Private Thomas Gibbons

Private. 2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment) Regimental number 14857.

Previously, 3rd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment. Regimental number 2079.

Early life:

His parents were Peter and Ann Gibbons. Thomas was born in Keighley in 1880 although we did not find a definitive birth record, we did find a Roman Catholic Baptismal record of him at St. Anne’s Church in Keighley. This record shows he was born on 12th March and baptised at St. Anne’s on 16th March (with parents Peter and Anne.)

We could not find a record of Thomas in the 1891 census and he would have been about ten or eleven years old at the time.
His parents and other family members were at 28, Mill Street in Keighley, which was part of the Damside area of town. Mill Street ran from the front of the Royal public house (later, the Royal Oak) to High Street and used to be called Old Bridge Street. Not to be confused with today’s Bridge Street which back then was Old Bridge Street. Both bridges crossed the Beck with the noted Quebec footbridge a little bit further upstream. All of this was later demolished in a major clearance of back to back and slum housing.
The family were Peter aged 48 and a mason’s labourer; Ann aged 42 and a housewife; Margaret Ann aged 19 and a worsted spinner; John aged 18 and a worsted carder; Bridget aged 17 and a worsted spinner; Kate aged nine and a scholar; Anthony aged six and James aged five, both of whom were scholars. Also living with them was Peter’s mother Bridget aged 65.

Their father Peter (who was a mason’s labourer) died in 1895 and his death was registered at Keighley in the second quarter of the year. Thomas would have been aged about fifteen at the time of Peter’s death.

In the 1901 census they are living at 81, King Street in Keighley which runs from South Street, between the Woolpack Inn and what was then St. Peter’s Church. This house has also been long demolished although the last seven house numbers from 57 to 83 still have the lower half of their front walls retained for use as a boundary wall, complete with stonework blocking the doors and windows, plus visible chute holes originally for the coal deliveries. Ann is 53, a widow and head of the household. Thomas is aged 21 and a labourer at an iron works; Kate is 19 and a worsted twister; Anthony aged 16 and James aged 15 are both labourers at an iron works and 24 year old Edward Leonard who is Ann’s nephew, is living with them and employed as a stonemason’s labourer.

Thomas seems to have had a lot of trouble with drink and this led him to carry out other offences:

The Bradford Daily Telegraph, Thursday, 28th November 1901, page 6:

DRUNK ON LICENSED PREMISES.
Thomas Gibbons, a millhand, of King Street, Keighley, and Peter Roddy, a labourer, of Malt Kiln Hill, were summoned for being drunk on licensed premises. After evidence had been heard against them. fines of 10s. and costs in each case were imposed.

The Leeds and Yorkshire Mercury, Tuesday 11th February 1902:

GIVING HIMSELF A CHANGE OF AIR.
“Si tha lad, ah’ll gie tha a job. Ah’ve stown a pair o’ shoes, and ah hev ’em on mi feet.”
Such was the declaration of a Keighley labourer named Thomas Gibbons, to a policeman on Saturday night. The story was investigated and found to be true, and yesterday the Justices sent Gibbons to gaol for two months.

‘TRUTH.’ 20th February 1902, Page 469:

Keighley Police-court. Thomas Gibbons, charged with stealing a pair of boots. Two months.

On 8th July 1902 Thomas completed a militia attestation form to join the 3rd East Lancashire Regiment with the regimental number 2079, taking the oath at Burnley in Lancashire. At the time he was living at 1, Windy Bank in Colne, Lancashire. He gave his age as 22 years old and stated that he was a labourer employed by Thorpe & John son of Keighley. His medical details were that he was 22 years old with a height of 5 feet 5.1/4 inches and weighed 133 lbs with a 35 inch chest. He had a fresh complexion with grey eyes and auburn hair and his religion was Roman Catholic. The medical was signed and he was declared fit for the militia on 9th July 1902.
He was in training from 8th January to 25th August, then he was present for training from 8th June to 18th July 1903.
He was absent for training from 30th May to 25th June 1904. His absence was reported as desertion and this had been posted in the Police Gazette in July 1904.

Keighley News, Saturday 22nd April 1905:

A DESERTER.
Thomas Gibbons, a labourer, of Westgate, Keighley, was charged with having deserted the 3rd Battalion of the East Lancashire Militia, stationed at Preston. P.C. Elliot stated that he obtained a description of the prisoner from the “Police Gazette” for July 1904, and he met him on Cornhill Bridge of *Sunday. He was remanded to await an escort.
*Sunday was on the 16th April 1905.

