Charles Richard Beasley Private 35004 9th Battalion The Kings Liverpool Regiment.

 There were 10 C Beasley casualties on the CWGC database but only 1 was from Liverpool so I have identified him as our man. I do not currently have a link to Holy Trinity Church but his family were Church of England and they lived at times in the Toxteth area. I'm hoping to find more information in the Industrial School or church records about the commissioning of the memorial.

Charles Richard Beasley was born on 18th July 1891 and baptised on 2nd August that year in St Clement's Church, Toxteth, the baptism record shows that his parents were John and Ellen Jane Beasley, they lived at 28 Dove Street and his father was a store keeper.

At the time of the 1901 census, the family lived at 178 Crown Street. John Beasley was head of the house, he was 44 years old, worked as a brewer's store-keeper and was born in Houghton, Leicestershire. His wife Ellen Jane was 40 years old and was born in Bala, Merionethshire (Wales). Their children were John William aged 16, Joiner's Apprentice, Arthur Peter aged 11, Charles R aged 9, Ellen aged 7 and Thomas Phillips aged 1. The children were all born in Liverpool.

The 1911 census shows the family were still living at 178 Crown Street and John Beasley was still a store keeper - brewery stores. Ellen's record shows that they had been married for 28 years and had 7 living children and 2 who had died. All 7 living children were at home with them, John William aged 26, single and working as a barman, Arthur Peter aged 21 apprentice - plumbing, Charles Richard aged 19 apprentice plumbing, Ellen aged 18 dressmaking, Thomas aged 11 at school, Ruth aged 8 at school and Robert Daniel aged 6 at school. (Clearly the 2 children who died were Ellen and Thomas Phillips)

Charles Richard Beasley's service records have survived in the Pensions collection. They shows us that he joined the Territorial Force on 31st May 1915. His address was 178 Crown Street, occupation plumber and he had no previous military service. 

This early in the war, it was still possible to volunteer for home service only with the Territorial Force and Charles's enlistment form is marked "Depot" suggesting that this is what he did. Towards the end of 1915 Territorial Force volunteers signed the waiver for overseas service on enlistment and later in the war the home-service TF were asked/required to sign it so they could be deployed overseas. 

Charles' medical assessment shows that he was 5 feet 7 inches tall (above average) with chest measurement 34 inches and 3 inches chest range of expansion. His vision and physical development were rated satisfactory.

Charles was first posted to the Cheshire Field Company Royal Engineers as Sapper 1009, on 14 Dec 1916 he was transferred to the 3rd Reserve Infantry Brigade, Brockton. 

On 9th January 1917  he was transferred to the 9th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment as Private 34949 and embarked for France then on 2nd Feb 1917 he was transferred to the 9th Battalion the King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 35004. 

After just 2 weeks with the 9th KLR, on 175h Feb 1917, Charles was admitted to the 2nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Wimereux, confused and with memory loss. He was diagnosed with General Paralysis of the Insane (which could be shell shock or syphilis) his condition rapidly deteriorated and on 20th Feb 1917 he was invalided to England on the Hospital Ship St David. 

On 23rd Feb 1917, Charles was admitted to the Lord Derby War Hospital, Warrington with General Paralysis of the Insane. Medical records show that he was "dull, confused and unable to talk much sense. His habits are wet and dirty. He is noisy and restless at night. He has slurring speech, tremor of hands and tongue and pupils immobile with light" 

The doctor also wrote "said by his brother to have been bright and intelligent 5 months ago." The Lord Derby War Hospital conducted blood tests and diagnosed Charles with Syphilis, the symptoms show he was suffering from neurosyphilis. It is estimated that about 6% of British soldiers had a syphilis infection during WW1, and of those who were hospitalised with neurosyphilis, about 87% died. 

Charles was discharged from military service on 14th April 1917 due to being permanently unfit for service. His disability was assessed as total and aggravated by active service. 

Charles Richard Beasley died on 28th March 1917, aged 25.

