Sidney Beckley
Unloading and reloading into motor transport vehicles
Sidney Beckley, taken around 1920. Photo kindly provided by his great niece Gail Wedgbury, with thanks to her and Jane Smith
Early life:
I am not certain of Sidney Beckley's date of birth, but he was baptised on 1st March 1868 in Aston Blank, also known as Cold Aston, in Gloucestershire. He was the second oldest of 12 children born to Paul Beckley, a railway signalman and Caroline Beckley nee Collett.
Sidney's baptism record
In 1871 the family lived in Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire. Sidney's older brother Jesse was with his maternal grandparents at the time. Sidney was three years old, his younger brother Edwin was a year old.
In 1881 they lived at Bartlet's Green, Randwick in Gloucestershire. Again Jesse was with his grandparents. Sidney and Edwin had been joined by siblings Minnie, Arthur, Flora and Edith.
The 1881 census
By 1891 Sidney had moved north, possibly due to work, as he was by now a railway signalman like his father. He was lodging at 35 Low Baildon. Shortly after, Sidney was back in Gloucestershire where he married Rose Fowler at Sandhurst on 23rd June.
Sidney and Rose's marriage record
In 1901 Sidney and Rose lived at 19 Woodhill Street in Shipley. They had twin daughters, Annie and Minnie who were born on 22nd March 1892, and Emily Gertrude, born in 1895. She was born in Carnforth, Lancashire, so I assume the family lived there between Gloucestershire and Shipley.
The 1901 census (Emily's details are on the next page)
By 1911 the family had moved to Keighley and were living at 44 Dalton Terrace. Sidney was still working as a railway signalman, for the Midland Railway Company. All three daughters were working in the worsted spinning mills - Annie as a twister, Minnie a folder and Emily a drawer. Rose's mother and sister were also with the family at this time.
War service:
From December 1916 until May 1919 Sidney undertook 50 convoys, of 3.5 hours each time, unloading and reloading into motor transport vehicles. There is no specific hospital mentioned on his VAD card, so I assume he would have been based at the railway station, being that he spent all of his working life as a signalman.
After the war:
Sidney died on 18th October 1926 and Rose moved in with their daughter Emily and her husband on Prior Street until her death in 1940.
Sources:
England and Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1913
1871 England Census
1881 England Census
1891 England Census
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938
England and Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
1939 England and Wales Register