His service record shows he rejoined on 17th May 1905 and he had to make good his absence from training.
He was present for the remainder of his time and attended from 15th May to 22nd June 1907.
His next of kin was his mother Ann of no. 91 King’s Street (actually no. 81) along with his brothers James and Anthony.

The Keighley and Bingley Chronicle, Friday, 23rd June 1905, page 23:

HEAVY PENALTIES FOR DRUNKENNESS
The Keighley Bench on Thursday imposed some very heavy penalties for simple cases of drunkenness and disorder. Thomas Gibbons, labourer, King Street, was fined £2 and costs for this offence in Mill Street; while a like penalty was imposed on Ed. Leonard, a labourer, of Smith’s Yard, for the same offence.
There were a large number of convictions against both men. The magistrates were the Mayor (Ald. John Smith) in the chair, Mr. R. N. Smith, and Mr. J. B. Summerscales.

Thomas clearly had a serious problem with alcohol and was convicted of a number of offences over the years including several thefts.
He was convicted by Keighley Borough Court for drunkenness and sent to HMP Wakefield on 30th July 1906 for 1 month with hard labour, with his sentence due to expire on 29th August 1906.

Shipley Times and Express, Friday 10th April 1908, page2:

In a charge of drunkenness at the Keighley Court on Monday against a labourer named Thomas Gibbons, it was stated that when locked up he asked if they would send him three years to an inebriates’ home. The Bench, however, fined him 5s. and costs.

The following prison sentence seems to have been issued in the same week for theft, but both sentences were reported in the same newspaper issue:

The Shipley Times and Express reported a further conviction on Friday, 10th April 1908:

Thomas was convicted at Keighley Borough Court for stealing 35 packets of cigarettes and received three months with hard labour at HMP Wakefield. His co-conspirators were Henry Flanagan (2 months with hard labour); Thomas William Smith (3 months with hard labour) and Patrick Jennings (2 months with hard labour.) Presumably Gibbons and Smith received longer sentences because of previous convictions.

Fast forward a year and Thomas was again in court:

Bradford Daily Telegraph. Monday 14th June 1909, page 3:

KEIGHLEY PRISONER’S VIOLENCE. AN ATTACK ON THE POLICE.
“There are no fewer than twenty convictions against the man, he is a very bad character.” This was the police record of Thomas Gibbons, labourer, of Beck Street, Keighley, given the Keighley Borough Court by Superintendent Tebbutt this morning. Gibbons, who is a well known local character, was charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting the police.
On Saturday evening Gibbons was drinking in the vaults at the Black Horse Inn, and the barman deemed it wise to eject him. He subsequently tried to force his way into the house, using very threatening language. Constable
Mitchell went up to the prisoner, and proceeded with him to the police station. On the way Gibbons became very violent, and near Stanley’s Stores the constable was tripped up. and thrown to the ground. The prisoner again tried the same tactics in the police station, succeeded in throwing the policeman, and serious assault was committed, which compelled Mitchell to strike Gibbons upon the shoulder. The officer also received a kick on the left thigh. With the assistance of another police- man Gibbons was taken to the cells.
Gibbons said that whilst he was walking to the station Mitchell got hold of his collar and said, “I want you, will give it you when you get on yonder.” Then he stopped and shouted, and the policeman hit him. He had only got nicely settled at work.
Superintendent Tebbutt, after reciting the man’s bad record, said he had been in the employ of Messrs. Hattersley’s as a labourer, and had not absented himself from work once since the 17th of May. In the cell Gibbons told him a similar story to the one he had told the bench, and he asked him if he wanted to see a doctor, to prove whether any assault had been made or not. Every opportunity had been given prisoner to help him to prove his case, if possible.
Gibbons was fined £1 and costs for the assault upon the police, and 5s. and costs for being drunk and disorderly

Bradford Weekly Telegraph. Friday 21st May 1910, page 4:

KEPT THE CHANGE. DISPUTE ABOUT HALF-A-CROWN. LEADS TO A CASE AT KEIGHLEY COURT.
Thomas Gibbons, labourer, Beck Street, Keighley, was charged at Keighley on Tuesday with larceny as bailee of 2s. 4d., the money of Stephen Tatham, labourer, Beck Street.
Evidence showed that on the evening of May 14th the prisoner met the man Tatham and asked him to lend him 2d. for a drink. He said he had half a-crown and Gibbons then said he would get the drink out of it and give him the 2s. 4d. change. When seen later Gibbons was in a drunken condition and refused to give up the change.
Today he denied that he ever had the half crown. He was found guilty, and a list of 23 previous convictions having been announced, sentence of one month’s imprisonment was passed.

