in section VI plot J1 of Abbeville Communal Cemetery. You can click here to view his entry on the CWGC website.
His family paid to have the following added to his CWGC headstone:
Steadfast, Immovable, Always Abounding in the Work of The Lord.
This is a quote from the Bible, 1 Corinthians, the following line is "knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain"

Abbeville Communal Cemetery. (copyright CWGC)

Pages

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Able Seaman Thomas Henry Bramwell 233784

Thomas Henry Bramwell

Family Information

Naval Service.

Commemoration

Entry in “UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919”

Local newspapers

Lance-corporal William Bolton 2390

Military Information

Details of death

Commemoration

Reported in the Liverpool Daily Post Monday 11th September 1916

CWGC commemoration