2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. Service number 3/9430.
Previous service in the Boer war with 4th Yorkshire Regiment, service number 5011.
Early life:
George was born in Bingley in the latter half of 1877. His birth was registered in Keighley in the last quarter of that year. His parents were Rennard and Mary Goldsborough and they were both employed as worsted weavers.
In the 1881 census the family were living at 7, George Street in Bingley and George was aged three at the time. His siblings were: Elizabeth H., aged seven and a scholar; Emily aged four, also a scholar; William E., the youngest was just six months old.
The family suffered two great tragedies, when William died aged just one, recorded at Keighley in the last quarter of 1881, Emily died aged five in the first quarter of 1882.
By the time of the 1891 census the family were living at Hill Top near to Hainworth, above Keighley. This was quite a rural location and they would have had to walk a fair way to work at a worsted mill, This would either be up and down the rather steep road of Hainworth Lane if they were working at a worsted mill in the Ingrow area, or the gentler walk of a mile, along Hill Top Road to the Cross Roads worsted mill, also known as Bocking Mill. This mill was built by Thomas Henry Haggas, who later donated the land for Cross Roads Park.
At that time the family was father Rennard aged 43, a worsted weaver; mother Mary aged 41, caring for the family home; Elizabeth aged 17, a worsted weaver; George aged 13, a worsted dyer and the three youngest children were Lily aged eight, Miriam aged five and Florence aged three. Lily and Miriam were at school.
In the 1901 the family were living at 40, Pitt Street in Keighley but George was not with them. He would have been about 24 years old and we find him serving as a private with the 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment living at Sheffield Barracks on Langsett Road in the Hillsborough area.
The census states he was aged 22 but we are sure this is him as this is confirmed by an early Army service record. This shows that he had attested for six years service at Leeds on the 13th February 1901. He was single and employed as a moulder by Murton and Varley who were at the Anchor Iron Works on Sun Street in Keighley. This large foundry building was located where the Morrison's Supermarket Car Park is today. George gave his home address as 40, Pitt Street in the Parkwood area of Keighley and stated that he'd lived there for at least twelve months and had not previously served in any of the armed forces.
The medical records give a good description of him: Aged 22 years and four months, he was 5 feet 2,3/4 inches tall and weighed 122 lbs. His chest was 32 inches. He had a fair complexion with brown hair and greyish brown eyes and his religion was Church of England. He was declared fit for service and enlisted on 13th February 1901. His service number was 5011.
Note: the service record shows Queen Victoria, which has been crossed out and King Edward inserted. Victoria had died the previous month on 22nd January 1901.
Also worth mentioning is that he seems to have lied about his age which was 24, rather than 22.
George began his embodied service with the 4th Battalion on 3rd April 1901 and was disembodied on 2nd July. He was embodied again on 17th February 1902 and went to South Africa, serving there from 11th March to 5th September 1902 during which time he apparently had a near escape, when a bullet passed through his helmet. He returned home and was disembodied to the Reserve on 25th September 1902. He reported annually in 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906 until his time expired on 12th February 1907 when he left the Army.
The Campaign medal rolls shows that George was entitled to the Queen's South Africa Medal, first issued on 1st April 1901, although he had no clasps allocated to that medal. He was also entitled to the King's South Africa Medal and had two clasps, one for Cape Colony and also the 1902 clasp.
George was a bachelor when he married spinster Louisa Jane Hogan at Holy Trinity Church in the Lawkholme area of Keighley on 11th April 1903. He was 25 and working as a moulder and living at 16, College Street (off Cook Lane). Louisa was 26 and employed as a drawer, living at 2, Nightingale Street in the 'Birdcage' area of Keighley, near to Victoria Park. Their marriage was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year.
George and Louisa had four children at this time. They were Arthur, born 3rd November 1903, Rennard born 18th September 1906, Florence Elizabeth, born 29th September 1908; Frank, born 17th August 1910.
Baptismal records show that three of their children were baptised on 15th November 1908 at Keighley Parish Church. The family were then living at 12, Harcourt Street and George was still employed as a moulder.
A death record for a William Ernest Goldsbrough shows he was born in the first quarter of 1905 and died in in the first quarter of 1908 aged just three. He was buried in the new section of at Utley Cemetery on 27th January 1908.
An electoral roll for 1908 suggests that they were later living at 23, Cooke Lane and had moved to 17, Harcourt Street in 1908. They were probably renting and it seems quite common to move house regularly, perhaps at the whim of the landlord, or to a larger house to accommodate an increase in the size of a family. The 1909 electoral roll shows they'd moved to 12, Harcourt Street in 1909 although the slight discrepancy is likely to be due to the date these rolls were made up.