He was buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool in section C14, plot 597A. The grave has a family headstone and a CWGC headstone. 

The CWGC headstone reads:

35004 Private / C. R. BEASLEY / The King's Liverpool Regt. / 28th June 1917 age 25

The inscription on the family headstone reads:

In / loving memory of / Sapper Charles Richard, / beloved son of John and Ellen BEASLEY, / who died in a military hospital 24th June 1917, / aged 25 years. / *Tho death divides, fond memory clings.* / Also John, / beloved husband of Ellen Jane BEASLEY, / who died 4th November 1929, / aged 72 years. / *Only sleeping.* / *Beloved by all.* / Also of Ellen Jane, / beloved wife of the above, / who died 7th February 1937, / aged 75 years. / *Love;s last gift, remembrance.*

(The family headstone records his rank as Sapper, which was his rank for the majority of his service, and all of the time he was based in the UK, he was only a private from 1st Jan 1917.) 

George William Baxter Sapper 221401 18th Division Signalling Company Royal Engineers

 George William Baxter was born on the 26th September 1889 in Liverpool and baptised on 13th November 1889 in Everton, Liverpool.

In the 1891 census he was living at 15 Carmel St, Everton, with his parents George William Baxter (aged 28, lamplighter, born Liverpool) and Sarah Baxter (26, born Liverpool) plus his sister Susannah Baxter aged 3, his mother's brother William Hall (38, widower, Boilermakers labourer) and cousins William Hall (5) also his father's sister Susan Baxter (18, single)

In the 1901 the family were living at 28/30 Wellington Road, Toxteth, Liverpool. George William was aged 11 and was at home with his father, who was working as a Public House Manager and his mother. 

On the 29th March 1910. George William Baxter married Mary Elizabeth Colville.

Our soldier's parents were still living at this address in the 1911 census which shows that they had been married for 25 years and sadly, George William was the only surviving child out of 6 born to the marriage. He was not living with them any more though, as the census shows George William Baxter was living at 3 Palmerston St, Edge Hill, Liverpool. He was 21 years old, married and working as a bar-tender. His wife Mary Elizabeth Baxter was 19 years old and they had been married for 1 year and had one child who was 8 months old, a daughter named Ruth Baxter.  They also had a 'nurse child'  Francis Charles Williams aged 4, this was a term for what we would consider a foster child. The baptism for Francis shows that he was born to an unmarried mother (Elizabeth Williams) in a Catholic Maternity Home. Also with them for the 1911 census was Mary's mother Elizabeth Colville aged 44.

George William Baxter's service records have survived and they show that he enlisted in the Territorial Force on 11th June 1912, having previously served 12 months in the 5th King's (Liverpool Regiment). 

His son George Charles was born just 2 weeks later on 24th June 1912.

At this time, he was 22 years and 8 months old, living at 3 Palmerston St and working as an engineer for Elders & Fyffes. This was a pioneering company that used refrigerated ships to import bananas. 

George was 5 feet, 8 and 1/2 inches which was above average height for the time. His chest measurement was 36 and 1/2 inches with 2 and 1/2 inches range of expansion. His vision and physical development were both rated "good".

Sapper George William Baxter was embodied for service on 5th August 1914 as Sapper 221402 with the Royal Engineers. He embarked for France on 26th October 1914, returned to England on 12th February 1915 and then joined the British Expeditionary Force in France on 1st January 1917.

When George enlisted in June 1912, his engineering skills were assessed on as "Indifferent, 7th class" which increased by September 1915 to "Proficient, 4th class"

The only details given of his service are that he was originally in the Western Army Troops Signal Corps, Royal Engineers Territorial Force as sapper 669. He was transferred 11th January 1917 to the 18th Signal Company, Royal Engineers with the regimental number 221402.

His original enlistment was for 5 years and when that expired on 11th June 1917 he was continued in the service due to the Military Service Act of 1916. 

