Open Heritage Day 12th September

Update

Despite the long gap between posts, there has been plenty of work being done on the research and the memorial project. Money from the Heritage Lottery Fund has paid for the war diaries for many of the men (they are not all available) and the entries for the dates of death will be added.

The money from the HLF has also paid for a new website for the project and the entries for all the men are being updated and added to it. The website has its own domain which will eventually also hold a site for related aspects of the research such as the Holy Trinity WW1 memorial which was also taken from St James's Church.

I have been given a response to my application for a grant from the War Memorials Trust, although they seem very positive about the recreation of the memorial I have been advised to delay the application until the church building restoration has secured funding.

I will be taking part in the St James' Church Heritage Open Day in September - more details to come!

Owen Owen - second thoughts

I have previously given a tentative identification for Owen Owen but, on revisiting the name, I'm not happy with it so I've taken another look.

The CWGC give 14 results for Owen Owen, three of them have Liverpool mentioned in the 'other information' the other 11 state their parents' residences as places in Wales.

I previously assumed the man without a middle name would be mine but there is no information to tie him to Toxteth so without proof I have to rethink the assumption.

I have also identified another Owen Owen (no middle name) who was from Bootle, he is recorded incorrectly on all his military records and the CWGC as Owen Owens. I have no link to Toxteth for him though.

Owen Hugh Owen is one of the men on the CWGC.  Owen's parents married in 1892, he had a baby sister who died in 1896, his mother died in 1898 and his 3 year old sister died in 1899. In the 1901 census Owen and his elder sister were visitors at the house of their maternal uncle in Birkenhead.
His father (also Owen Hugh Owen) remarried in 1903 to Mary Jane Jones, a widow. The 1911 census shows them living at 71 Boswell St (Lodge Lane) with children from their previous marriages: Jennet Gertrude Jones 22 and Owen Hugh Owen 12. The form states that they had been married for 7 years and had one child from the marriage.
Owen H Owen's service record shows that he enlisted in 1917 and died in 1918 exactly one month before his 20th birthday. the cause of death was pneumonia following influenza. He was buried in Birkenhead Flaybrick Cemetery in a family grave (I will be visiting soon)
A family notice for him in the Liverpool Echo reads "Remembered by Ethel and all at 46 Crosfield-road... confusingly there were several Owen families living in Crosfield-road in the 1911 census with several Owen Owens.

However, Owen Hugh Owen does have a link to Toxteth Park, his father's parents lived there in the 1871 and 1881 census, his father spent some time there and there were other relatives in the area. 

This requires more research.

Pioneer Alfred James Trafford 63668

Pioneer Alfred James Trafford

Identification

There was only one Alfred J Trafford on the CWGC database and their records show his parents lived very close to St James’s Church.

Family Information

Alfred J Trafford was born on the 18^th January 1883 at 86 Radcliffe Street, Liverpool. His parents were Matilda and James Richardson Trafford, a shipping clerk. The birth certificate shows that his mother had been married before, her name being ‘Matilda Trafford, late Kelly, formerly Blair’.

The 1891 census shows the family lived at 5 Upper Stanhope Street (Matilda, James and 4 children) with another 7 people listed as lodgers.

We know that James was a pupil at St James’s School, Toxteth and was a member of the 10^th Liverpool Boy’s Brigade.

The 1901 census shows the Trafford family were still living at 5 Upper Stanhope Street although Matilda was a widow and head of the household. She was working as a charwoman and had 5 of her children living with her. Alfred was 19 on this census and his occupation was boat builder. He served his shipwrights apprenticeship with Mr Philip Winram and Sons, Jordan-street, Liverpool.

The 1911 census doesn't show much change in Alfred's situation, he was 29 and still living at 5 Upper Stanhope St with his mother and siblings. He was still working as a boat builder.

Military information

A newspaper report of his death shows that Alfred J Trafford joined the 86^th Company, Royal Engineers on January 15, 1915 and on July 4 went out with the 11^th Division M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) arriving at Gallipoli on ‘the memorable Aug. 6’. 

The medal rolls show that he served with the Royal Engineers as a Pioneer with the regimental number 63668. They show that he disembarked 7/8/15 and died of wounds 1/11/15.

The Medal Index Card adds that he first entered the theatre of war Egypt on 7/8/1915 and was eligible for the British War Medal, the Allied Victory Medal and the 1915 Star.

He was in the 86th Company of the Corps of Royal Engineers, in February 1915 this company had been attached to the 11th (Northern) Division. They embarked from Liverpool on 30th June 1915 and landed at Lala Baba in Sulva Bay on 6-7th August which matches Alfred J Trafford’s date of disembarkation.  

The WW1 website The Long Long Trail has an explanation of what is a Field Company. and information on the 11th Division Gallipoli landings.

Death and commemoration

Information from UK Soldiers Died in the Great War (below) shows that Alfred died on 1st November 1915 at Gallipoli. The newspaper article shows that he died from a gunshot wound in Tigne Military Hospital on Malta.

Name:	Alfred James Trafford
Birth Place:	Liverpool
Death Date:	1 Nov 1915
Death Location:	Gallipoli
Enlistment Location:	Liverpool
Rank:	Pioneer
Regiment:	Corps of Royal Engineers
Number:	63668
Type of Casualty:	Died of wounds
Theatre of War:	Balkan Theatre
Comments:	86Th Field Coy., R.E.

Alfred J Trafford was buried in Malta, which was used as a hospital and convalescent base for the wounded from Gallipoli and Salonika. He lies in grave D.I.6 of Pieta Military Cemetery. His mother chose to have the following inscribed on his grave:

Lead, Kindly Light, Amid the Encircling Gloom. From Mother, Liverpool.