In the 1911 census, Thomas was recorded at the Model Lodging House at 12, Turkey Street, He was aged 31 and employed as a painter’s labourer for a Master painter and decorator.
The same census shows Thomas’s 62 year old widowed mother Ann living at 1, Wharfe Street in Keighley with her daughter Kate (Catherine) Burns and her husband Herbert Burns and their two young children Nora aged one and baby Robert aged seven months.

The Yorkshire Evening Post. Tuesday 23rd July 1912:

A CANDIDATE FOR THE INEBRIATES’ HOME.
At Keighley, to-day, Thomas Gibbons, labourer, of one of the Keighley lodging-houses, was charged with being an habitual drunkard. Prisoner was sent to Cattal Inebriates’ Home for three years.
(This was four years after his request to be sent there in 1908.)

Cattal Inebriates Home was near Harrogate and had been set up in 1905 for the treatment of inebriates. Initially it was for men and women but as the percentage of men was far higher than that of women, the women were moved to a different institution and Cattal became used solely for the treatment of inebriate men.

War service:

If Thomas spent the entirety of the three year at Cattal, then he would have returned home in July of 1915, but since we have evidence to confirm that he joined the Army at Keighley on 23rd November 1914 then he was probably only at Cattal for a couple of years.

A partial Army pension record is available for Thomas but it has just three pages in it.

He enlisted on 23rd November 1914 and was in D Company of the West Riding Regiment with the regimental number 14857 and this is likely to be at Keighley. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion on 2nd December for his training and must have showed some promise because he was appointed to acting Lance Corporal (unpaid) on 16th April 1915 and posted again to the 2nd Battalion on 4th May. He received a boost to acting Lance Corporal (paid) on the 10th of May but something must have happened because he was demoted to Private for misconduct on 20th May. There are no further details of the misconduct charge.
162 days after enlisting, Thomas arrived in France on 14th May 1915 and would probably have joined his unit at the front shortly afterwards.

On 5th May 1915, the 2nd Battalion West Riding had been in the trenches at Hill 60 during an terrible gas attack by the Germans. All the men were badly affected and a large number of them died. The war diary reports that there were only three officers and about 150 men left after the attack. They had been relieved at the front line by the Cheshire Regiment and were now recovering in billets at Zevercoten Camp in Belgium. A large draft of almost 400 men had joined them on 10th May and a draft of 25 men joined on the 23rd May and it is likely that Private Thomas Gibbons was with this smaller draft.

On 26th May the Battalion moved to dugouts in trenches at KRUISSTRAAT and then to billets at DICKEBUSCH three days later and to trenches at St. ELOI by the end of May.

Thomas served with the 2nd Battalion until he was wounded in July 1916 which was reported in the Keighley News.

Keighley News 29th July 1916 page 5:

It has been officially announced during the past week that the following Keighley men have been wounded: West Riding: – J. Gibbons (14857.) [this should be T Gibbons]

There is no mention in his Army record, so we presume that whilst it was enough to be reported in a casualty list it was not a serious wound, and he returned to the Battalion shortly afterwards.

He was much more seriously wounded in early September 1916 when the battalion was engaged in fighting at St.Eloi:

WO95/1508/1/1. 1916. War diary for 2nd Battalion West Riding Regiment:

The Battalion was stationed in trenches near to the canal just to the East of ST.ELOI. This is a mile or so to the South East of Ypres.
August 27:
No. 2. Coy: Captain Treader Trench: 29.30. No: 3 Coy: Captain Sugden Trench: 31. Nov 4 Cry: Captain Davis. Trench: 32. H.Q. at The BLUFF. Machine gun and rifle fire active especially along the Canal side.
Casualties Nil. 2nd Lieutenant Elliott re-joins from Division. Lancashire Fusiliers on left. Canadian Division on right.
August 28:
Battalion in trenches. Quiet day. Weather dull. C.O. of the 75 Battalion Australian Infantry, visits the trenches, Machine gun and rifle fire very active at night. Casualties Nil. (1 pack pony wounded, Socks). Kings Own relieved the Lancashire Fusiliers on left.
August 29:
Battalion in trenches.
2nd in Command, I.O., 7th Bn. Australian Infantry visited trenches. Heavy shelling by enemy 3.15 – 4.15, caused material damage to trenches all along the sector. Casualties 1 O.R. killed, 3 0.R.’s wounded.
Heavy rain. Gas alarm sounded in distance to left about 10.30 pm. All quiet on our front. Our artillery shelled enemy transport at about 9.30 and 10.00 pm. Heavy thunderstorm during night. Major W. E. Keates, Temporary Major T. H. J. Gillam and Lieutenant F.H. King join Battalion for duty.
Relief by enemy of trenches opposite left of a sector reported to have taken place about 5:30 pm.
August 30:
Battalion in trenches. Very wet day. Advance party of 7th Australian Infantry arrived, at 2.30 am, or attached to Companies for 24 hours. Quiet day. Captain G. Macleod, R.S.M. Shepherd, C.S.M. Metcalfe presented with their medals by Divisional: General (Gen Lambton). Battalion relieved by 7th Battalion Australian Infantry. Relief complete 5.30 am on 31st. Casualties Nil. Draft of 2 OR’s joined Battalion.
August 31st:
Battalion in billets in POPERINGHE by 9 am. Battalion resting in morning. cleaning up in afternoon.