On 23rd March 1918, George was killed in action whilst serving with the 18th Divisional Signalling Company, Royal Engineers. The diary gives the monthly casualties as 2 killed, 3 wounded and 5 missing. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres memorial. 

His widow Mary, address 83 Park Road, Liverpool,  received a pension for herself and their 2 children of 25/5 per week, also her husbands medals and commemorative plaque. The paperwork shows that Mary, the children and George's father were living at 83 Park Road, Liverpool.

Unusually, William's will listed his legatee as "friend, Mrs Beatrice Cowell, 100 Caernarvon Rd, Eastham Rd, Norwich, Norfolk" so any money owed to William plus gratuities were paid to her instead of his widow. 

The following notice was placed in the local newspapers:

KILLED IN ACTION

BAXTER - March 25 aged 28 years, Sapper GEORGE WILLIAM BAXTER, Royal Engineers, the dearly-beloved husband of Mary Baxter and dearly-beloved son of G.W. Baxter and the late Sarah Baxter. 28 Wellington-road, Dingle - Sadly mourned by his sorrowing Wife and Children. Only good-night beloved, not farewell: Only a little while and all his saints shall dwell In hallowed union indivisible. Good-night.

The 1921 census shows that George William Baxter's family were living at 83 Park Road, his widow Mary Elizabeth, daughter Ruth, son George Charles and adopted son Francis Charles Williams, head of the house was Mary's mother Elizabeth Colville, George William's father was also at the house plus Elizabeth's sister in law Ellen Smith. 

Robert D Atkinson Private 11409 4th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment)

 Robert Atkinson was enumerated at the Holy Trinity Industrial School in 1911 when he was 14 years old. This record shows that he was born in Halifax, Yorkshire. 

There are, unfortunately, dozens of R Atkinsons commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Until I can get definite proof, I present the following details as the man I believe to be commemorated on the HTIS memorial. 

Robert Danson Atkinson was born on the 29th September 1896 in Todmorden, Yorkshire. His parents were Isaac Richard Atkinson (a stonemason) and Catherine Atkinson. He was baptised in Todmorden on 25th November 1896.

Newspaper reports from the Todmorden newspapers show that his parents marriage was not a happy one. 

17th May 1895 "Charged with Assaulting his Wife"

31st May 1895 "Deserting a Wife"

15th November 1895 "An Ill Mated Couple"

8th May 1896 "Charged on a Warrant with Assaulting his Wife"

Isaac and Catherine separated and Catherine moved to Liverpool, the 1901 census shows that she was boarding at a house in Stanhope St and was using her maiden name Harris and claimed to be single. I have not yet located Robert in the 1901 census.

After the census, Catherine married in Liverpool to Charles Doyle. 

Roberts father, Isaac, died in 1908.

The 1911 census shows that Robert Atkinson, aged 14, born Halifax Yorkshire, was an inmate of the Holy Trinity Industrial School in Liverpool. In the same census, his mother, stepfather and half-sister Lillian Doyle aged 8 were living in Edge Hill, Liverpool. His half-brother Charles Henry was born 1904 and died 1907. 

Robert's service records have not survived but we know from other paperwork that he arrived in France on 12th August 1914 and served with the 1st Battalion The King's (Liverpool Regiment) and the 4th Battalion of the same regiment. This early embarkation date suggests he was either already serving in the Army or was a member of the Territorial Force or Army Reserve.

Robert Danson Atkinson was killed in action on the 18th August 1916 while fighting with the 4th Battalion The King's Liverpool Regiment. 

The battalion diary for this date states:

18/08/1916

Fine. Heavier shelling enemy’s lines – men in front line withdrawn to supports -Barrage on enemy’s lines 2.45pm B + D Coys (companies) went over in 2 waves followed by C Coy in support and A Coy in reserve, Attack held up by enemy in false line + machine gun fire.

