BOWLES, Humphrey Charles Bradshaw

Lt. 1/3 Bn Sussex Battery R F A. Fought in Mesopotamia.

b 1880. (D C 15/7/1916 ‘Charles Eyre Bradshaw Bowles J P of Abney and Wirksworth, announces his son Humphrey’s engagement to Mary Evelyn Mather of Worthing’) Charles Eyre Bowles was the family solicitor for many of the farming families in Abney.

BOTHAM, Arthur

ă  541682 Agri Sub Work. b 1879 Brampton Chesterfield, in 1911C at Booths Farm, Hathersage (farmer) and also there on 1918 Absent Voters list, wife; Agnes. He was probably late (& old) in being called up and this possibly only happened when his son Stewart (b 1902 Hathersage) was considered old enough to run the farm at home.

BOSWELL, Frank

Д He was listed on the Hathersage Wesleyan Church Plaque, recognising those who had joined the forces, but nothing else has been discovered about his military history. b1888 in Bristol, he was a Railway Porter, who married December 1916 in Sheffield and died 1948. Their two sons were born at Station Road, Hathersage: Reginald J Boswell in 1920 and Charles E Boswell in 1922.

BOOTH, Joe

Pte 4185 3/4 Cheshire Regt T F discharged early on medical grounds. He had previously served in Volunteer Bn Gloucestershire Reg’t. b 1872 Glossop 1911C in Glossop a labourer, wife Pamelia Hodgkinson b Hathersage 1867. Example of another family who worked in the Hathersage needle factories, who eventually ended up moving to Leeds.

BOOTH, Percy

ß  ă  Щ  30893 Pte 2/4 East Lancs Regt. (DC  18/12/1917; Ill in Hospital), (DC 27/9/1918 – home on leave after recovering from Trench Foot). He is the flag bearer on the WHW2W photo p 54. b 1895 Hathersage. 1901C & 1911C living at School Lane, Hathersage with Elizabeth Smith (head of the household) and the Hallam family, together with his sister Myra, four years younger, children of Annie Booth (her mother was a ‘Broomhead’). Percy was a was a wire cutter in 1911. Address given as The Dale on 1918 Absent Voters list.

BOCKING, William James

Joined the Royal Navy PO Mech Eng. 18/10/1915 transferred to RNAS (Royal Naval Air Service). 6/12/1917 transferred to RFC as Officer Cadet. b 1894 Fenton, Staffs. Brother of Bernard BOCKING, John Webb BOCKING, and Selwyn George BOCKING above, and son of John Child Bocking b1866 Abney, and Mrs Sarah Bocking. His father who attended Cambridge and in 1911C was at Gnosall, Staffs, the Parish vicar, was the illegitimate son of Tobias Child, (of Furness House, Hathersage, now called Hawthorne Dene), the Victoria Works owner, and Mary Bocking, b 1846 Abney. Mary was sister to George Bocking b 1830, father to William and grandfather to William ‘Billy’ Bocking, who were the Clerks to Hathersage Parish Council, from its formation in 1894 until 1937. Billy had the corner shop opposite the Little John Hotel on Station Road, Hathersage.

BOCKING, Selwyn George

Rifleman 21 London Reg’t, later joined the RAF. He also served in the Royal Australian Air Force in WW2. b 1899 Fenton, Staffs, brother of Bernard BOCKING and John Webb BOCKING above, and William James BOCKING, below, son of John Child Bocking b1866 Abney, and Mrs Sarah Bocking. His father who attended Cambridge and in 1911C was at Gnosall, Staffs, the Parish vicar, was the illegitimate son of Tobias Child, (of Furness House, Hathersage, now called Hawthorne Dene), the Victoria Works owner, and Mary Bocking, b 1846 Abney. Mary was sister to George Bocking b 1830, father to William and grandfather to William ‘Billy’ Bocking, who were the Clerks to Hathersage Parish Council, from its formation in 1894 until 1937. Billy had the corner shop opposite the Little John Hotel on Station Road, Hathersage.

BOCKING, John Webb

✟ ≠ 2/Lt 3 Bn KOYLI, attached 2/4 Bn London Reg’t (Royal Fusiliers). He was awarded Croix de Guerre. KIA outright by a shell about 05.00 on 24/4/1918 only three days after his brother Bernard died. Remembered Pozieres Memorial, and also remembered at St Lawrence Church Gnosall Staffs.  b 1896 Fenton Staffs, brother of Bernard, above and Selwyn George and William James, below. Son of John Child Bocking b1866 Abney, and Mrs Sarah Bocking. His father who attended Cambridge and in 1911C was at Gnosall, Staffs, the Parish vicar, was the illegitimate son of Tobias Child, (of Furness House, Hathersage, now called Hawthorne Dene), the Victoria Works owner, and Mary Bocking, b 1846 Abney. Mary was sister to George Bocking b 1830, father to William and grandfather to William ‘Billy’ Bocking, who were the Clerks to Hathersage Parish Council, from its formation in 1894 until 1937. Billy had the corner shop opposite the Little John Hotel on Station Road, Hathersage.

BOCKING, Bernard. MC.

✟ ≠ 2/Lt 12 Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales Own) attached 11 Bn East York’s Reg’t. He first served as a 2/Lt with the London Regiment and joined the 12 Bn “Teesside Pioneers” in a draft of replacements in October 1917 at Moislains. Despite being a pioneer unit 2/Lt Bocking and the battalion were in the thick of the fighting at Bourlon Wood in late 1917 and during the enemy spring offensive of early 1918, where they fought on the river Lys. The break-up of the 12th battalion began on May 5th when 2/Lt Bocking and other officers and men were returned to the base depot at Calais to be redeployed. He was then attached to the 11 Bn of the East Yorkshire Regiment and was killed in action with them on 21/8/1918 at the age of 20. He fell in bitter fighting for the Outtersteene Ridge not far from Bailleul. Bernard Bocking’s grave can be seen today in Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension three miles south west of Bailleul, Pas de Calais. In August 1918 he was awarded MC for gallantry and devotion to duty. He died only three days before his younger brother John Webb was killed. He is also remembered at St Lawrence Church, Gnosall Staffs.  His obituary and picture appeared in the Staffordshire Advertiser 7/9/1918.  b1898 Fenton, Staffs, and brother of John Webb, Selwyn George and William James, below. Third son of John Child Bocking b1866 Abney, and Mrs Sarah Bocking. His father who attended Cambridge and in 1911C was at Gnosall, Staffs, the Parish vicar, was the illegitimate son of Tobias Child, (of Furness House, Hathersage, now called Hawthorne Dene), the Victoria Works owner, and Mary Bocking, b 1846 Abney. Mary was sister to George Bocking b 1830, father to William and grandfather to William ‘Billy’ Bocking, who were the Clerks to Hathersage Parish Council, from its formation in 1894 until 1937. Billy had the corner shop opposite the Little John Hotel on Station Road, Hathersage.

BOARDMAN, John

ß Щ Although listed on the Bible Class Board, research has failed to come up with anything conclusive on any military records. He was b 1881 in Castleton and 1911C he was in Sheffield, a general labourer. (Played Cricket for Castleton; DC 2/8/1913 and also for Hathersage).