Month: November 2016

✟ Щ  203005 Pte 2 /4 Bn Leicestershire Regt.  K.I.A. 17/4/1918, age 20 (WHW2W gives age 29 incorrectly.) (DT 29/6/1918 p4 Obituary & photo). Memorial; Ploegsteert, Belgium.  b 1889 son of William & Louisa Howe of ‘Chatsworth’ The Dale, Hathersage.  Lived variously at Gate House, Broadhay & Higger Lodge and a relative, Mr G Elliott, lived at Signings Farm, Windmill, Tideswell. His widow later lived at Toothill Farm, Hathersage.

Pte 22068 D Coy 3rd Bn Y & L.  GSW to thigh and hand.  Declared a deserter 5/9/1918.  b Sheffield. 1911C an unemployed labourer in Sheffield. His father, John Robert Howe b1851 Hazelford, was a drayman.

(Derby Daily Telegraph 24/9/1921; ‘Hathersage doctor awarded Red Cross War Medal’ for his work at Hathersage Red Cross Hospital’).  b 1878 Hendon Middlesex. 1911C living at Bradwell. He took over Hathersage Medical Practice following death of Dr Lander in 1916.

Pte 49851 Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt ) b 1898 Edgbaston, Warwicks. 1911C at school. His mother was Isabel Broomhead, b 1874 Hathersage (at Eastwood). He later became Consul for Nicaragua.

✟ ≠ 25848 Sgt 16th Bn Sherwood Foresters. (Man Evening News 11/5/1915; Derbyshire Police Constables join up, including Hooker of Hathersage). KIA 13/11/1916.  (Derby Daily Telegraph 1/12/1916; Sgt Hooker who served at different times with Derbyshire Police force in Brimington, Barrow Hill, Wirksworth, Hathersage and Bamford, and also as a private constable at Haddon Hall, has been killed in action. He was rescuing a wounded comrade when he was shot by a sniper). (DT 2/12/1916 p5 also served at Bakewell and was at Hathersage, from which station he joined the colours in the Chatsworth Rifles in connection with the Sherwood Foresters. Remembered on the Thiepval Memorial.  b1877 Market Rasen, Lincs. 1911C at Bamford, a police constable, although he doesn’t appear on their memorial.

ă 2/Lt R.G.A. b 1890 in Sheffield, 1911C living in Sheffield, an Insurance clerk. 1919 absent voters address given as; Stanage Cottage, Outseats, since demolished. Wife was Phoebe Kate Hall.

✟ ß Щ  2/Lt. 1 & 3 Bn East Yorks Regt.  K.I.A. 9/4/1917 age 21. Having breached the Hindenburg Line he was struck by a shell and died instantaneously at the Battle of Scarpe, near Arras. Grave; Wancourt British Cemetery, France, ref; 8-A-7, gravestone engraved; ‘HE IS NOT DEAD SUCH SPIRITS NEVER DIE’

His original war grave wooden cross hangs in Hathersage Parish Church. b 1896, a native of Meersbrook Park, he was educated at King Edwards VII School, Sheffield, where he was Head Prefect 1913-1914, and had been the goalkeeper and wicket keeper in both the schools XI’s. He took up his Classical Exhibition at Magdalen College, Oxford, for a term in 1914, before deciding he ought to volunteer for the army. Son of Robert Wilson Holmes & Annie of ‘Ivylea’ Roslyn Crescent, Hathersage.  (His mother was actually called; Sister Annie Holmes). He also lived at ‘Waysend’ Cannon Fields.  A relative was Miss J Haigh, Hoyland, Barnsley.  The family farm was at The Gate House, Upper Hurst, for a number of years. There is a photo of him p 28 of WHW2W.

Lt. 4 Bn Y & L. A bank staff record card shows that he joined the army on 2/8/1915 and was demobilised on 6/2/1919. He was a POW in Karlsruhe, Germany from 14/4/1918, and got back to England at the beginning of that December. b 29/4/1880  Heanor, Derbyshire. Edward Allen Holmes worked for Parr’s Bank which eventually became National Westminster Bank (NatWest).  The first ‘bank’ men to make it home were those who had been prisoners of war or internees. Many of them were back in Britain by December 1918 or early January 1919, not yet officially demobilised, but on leave. Some were in very poor health and needed time to recuperate, but others were anxious to resume normal life as soon as possible. E. A. Holmes of Hathersage branch was one. Although suffering from occasional headaches, his health was good, and by the end of the month he was helping out at the branch, assisting with the very busy six-monthly balance.

From the Royal Bank of Scotland archives (31/3/2015);- EA Holmes was born in Heanor, Derbyshire on 29 April 1880 and entered the service of Crompton & Evans’ Union Bank on 1 March 1897 at the Chesterfield branch. In March 1901 he moved to the Sandiacre branch. He was still there in December 1913. In 1914 Crompton & Evans’ Union Bank was acquired by Parr’s and he appears to have gone to work at Hathersage branch (a branch that had been part of the Crompton & Evans’ network). He is listed in Parr’s staff registers  at Hathersage branch for the full years of 1914-1916 and again from 1919-1922, Parr’s staff registers show that he moved on to Sutton-in-Ashfield branch on 15 May 1922 where he was chief clerk, until June 1923, when he became Manager of Hathersage branch. He continued in this post until October 1937 when he retired (age 57). Kelly’s Directory of 1925 and 1932 shows he lived at Bank House above the Westminster Bank.

(In 1918 Parr’s Bank was acquired by London County & Westminster Bank, and adopted the improbable name London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank. Unsurprisingly, in 1923 the name was shortened to Westminster Bank). The Hathersage branch closed down on 3/9/2015.

ß ă Щ  23200 Pte 1/5 D.L.I. (DC 4/9/1917 & 13/11/1917; reported injured).  b 1894 Hathersage. 1911C living at Church Road, Hathersage, a hackle pin scourer. 1919 absent voters address is School Lane (the same as Church Road). Father, Walter (b1857 Hathersage), mother was Selina Ronksley (b 1864 Hathersage), but no direct relation to Leonard Ronksley below.

ă 40903 Pte Prince of Wales Own West Yorks. Bandsman 99 West Yorks.  b 1895 Hathersage. 1911C living at The Dale, Hathersage, a nursery man’s assistant. Parents; Jarvis and Margaret Elizabeth. His sister Collette married Maurice Townsend (see below). Died 1/7/1949 and buried Hathersage. His wife Esther died 11/7/1969 age 72. His brother James Harold, married the daughter of Ernest Whitmore.