20^th R.Fus (Royal Fusiliers) came up between 6 + 8pm + took over front line + supports. Survivors of Battalion came in at dusk + battalion was collected in trench behind supports.

Captains SIMMANCE + BECK, 2/Lts GAULTER, NICKALLS + REID Killed – 2/Lts GOODMAN + GRAY missing. 2Lts VARNDELL + W.R.IRVING wounded. 48 men killed, 148 wounded, 22 missing. 2 men to hospital. 1 man to base under age. 4 men struck off + taken on establishment of other units.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show that Robert was buried in a makeshift cemetery with an identifying cross, which means his body was recovered soon after the battle. After the war his body was exhumed and reburied with a CWGC headstone in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval along with 40 other identified soldiers of his battalion who died in the same battle. 

Back in Liverpool, his family also commemorated Robert on a family headstone in Toxteth Park Cemetery. The inscription reads:

In loving memory of Charles Henry Doyle, who departed this life 26th June 1907 aged 3 years.

Also, Robert Danson Atkinson, beloved son of Catherine Doyle and stepbrother of the above. Who was killed in action 18th August 1916 aged 19 years 11 months.

Nobly he did his duty, bravely fought and fell, but the sorrows of those that mourn him, only aching hearts can tell.

It may be a soldier's honour for his country's cause to fall.

But we cannot think of the glory for the sorrow it has caused us all.

Robert was awarded the 1914 Star with clasp, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. The clasp on the 1914 star indicates that he entered a theatre of war before 22/11/1914.

There are some mistakes in the medal records for Robert as several have his rank as Sergeant and his date of death as 16/09/1914. His medal index card shows that his mother Catherine Doyle applied for his 1914 star, the address the medals were posted to was 108 Park Road, Liverpool. His mother also received a dependants pension for the loss of her son.

William Astbury 3598 5th (Reserve) Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment

Picture from a family collection shared online. The handwritten text says Pte William Astbury 1/5 D.o.W. killed 16th June 1915 aged 22.

 

William Astbury was born about 1893 in Liverpool. 

The 1901 census shows he was at the home of his uncle and aunt, George and Rosemary Jackson at 13 Fishguard Street in Everton, Liverpool. He was not accompanied by his parents. It seems that William was orphaned, and attended the Holy Trinity Industrial School in Liverpool. Somehow, he was adopted out to a couple in Yorkshire.

10 years later, the 1911 census shows that William, aged 18, was a boarder at the home of Walter and Ada Walton of Norristhorpe Lane, Heckmondwike, Yorkshire. His occupation was Hurrier which means he worked in a coal mine, transporting coal-filled tubs or carts from the coal face to the main shaft. Head of the household Walter was a coal miner so they probably worked together. There were several mines in the area but information from 'A Village Goes to War'* tells us that they worked for the Mirfield Colliery Company.

While the family lived at Norristhorpe, William attended the Congregational Sunday School in the village and gained a prize in 1913 for the best bowling average in the Sunday school cricket team.  He started attending the Ravensthorpe Congregational Sunday School when the family moved to 4 Craven Street, Ravensthorpe, in 1914.*

William's military service record survives and shows that he volunteered to serve in the Territorial Force on  14th December 1914 and was enlisted in the 5th  Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment as private 3598. He signed the waiver for overseas service and was embodied immediately. His enlistment papers state that he had never served in the armed forces or territorial force but there is a note of (reserve) made on his enlistment forms so it is possible he was already in the army reserve. 

William's medical form shows that he was aged 21 years and 11 months, was 5 feet, 5 and 1/4 inches tall and his chest measured 36 inches, expanding by 2 and 1/2 inches.  His vision and physical development were both good. 

William embarked at Folkestone for France on the SS Victoria just 4 months later, on 14th April 1915. 