Click here to see the CWGC database entry for Alfred James Trafford

The following article was printed in the Liverpool Echo on 10^th Feb 1916:

The younger brother mentioned in the article was Corporal Henry William Trafford 12993 who served with the Grenadier Guards in France and survived the war. Alfred James had been a witness in 1911 when he married Ethel Sybil Lambert in St James's Church. 

Captain Thomas James Prichard M.C.

Captain Thomas James Prichard M.C.

Identification

There was only one result for T J Prichard in the CWGC database and it gave the 'other information' that he was from Liverpool.  A further confirmation that it is the correct person is the M.C. which is noted on the memorial and the CWGC entry.

Family information

Thomas James Prichard was born in Liverpool on 17th July 1894. He was baptised in St Cleopas' Church, Toxteth, on 8th August and the baptism record shows that his parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Jane Prichard and they lived at 6 Madeline St. Thomas was a Clerk.

In the 1911 census Thomas and Elizabeth Jane Prichard were living at 45 Tennyson St, Liverpool with their 6 children and Elizabeth's mother, Isabella Holden.

Thomas James was their eldest child, in this census he was 16 years old and working as a junior clerk in a shipping company office. His father was a bookkeeper in a fruit broker’s office. We know that Thomas James went on to work at the White Star Line company and was an employee of the company at the time of the Titanic disaster.

Military information

Thomas Prichard has an entry in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour, transcribed here:

PRICHARD, THOMAS JAMES, M.C. Capt., 1^st Battn. (4^th Foot) The King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) elder s. of Thomas Prichard of Prince’s Park, Liverpool, by his wife Elizabeth J., dau of Thomas Holden; b Liverpool co. Lancaster, 17^th July 1894; educ Liverpool Institute, where he was a member of the O.T.C.; entered the service of the White Star Line in 1910 while continuing his military training in the 6^th (Territorial) Battn. The King’s Liverpool Regt. Volunteered for active service on the outbreak of war and was attached to the Army Cyclist’s Corps; was gazetted 2^nd Lieut. The South Lancashire Regt 18 Sept 1915; promoted Lieut 1 July 1917 and Capt 19 Oct of the same year. Served with the Expeditionary Force in France from May 1916, being transferred to the King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) 28^th March 1916, and was killed in action near Arras 28^th March 1918. Buried at Fampoux. His commanding officer wrote: “He was killed while gallantly leading his men in action. Thanks however to the impetus he had given his men, the gap was filled and the line held by his company for the remainder of that day and the next until they were relieved.” and a brother officer: “He was almost worshipped by the men, who admired his wonderful quiet bravery under fire, his untiring energy out of the line in doing all he could to entertain and provide comforts, and his never-changing fairness to everyone and fearlessness in playing the game.” The White Star Line, in an appreciation of the deceased officer also wrote: “His death at the early age of 23 removes one who, in the short period he was destined to serve in the White Star Line, gave promise of attaining the same honourable position in the world of commerce that he achieved in the Army. Essentially thorough in all he did and gifted with an unerring memory, his somewhat serious manner covered a dry sense of humour which, coupled with a generous and amiable disposition, endeared him alike for ability and character to his colleagues.” He was awarded the M.C. (London Gazette 1 June 1917) for special bravery and coolness in an attack by a hostile patrol, and was twice mentioned in dispatches (London Gazettes 4 Jan and 22 May 1917) by F.M. Sir Douglas Haig for gallant and distinguished service in the field; unm.

The medal rolls entry for Captain T. J. Prichard M.C. shows that he was eligible for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal with the oak leaves emblem to show he was mentioned in despatches, he would also have received a certificate for each mention.

The medal index card shows that his father applied for his medals in 1922 and gave his address as 45 Tennyson Road.

Death and Commemoration

Captain Thomas J Prichard was killed in action on 28^th March 1918, aged 23. The fact of his death was noted in the war diary (below) but no details.

28/3/1918 In Trenches

Enemy attack N of R Scarpe, Battn occupied MISSOURI, STOKE & LOGIC trenches. Captain Pritchard killed. 2/Lts Murray, Frances, McCartney and McPhereson wounded. ESSEX lost heavily, 2^nd Lancs Fus and 1^st K.O. only left in Bde. Two Battn HQ in old Bde HQ LEMON TRENCH. Battn lost about 70 casualties in O.R.

29-31^st In the line. Battalion heavily shelled on 29^th.

There is not much information about him in UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

Name:	Thomas James Prichard
Death Date:	28 Mar 1918
Rank:	Temp Captain
Regiment:	King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)
Battalion:	1st Battalion
Decoration:	MC
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action

Thomas J Prichard was also commemorated on a plaque at his old school, The Liverpool Institute, this memorial was dismantled in the 1980s and lost then recovered, restored and rededicated on the original site (now part of  Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) click here to go to the Liverpool Institute Old Boys website which has information and pictures of the rededication.

Captain Thomas J Prichard was buried in a small military cemetery. Fortunately his grave marker survived until his body was exhumed after the war and he was reburied in Piont du Jour Military Cemetery, Athies in grave II.D.21. Other soldiers buried near him were unidentified and are now only ‘Known Unto God’.

His family chose to have the following inscription added to his headstone:

The Lord gave, The Lord hath taken away, Blessed be His name.

Click here to see the CWGC database entry for Thomas James Prichard M.C.

Probate and soldiers’ effects records show that Thomas J Prichard left his effects to his father.