Their son Frank was baptised at Keighley Parish Church on 9th October 1910, when they were living at 27, Parkwood Street. George was still employed as a moulder.
In the 1911 census they had moved away from Keighley and were living at 10, Napier Street in Cononley. George was employed as an iron moulder, had been married to Louisa for eight years and had produced five children, four of whom were still alive. Their details were George aged 32, Louisa aged 35, Arthur aged seven, Rennard aged four, Florence aged two and Frank aged just seven months.
The census record shows William E. Goldsbrough's name crossed out and although he had been dead for three years, they clearly did not want to forget him, even though he could not be counted in the census.
A 1912 electoral record shows George living at 10 Napier Street in Cononley, having recently moved from 26, Park Lane Bottom in Keighley.
George and Louisa's sixth child was George, born on 20th July 1913.
War service:
Unfortunately there are no Great War Army service records for George as it's likely these would have been part of the Army records destroyed during the blitz in World War Two. We have been able to create a rough idea of his service from other sources. He is not listed in either the Town Clerk's 1914 records or in Keighley's Gallant Sons.
He volunteered at Keighley on 17th December and from medal records we know he was serving with the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment with the service number 3/9430. He would have had a period of training before entering France with the battalion on 20th March 1915 and being transferred to the 2nd Battalion.
He was killed in action whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion at FESTUBERT on 17th May 1915.
The Keighley News, Saturday 29th May, 1915.
A KEIGHLEY SOLDIER'S DEATH.
Private George Goldsborough, of the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment, has been killed in action. The information has been conveyed to Mrs. Goldsborough, of Back King Street, Keighley, by Lance Corporal Bugler, who in a letter states that Goldsborough was killed by a shrapnel bullet which pierced the heart. Private Goldsborough, who served through the South African war, leaves a widow and five children. He was a moulder employed by Messrs. Smith, Marks and Co., and rejoined the colours on December 17, having been out on France about two months. In the South African war he had a narrow escape, a bullet passing through his helmet, and in his letter Lance Corporal Bugler promises to send Private Goldsborough's pocket-book through which the fatal bullet passed.
Post war:
George was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service and these would have been sent to Louisa along with any personal effects. She would also have received a bronze war memorial plaque and King's certificate inscribed with his name.
As George's widow and sole legatee, Louise received her husband's remaining Army pay in a payment of £4 12s 6d on 17th December 1915.
She also applied for and received a dependant's pension of 27 shillings per week for herself and their five children who were Arthur, Rennard, Florence Elizabeth, Frank and George. The pension began on 6th December 1915 and the children's element of this pension would have been paid up to their respective 16th birthdays.
Louisa died at the age of 43 in 1918, her death was registered in Bradford in the last quarter of the year. She may have died in hospital.
A war gratuity payment of £3 on 6th May 1920 was paid to a C. Lockey Esq., who may have been the administrator of Louisa's estate on behalf of their children.
George is buried at Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner, Cuinchy in France.
A photo of his headstone is available on the Yorkshire Regiment website.
George is remembered in the Borough of Keighley roll of Honour, 1914 - 1918 which is on permanent display at Keighley Library. There is a George Goldsborough named on the St. Peter's Church war memorial at Keighley Civic Centre, which may be him. He is not named on any other war memorial in the Keighley area, or at Cononley.
In the 1921 census the children were not all together.
Arthur was 17 years and 7 months of age and employed as a cow man and living with Frank Throup and his family at Boxtrees Farm in Farnhill, near Skipton.
Rennard Frank and George junior were living with their widowed Grandfather Rennard at Slack Farm in Oakworth. Rennard was aged 14 and on farm duties. Frank and George were aged ten and seven and at school.
Florence was living with her uncle and aunt, Arthur and Elizabeth Brown at their home at 41, Fruit Street in Keighley, near to Dalton Lane. She was aged 12 years and 9 months and was a part time worsted doffer.
Note:
There are a number of records for George Goldsbrough. Some of them spell his name as Goldsborough.
Information sources:
England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription
1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census
England & Wales marriages 1837-2008
1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
British Army Service Records 1760-1915
UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales Births 1837-2006
National Burial Index For England & Wales
Transcriptions © Keighley & District Family History Society
1911 England Census
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War
British nationals armed forces deaths 1796-2005
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
1921 Census Of England & Wales