Besides letters from his family, William received a printed letter from the Yorkshire Congregational Union and another one from a governor of his old Liverpool school which informed him that 220 ‘old boys’ of the school were at the front.  He wrote home on the 11th June when he reported that he was in good health, but looking forward to being relieved so as to get a good night’s rest.  He also described how they had been in the trenches for the past six days, and “….taking all things into consideration…. Had had a lovely time.”  The weather was hot but cool at night, the countryside  “….that is what we see of it looks very well and it is a great shame and disgrace to civilization that such a war goes on.”  Clearly eager for news from home, he asked for a weekly newspaper to be sent.*

His last letter home was written on 13th June 1915.  Possibly having a premonition of his death, he tells in the letter how he had been reading from his pocket bible.  His letter concluded with a quote:  “Be prepared for you neither know the hour nor the day when the Son of Man cometh.”*

The only other remark on his active service form is that William was Killed in Action 2 months later on 16th June 1915. 

The next letter Mr & Mrs Walton received was from Lieutenant Sykes.  He wrote that he was “…sorry to inform them that Private Astbury died that morning – 16th – June having been shot in the head whilst on sentry duty.  He was buried along with an officer by his comrades near the trenches.”  The war diary names William Astbury and Second Lieutenant Crowther as having been killed, with another private being seriously wounded.*

William's military records include his handwritten will which read "in the event of my death I leave all my effects to Mrs W Walton, No 4 Craven St, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, England. Private W Astbury 3598"   His medals, the 1914 Star, Victory Medal and British War Medal, along with his belongings of a New Testament, 2 letters and 1 postcard were sent to Ada Walton and she completed Army Form W.5080 - a declaration of relatives of the deceased soldier, the form shows that William had no living relatives. 

William is buried in Rue David Cemetery, Fleurbaix. 

*Extracted from the book A Village Goes To War – A History of the Men of Ravensthorpe who fell in the Great War Written By David Tattersfield – Published in 2000

Dr George Robertson Mill R.N.V.R.

The name on the memorial was Dr G.R. Mill, there was only one result on CWGC for this name and he was a doctor so I am certain it is the correct man.

Dr G.R. Mill RNVR photo courtesy of Wrig

George Robertson Mill
Staff Surgeon RNVR
died 11/2/1918 aged 37
Surgeon and Agent Birkenhead, Mersey Division
Birkenhead Cemetery

Son of James Cellars Mill and Helena Valentine Mill nee Finlayson. Husband of Ada Mary Mill nee Ashton of 14 Buckingham Avenue, Birkenhead. Born at Watford. MD Edin Hon. Assistant Physician Birkenhead Borough Hospital. President Birkenhead Medical Society 1912-1913

G.R.Mill was christened in Watford on 22 Aug 1880.

The 1881 census shows they lived at 1 Home Cottages, Pinner St, Watford
James C Mill was a railway clerk and born in Scotland
"Elena" (Helena) Mill was born in Germany, British subject
George R was 9 months old. (The census was taken on the 3rd April so George was born around July 1880)

His mother's death was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1883, she was 36 years old.
His father died in October 1883 aged 39 leaving George orphaned.

21 Nov 1883 Admin of the personal estate of James Cellars Mill, late of Fernside Villa, Bushey in the county of Hertford. Commercial clerk, a widower who died 18 Oct 1883 at Fernside Villa was granted at the principle registry under the usual limitations to George Mill of 59 Priory Place, Perth in North Britain, cattle dealer, the uncle and guardian of George Robertson Mill an infant the son and only next of kin.

The amount left by his father was £136 8s 4d

In the 1901 census George Robertson Mill was a medical student in Edinburgh and boarding at 32 Rankeillor St.

He was married in 1910 in Cheshire to Ada Mary Ashton and in 1915 lived at Ballavale, Park Road North, Birkenhead.

Entry in the Medical Register 1915

In the 1911 census, Ada Mary Mill, married less than a year, was a boarder at the Westminster Hotel, Shaftsbury Rd, Portsmouth. I assume George was busy with the RNVR.

