This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley's Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it's new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.
Second Lieutenant. "A" Coy. 1st/5th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers. Formerly Sergeant, Service number 1557.
Early life:
Arthur's parents were Edwin William Hinkley and Rose Hinkley née Cook who were married at Stamford in Lincolnshire in 1889.
They had three sons who were Thomas Edwin, born 1890, Arthur, born 1892 and Alfred born 1893.
Arthur was born on 26th October 1892 and the birth was registered at Stamford in Lincolnshire.
His brother Alfred was born a year later on 22nd October 1893, also registered at Stamford.
Their mother Rose Ellen Hinkley died of cancer on 1st May 1900, aged just 30. Her death was registered at Chelsea in London.
On 11th May 1900 the Lincoln, Rutland And Stamford Mercury published a death notice reading:
HINKLEY - In loving memory of Rose Ellen the beloved wife of Edwin William Hinkley, of 39, Mornington Street, Keighley, Yorkshire (late of Belmisthorpe, near Stamford), who died in the Cancer Hospital, Brompton, on May 1st, aged 30. "Her end was peace."
The family had already moved to Keighley by the time of the 1901 census and the three boys were Thomas aged ten, Arthur aged eight and Albert aged seven years. In the early part they were living at 1, Plover Street then seem to have moved to 39, Mornington Street in the North West Ward of Keighley by 1906 and their 32 year old father Edwin was a Railway goods agent. This side of Mornington Street has since been demolished and replaced with more modern housing, the even numbered houses across the road are still intact.
Also living with them was Ann Walker, a 65 year old widowed housekeeper who was probably caring for the three boys whilst their father was at work, probably employed at Keighley's Midland Railway Goods Station, off Cavendish Street and Lawkholme Lane, which is now mostly taken up by the Sainsbury's supermarket.
On 25th May 1901, 32 year old widower Edwin of 39, Mornington Street, married 27 year old spinster Elizabeth Sophia Welch of 13, Frederick Street, at St. Mary's Church in Eastwood, Keighley.
Eleven months after their marriage, on 14th April 1902 their son Harold was born and he was baptised at St. Mary's Church in Eastwood on 1st June 1902.
Sadly Harold only lived to the age of five as he died and his death was registered in Keighley in the last quarter of 1907.
Perhaps this tragic event spurred Edwin on to have his two sons Arthur and Alfred christened, (eldest son Thomas was in the Army by now) because they were both baptised together in a ceremony at St. Mary's Church on 16th February 1908. Arthur was 16 and Alfred was 15 at this time. The home address given for the family was now 13, Bronte Street in Keighley. These houses still exist today, across the road from Victoria Park.
Note - Electoral rolls for Keighley:
In the Keighley Electoral roll, Edwin was at 1, Nightingale Street in 1897, then he moved to 1, Plover Street sometime in that year and was there in 1898.
He moved to 4, Plover Street in 1899 and to 39, Mornington Street in 1900. It's likely that in these early years he was up here sorting out employment and a place to live for the family. His wife Rose Ellen died in this year and Edwin is missing from the Keighley electoral roll in 1901, but that is the year he married his second wife Elizabeth here in Keighley and they were here in the 1901 census.
In 1902 they moved to 13 Bronte Street and apart from a move next door to number 15, the family appear to be living on this street until 1909.
Looking at the census and baptismal records this theory matches up with the dates, although the electoral rolls only tell us where Edwin was resident at the time. For a good deal of the period between 1900 and 1909, his family was resident in Keighley with him and for that period Arthur and Alfred would have attended Eastwood School which was on Marlborough Street.
Employment as a railway clerk:
On 27th October 1907 Arthur was appointed as a junior clerk at Keighley railway, recommended by J. P. Watson M.A. and J Best. he was 15 years old and was on a salary of 7 shillings and 8 pence per week or £20 per annum. This was advanced to 11 shillings and 6d per week or £30 per annum on 28th October 1908.
A year later on June 1909, Arthur transferred to Goods Accounts at the Manchester office and his salary was advanced to 15 shillings and 4 pence per week or £40 per annum. His salary went up in October 1910, to 19 shillings and 3 pence per week or £50 per annum and finally to 28th October 1911 when he was earning £1 3 shillings and 1 pence per week, or £60 per annum.