September 1st:
POPERINGHE.
Battalion in billets. Training carried on with under company arrangements. CO inspects the two last drafts in the afternoon. Casualties nil. Companies now commanded as follows: No 1 Company, Temporary Major T.H.J. Gillam. No 2 Company Captain BE. Leader. No 3 Company Major W.E. Keats.
September 2nd:
Battalion in billets. Training carried on under company arrangements. Lectures for officers by 2nd in Command and Medical officer.
September 3rd:
Battalion in billets. Town shelled by the long range gun between 9.15 and 11.30 am about 12 shells fell in vicinity of Battalion billets, one of which was actually hit. Casualties in battalion Nil. Church parade cancelled.
September 4th:
Battalion in billets. Training carried on under company arrangements & adjutant’s parade. Battalion ordered by 29th Division to find a working of 400 men to dig cable trenches near ST. JEAN. Major Gillam detail to OC party. Party leaves POPERINGHE by train at 7.30 pm. Party arrives by train leaving YPRES ASYLUM at 3 am. Casualties Nil.
September 5th:
Battalion in billets. In morning men resting after digging, men working on digging sent to baths. Having carried out in afternoon between 2 p and 4 pm. No digging party sent out owing to bad weather.
September 6th:
Battalion in billets. Training carried out in the morning under company arrangements. Digging party of 400 sent out in evening. Casualties, 3 Other Ranks wounded while working.
September 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th:
Battalion in billets. Training carried on between 2 and 4 pm. Digging as usual each night.
September 11th:
Battalion in billets, owing to lateness of return of digging party no training carried out. Smoke helmet drill alone practiced.
September 12th and 13th – No entry made.
September 14th:
Battalion in billets. Digging party set out as usual but returned at about 8.30 pm reasons not quite clear.
September 15th:
Battalion in billets. No digging on account of certain operations taking place. Training carried on in evening.
September 16th:
Battalion in billets. Battalion received orders to hold itself in readiness to move at short notice. Whole Division leaving by rail. At 11.30 Battalion parades for Corps Commander who made a frank speech to Battalion and detachment on parade. Battalion informed that it’s going back to the SOMME.
September 17th:
BERTANGLES. Battalion arrived on the SOMME (BERTANGLES) and were put in billets.
September 18th:
After heavy marching on previous day Battalion did little work, chiefly gas helmet drill with new box respirator.
September 19th:
Battalion snipers, Lewis gunners, Bombers and Runners classes started. Kit inspection carried out and also gas helmet drill.
September 20th:
Battalion practiced open order drill and attacking under company arrangements. Gas helmet drill and bayonet fighting also carried out.
September 21st:
Battalion practiced attack on a wood under company arrangements. Gas helmet drill and bayonet fighting carried out. Six Officers and two Other Ranks visited 3rd Wing Royal Flying Corps for instruction in aeroplane cooperation. Lieutenant Colonel R.N. Bray vacated command of Battalion through being admitted to hospital sick. Major C.J. Burke DSO took over command of Battalion. New drafts arrived, total 130 men. 100 of the men were originally belonging to 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers but were transferred to this battalion. The remaining 30 men were old Expeditionary Force men.
September 22nd:
Two practiced taking a portion of ground and rapid consolidation. Remaining two companies practicing open order drill and passing of orders. Gas helmet drill and bayonet fighting carried out. Six Officer and 34 NCO’s attended lecture on bayonet fighting by the Chief instructor of Gymnastics at Brigade HQ. New drafts inspected by the General Officer Commanding and C.O. A Battalion concert was held and very much enjoyed by the men.
September 23th:
Battalion trained as follows. Two companies practiced advancing under an imaginary barrage and also the final assault. Two remaining companies practiced taking a position and rapid consolidation, some work with special regard to points made by G.O.C. Draft of 12 other ranks arrived. (Chiefly old 2nd Battalion men previously wounded.) Signallers, Snipers, Bombers, Lewis Gunners and Runners trained under their own instructors. Officers and NCO’s attended lecture on “Aeroplane Cooperation” by a senior pilot.
September 24th:
Church services were held for all denominations. Men were allowed to rest after these parades. All available NCO’s and men attended a lecture on “Aeroplane Cooperation.” Three officers attended the 3rd Wing RFC and were instructed in Aeroplane Cooperation. They were allowed to have a flight. The men arranged an inter-company cricket match in the evening, which was a success.
September 25th:
Battalion practiced the attack in the morning. In the afternoon Battalion moved across country to CARDONETTE in attack formation. Transport moved by road. Battalion took over billets previously occupied by 1st Somerset Light Infantry.
[The next bit appears to be a repeat of the previous, but is transcribed verbatim] In billets. Battalion parade in morning. Battalion parades at 3 pm to move to CARDONETTE. Battalion moves across country in attack formation. Battalion arrives in billets about 5 pm.
September 26th:
CARDONETTE.
In billets. Battalion parades at 9 pm to march to LA NEUVILLE via QUERRIEU distance about 8 miles. Battalion arrived in billets about 12.45 pm. Billets crowded and not good.
27th September:
LA NEUVILLE.
In billets. Battalion parades in morning. “The Attack” practiced. Company training in afternoon.
28th September:
In billets. Company training in morning. Companies practiced the attack and consolidating a captured position. Company training in afternoon, musketry and bayonet fighting. Draft of 140 other ranks joins the battalion.
29th September:
In billets. Battalion carried out a practice attack and consolidating a captured position. Afternoon, Companies at disposal of O.C. Companies for rifle instruction and lectures.
30th September:
In billets. Company training and bathing in morning. Lieutenant Colonel R. N. Bray re-joins from hospital. Battalion carries out night marching exercise on Battalion training area.

Keighley News 23rd September 1916 page 3:

Private Thomas Gibbons, of the West Riding Regiment, and of 29, Barrett Street, Parkwood, Keighley, died in the East General Hospital, Brighton, on Thursday last from wounds received in action three weeks ago. He had been in France about twelve months, and formerly was employed by Messrs Summerscales, Limited, Keighley

Because the newspaper record says he had been wounded three weeks before his death that puts his wounding sometime around the end of August and the closest date that the diary gives is the date of August 29th detailed above, when one man was killed and three wounded from shells landing on the trenches. The man killed on that date was Private John Nelson of Steeton, which is actually just a couple of miles from Keighley.

Private Thomas Gibbons had sustained a gunshot wound in his back which broke his spine, rendering him paraplegic with severe loss of his bodily functions.
John Nelson had also suffered a back wound which killed him instantly, and that was on 28th August, so perhaps they were both wounded at the same time, although we can’t be sure about that.
This leads us to suggest that Thomas was wounded on August 29th and died on September 21st.
The war diary almost always mentions casualties and in most cases it says ‘Nil.’ There are only two occasions when it states otherwise. If Private John Nelson was killed by a shrapnel hitting him in the back it’s not outside the bounds of reason to suggest that Private Thomas Gibbons was standing near him and suffered a similar wound to his back but it just took three weeks for for him to die. The other two men probably survived, although we don’t have names for them.
The casualties mentioned on 6th September are certainly not three weeks away from the date of Thomas’s death, so we think that he was one of the casualties mentioned on 28th September.