Entry in The Navy List 1911

The Navy Lists 1910 - 1912 show George Robertson Mill as Surgeon, date of seniority as 8 April 1909
In August 1912 a symbol appears by his name which shows he was 'passed for staff surgeon'

November 1914 shows he was posted to 'Rewa'

Entry in The Navy List 1914

August 1917 honorary staff surgeon.

Entry i n the Navy List 1917

There is also an entry which has his date of seniority as 8 April 1917 and lists him as a Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander but this listing also appears in 1919. It does, however, match the rank on the only medal-index I can find for him.  I'll ask some experts about this as I really don't know about naval ranks etc



Mill, George Robertson of Ballavale, Park Road North Birkenhead. Staff Surgeon RNVR died 11 Feb 1918 at 7 Chetwynd Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead. Probate London 5 June to Ada Mary Mill, widow, effects £1930 8s 5d

click here to open the CWGC entry for Dr G.R. Mill

The research commences

I have started researching the names on this memorial following my usual practice of exhausting online sources before tackling the archives (besides, the Liverpool archive is closed for another month) and a few interesting details have come up.

I already knew that a lot of the names were men who had attended the Industrial School, and Capt. Chavasse's name is there due to his link with the school. It would appear that several of the other names are of men whose work in some way connected them with the school. I am hoping that the records of the industrial school will show whether they were patrons, volunteers or worked there etc. At the moment  I have one man who worked as an Assistant Medical Inspector (Health) for Liverpool, a doctor with the RNVR Birkenhead who was himself orphaned at a young age - he didn't attend this school but I can imagine he would have been interested in helping such a charitable institution, also a school master who in the 1911 census was working in a similar type of school for disadvantaged boys. Did he work at Holy Trinity Industrial School also? I hope that further research will clarify their connections to the school (or the church)

The connection with the school means that many of the names I have identified so far came from very disadvantaged backgrounds. Court housing was common in the streets around Upper Parliament Street and the appalling conditions in these places were well documented.  Quite a few of them were orphaned at an early age or lost one parent leaving the remaining parent with several children to look after. The census returns for the school show that not all the boys were from Liverpool. There are one or two from other parts of Lancashire, and a few from Derbyshire but, to my surprise, I found that quite a few of the "inmates" were from London. This is another puzzle that I hope the records will solve - why were boys from London attending a charitable church school in Liverpool?

I am pleased to say that despite my early misgivings about being able to identify these men without their first-names, the first routes of enquiry have shown a good number of them to be identifiable, either through unusual surnames or service papers surviving showing them living within a few streets of the church. I plan to finish this first stage myself then open up the other names to the local family history society forum for help. When I get to the archives I have a long list of things to look up but I will get around to the Holy Trinity records as soon as I can.

Tracking the journey of the memorial

The Churches Conservation Trust files for St James Church have been extremely helpful in tracing the journey of this memorial from Holy Trinity to the Slaughterhouse Pub. I can now say for sure that the memorial was in St James.

In 1978 a group of people visited the church and one of them noticed a wooden war memorial board laying on the stairs. They took a closer look and saw that it bore the name of  Capt. Noel Chavasse, MC & Bar. They contacted the CCT and the Liverpool Echo. Co-incidentally, the Echo had recently run some stories about Noel Chavasse.

Once their attention had been drawn to the memorial, the CCT arranged for it to be cleaned and returned to the church, they didn't know where it had been sited (It may never have been affixed to the wall) so they chose a spot for it and by Feb 1979 it was on the wall of the organ loft, facing the aisle.

There is no other mention of the memorial until a report from the architect in 1992 that whilst inspecting the damage from a break-in and arson attack, they noticed that the war memorial board had been stolen.

There were no photographs of the board but the fact that it had Capt. Chavasse's name on it, and the description of it as 'a framed wooden board' seem conclusive.

I assume that after being stolen the board was sold or dumped and made it's way to the wall of the Slaughterhouse Pub. Where did go after that? Is it in another pub somewhere, or in a private collection of war memorabilia?