He resigned from this employment on 27th July 1912. Before they moved to Bury, Arthur Hinckley had lived and later worked in Keighley for at least nine years.
By the 1911 census They had moved away and were living at 449, Walmersley Road in Bury, Lancashire. Edwin was a carrying agent of a railway company and Elizabeth was at home and they'd been married for nine years and had suffered the loss of the only child born to their marriage. Both Arthur aged 18 and Alfred aged 17 were employed as railway clerks and they would have been working at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway.
War service:
Arthur's Army service records are with the National Archives as he later became an officer, but as they are not digitised, we do not have access to them at this time. His service file is WO339/44306.
He must have enlisted fairly early on in the war because he was serving as a Sergeant with the 1/5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, when the battalion were fighting at the Gallipoli theatre from May to August of 1915. The battalion received notification that he had been promoted to Second Lieutenant on 5th August along with Sergeants C. Clarke and F. Whittam and this is recorded in their war diary.
A large assault was planned and an artillery barrage began at 9.10 am for half an hour, when the first wave set off to the first objective. They were quite successful. A second wave followed at 9.50 but had a much harder time of it with enemy machine gun fire. The advance of the first supporting line began at 10.00 am.
There was much enemy fire and in the process four officers were killed, including newly promoted 2nd Lieutenant Arthur Hinkley, one officer was wounded and two others were wounded and missing. 33 other ranks were killed and 29 were wounded.
Arthur has no known final resting place and is named on the Helles Memorial.
Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 October 1915. Page 10483.]General List.
The undermentioned from the Lancashire Fusiliers (Territorial Force) to be Temporary Second Lieutenants. Dated 30th July, 1915:-
Sergeant Arthur Hinkley.
Sergeant Cecil Clarke.
Sergeant Frederick Whittam (since killed in action).
Manchester Evening News, 1st September 1915, page 2:
BURY OFFICER KILLED.
A letter has been received by Mr E. W. Hinkley, of 449, Walmersley Road, Bury, from Captain G. B. G. Wood, officer commanding the 1-5th Lancashire Fusiliers, announcing the death of his son, Lieutenant Arthur Hinkley.
Captain Wood writes, under date August 15: Dear Sir, - Your son, Lieutenant Hinkley, was killed in action on August 7. He had only received his commission the day before. He was promoted for merit, and his gallant conduct in this and in fact on all occasions was very marked. He was a most promising officer, and his loss to the battalion is a very great one. I wish to express my own sympathy and that of all ranks of the battalion with you in your very great loss.
Lieutenant Hinkley was nearly 23 years of age. He served four years with the Duke of Lancaster's Own yeomanry, being a member of the Bolton Troop. He joined the 5th Lancashire Fusiliers about 18 months before the outbreak of the war. He held the rank of Lance Corporal when the battalion went to Egypt, and more recently he was promoted to sergeant. His two brothers are also serving the Colours, Lance Corporal Alfred Hinkley being in the 7th Royal Scots Fusiliers, and Private T. E. Hinkley in the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Post war:
Arthur left £106 in his will, which went to his father Edwin.
Edwin would have received Arthur's war medals which were the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, along with a bronze memorial plaque and King's Scroll inscribed with Arthur's name.
The soldiers effects record shows that Edwin received the sum of £106 10s 6d on 4th July 1916 and a further payment of £8 on 21st October 1919.
No records exist as to whether a dependants pension was paid after the war.
In the 1921 census Edwin and Elizabeth were living at 499 Walmersley Road in Bury. Edwin was an agent for the Great Central Railway and Elizabeth was at home. they also had a boarder, 22 year old Helen Jane Bruce, a sorting clerk and telegraphist for the General Post Office.
Edwin died on 20th June 1939 and left £102 9s 8d to Elizabeth in his will.
Information sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
1891 census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
England, Newspaper Death Notices, Stamford, Lincolnshire & Rutland, England
1901 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
UK, Railway Employment Records, 1833-1956
1911 England Census
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
Supplement to the London Gazette, 23 October 1915. Page 10483.]General List.
Manchester Evening News, 1st September 1915, page 2
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
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
1921 Census Of England & Wales
National Archives war diary for 1/5th Lancashire Fusiliers.
National Library of Scotland Mapping service.