The Keighley News, Saturday 9th September 1916:

STEETON. FOOTBALLER KILLED IN ACTION.
Private John Nelson, of the West Riding Regiment, and son. of Mr. Richard Nelson, Low Fold, Steeton, has been killed in action. The news was received in a letter, dated August 29, from Second- Lieutenant F. B. Reece, which was as follows: “It is with the deepest regret and sympathy that I now write to inform you that Private John Nelson was killed in action this afternoon. I expect you will have had the official intimation from the War Office before you receive this, but I want to convey to you my sincere sympathy in this bereavement, which is felt not only by myself but by all the rest of the platoon. Although he had only been with us about a fort night, Private Nelson had proved himself as smart and efficient as any of the old ones. He was always a willing worker and bright and cheerful under all circumstances. He was hit in the back by a piece of shell and died almost instantaneously. Please accept my deepest sympathy and regret.”
A friend of the deceased has also written as follows: “It is with the deepest sympathy that I am writing to tell you that Johnny was killed yesterday afternoon, August 28. He was hit by a piece of shrapnel and died in a few minutes. You have all the sympathy of his comrades in your bereavement, for he was highly respected by us all. I was only few yards away when he was hit, and it has felt a great blow to me, for we have been the best of chums ever since we were called up.”
Private Nelson, who was 29 years of age, enlisted last March and went out to France just short of a month ago. He was formerly a member of the Steeton Rugby and Association football clubs and was employed prior to enlisting by Messrs. John Dixon & Sons.

Thomas died in the East General Hospital on 21st September 1916 and was buried at Brighton City (Bear Road) Cemetery in grave number 53 in section ZIE. There is a typographical error for his age which was says he was 44 years old but he was actually 35.
His mother Ann added a personal inscription which says: “IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE OF MY SON. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.”

Remembrance:

Thomas is remembered on his gravestone at Brighton. Locally he is named in the Borough of Keighley roll of honour in Keighley Library and also on the St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church war memorial on North Street in Keighley.

Post war:

As his next of kin and the sole legatee in his will his mother Ann received his medals which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and the last two were returned and reissued due to his name being incorrectly inscribed ‘Gibbins.’ Ann would also have received his personal effects and later, a bronze war memorial plaque and King’s certificate inscribed with his name.
She was the recipient of his outstanding Army pay of £2 3s. 6d. which was paid to her on 21st December 1916. A war gratuity payment of £8 was also made to her, on 3rd December 1919.

Ann was aged 72 and living with her daughter Kate in the 1921 census. The address was 29, Barrett Street in Parkwood. The head of the household was Herbert Burns aged 36 with his wife Catherine Burns (Ann’s daughter Kate) aged 39 and their children Una aged 11, Robert aged 10, Mary aged 9, Bryson aged 7, James aged 6. Also living here was Anthony Gibbons, Thomas’s older brother, aged 37.

Ann was James’s next of kin and she would have received all of James’s personal effects, plus his medals and a bronze war memorial plaque and King’s certificate inscribed with his name. The medals were the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. There is no note to say that the clasp and rose had been issued for the 1914 Star so she probably did not get them. Ann also received his outstanding Army pay which amounted to $5 4s. 2d on 10th June 1915 plus a further amount of 8 shillings on the same date. She also received a war gratuity of £5 issued in 28th April 1919.
She also received a dependant’s pension which appears to be for 10 shillings per week, for James and his brother Thomas who had also been killed in the war. There are four pension cards but the information is scant on detail, so we suspect some information is missing.

Ann died early in 1934 and her death was registered in Keighley in the first quarter of the year. Her death was also recorded on the pension card on 30th May 1934.

Information sources:

England Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms.
1901 England Census.
1902 British Army Service Records.
West Yorkshire, England, Prison Records, 1801-1914
1911 England Census.
1914 British Army Service Records.
Wo 363 – First World War Service Records ‘Burnt Documents.’
British Army World War I Pension Records 1914-1920.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
British Newspaper Archive – several newspapers included.
Keighley news archives at Keighley Library.
Keighley’s Gallant Sons and Keighley Town Clerk’s Enlistment Records at Keighley Library.