A Sad Soldier's Tale - Sepia Saturday

A military group features in this week's Sepia Saturday prompt photograph.  A cue for me to tell the sad tale of Edward Stewart Ingram Smith -  my cousin's grandfather.

There were over 3 million British  casualties in the First  World War. Of the men who survived, their suffering could include  physical injury including loss of limbs, blindness, effects of gas poisoning, and shell shock (what would now be  termed post- traumatic stress disorder),  Many would not  talk about the war  or forget the scenes they witnessed  but their experiences affected their lives ever after.

One  such man was my cousin's paternal  grandfather Edward Stewart Ingram Smith (1871-1923).

 

 

Edward Stewart Ingram Smith on the back row, far right with his regiment the Liverpool Scottish.  An older man at 44, standing rather apart from his much younger colleagues.

Edward's Early Life 

Edward was a man of many parts -  boy soldier,  waiter, photographer,  and upholsterer.   In this photograph of him as a 20 year old young man, he has a sensitive and artistic air about him.

Edward was born in 1871 in Ceres, Fife,  Scotland, eldest son of John Ingram Smith and Isabella (Ella) Edward.   His Ingram middle name came from  that of the minister in the Shetland Isles  who had  baptized his  father - and was a name adopted by future generations of Smiths, who were very proud of their heritage on the island of   Unst - the furthermost northern point of the British Isles. 

In his early childhood, Edward experienced several moves across country  as his father's hotel businesses failed.   

Edward's daughter Ella  (who lived to the age of 99)  left notes relating how her father  wore the kilt until he was 17 years old, played the bagpipes and spoke Gaelic  He enjoyed art and painted in oils.  He was well educated  in Edinburgh and spoke with a soft lilting accent. 

On leaving school, Edward joined the army as a  Gordon Highlander, but did not settle and was bought out by his parents. 

 

By the time of the 1891 census, 20 year old Edward was  in Leeds where his father John  was manager at the Victoria Hotel.  Edward's occupation was listed as photographer. 

A further move by the family followed, as by 1901  Edward was working as a waiter at the Belvedere Hotel, South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire.     

 

In 1902 at Kirkham Registrar, near Blackpool,  Edward married Lily Beatrice Jones, 13 years his junior.   

   Four children were born to the marriage - Lily Ella, Arthur Stuart Ingram, Edith Florence and baby Edward who did not survive infancy.   Edward's interest in photographer is illustrated in the many delightful portraits he took of his children - with son Arthur,  in a "little Lord Fauntleroy"  outfit and a  mop of long fair curls.

 

 

Ella, Edith and Arthur

In the 1911 census, Edward's occupation was still given as photographer, but illness struck and Edward had to give it up.   He moved into upholstery, and eventually  opened up a furniture  business in Blackpool.
 
Called up to Serve

In 1915 at the age of 44, Edward, as a previously serving soldier,  was called up to return to the army. Determined to maintain his Scottish links,  he joined   the kilted Liverpool Scottish Regiment.  

 A serious looking family photograph, probably taken as Edward set out for war.   With Arthur's hair shorn of its curls. 

 

 

The sporran that Edward is wearing in this photograph is still held by the family, 

Edward served  in France, but was gassed and injured at the Battle of the  Somme. Wounded in action in the ferocious fighting in  the Battle of Delville Wood, (nicknamed Devil's Wood),  he was invalided back to England and hospitalised.   His daughter Ella related how he went to meet her  at the school gates and she did not recognize him, as his weight had dropped from 15 stone to 9 stone.

 Liverpool Scottish soldiers at Dellville  Wood.

An Army Discharge Certificate (the first time I have come across one) and Military Award Records show that Edward received the War Medal, Victory Medal and the Silver War Badge  to denote that he had been wounded in action. 

 Edward's army discharge certificate.  It is not a good image but I had never come across such a document before and was keen to feature it here.  

Life Post-War  

But following Edward's discharge,  family  life proved unhappy.  His mother died in July 1919 and at some point, he separated from his wife and children.  In searching local newspapers for an item on Edward's war service, I came across this report   of 24 November 1919 in "The Lancashire Evening Post"  It made sad reading:

One cannot  help reflect that having to return to active service at the age of 44 and face the harsh physical and mental conditions of the World War One battlefields took its toll on Edward, as on so many soldiers.   He died in 1923 aged 52.    His wife Lily survived him by a further 40 years and married for a second time.  

The photograph below shows an older Edward Stuart Ingram Smith with haunting eyes and a dispirited air - a  far cry from the smart,handsome young man of thirty years earlier.

 

 

 

        Adapted from a post first published in August 2016 

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Nessie Welcomes Visitors to Scotland - Sepia Saturday

 
This week's prompt photograph from Sepia Saturday is of a cartoon postcard, and I have  just the one to make you smile when you read the message!

The Background:   In Scotland there is a well known story that Loch Ness, south of the Highland town of Inverness,   is inhabited by a mythical monster.  Popular interest and belief in the animal's existence have varied since it was first brought to the world's attention in 1933.  It is thought to be a large, long-necked serpentine water-beast with one or more humps rising from the water.

 

Loch Ness

 

 Castile Urquhart on the banks of Loch Ness.

The Facts:  Loch Ness  lies 23 miles south of Inverness and is Scotland's second largest loch  after Loch Lomond.  Its deepest point of  755 feet) makes  it the second deepest loch in Scotland and it holds more water than the lakes of England and Wales combined. 

The mystery of Nessie is a gift to tourism bosses  and it has continued for decades drawing visitors to the shores of Loch Ness.  

My role in the myth?    For I used to work for the Tourist Board in the Scottish Borders and we regularly gave visitors advice on routes to take in touring the country  - a favourite one was to  travel north up the east coast, visiting  Inverness and then heading back via Loch Ness and the Great Glen  to turn south down the west coast.

 Was I feeding tourists to the Monster?  

No - our  motto was "to wow the visitor" with a friendly, helpful welcome. 

 

My first role  in 1978 in Hawick Tourist Information Centre

Note  - no computer, an old fashioned telephone and no uniform - just a name badge.  I was working in the town's main car park, in  a portacabin with no electricity and you had to make use of the public toilets across the car park.   One year the season was extended  into October and I was given a calor gas light which terrified me.  I was so afraid I would knock it over and set the cabin alight.

 A promotion in 1985  to the largest and busiest centre in the Borders at Jedburgh -  purpose built as a gateway to Scotland centre,  just 14 miles north of the border with England. I was no longer working on my own there and I had a  company of colleagues who remain friends today.  Things had moved on a bit,  though we were not yet into the computer age.  We now had a stylish uniform - which echoed the fashion then for all things tartan.

It was never dull,  as we helped visitors get the most out of  of their holiday and the work was a source of many  humorous anecdotes. I loved this job - meeting people from all over the world, answering questions, preparing displays, promoting retail sales, and compiling fact sheets.  I was in my element!

I  hope my visitors returned safe from Nessie's clutches 

with happy memories of their holiday in Scotland.

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Sources:

• Pixabay  for the  free images of Loch Ness
• Wikipedia
  

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               to share their family history through photographs

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A Walk on the Promenade - Sepia Saturday

This week's Sepia Saturday prompt is a vintage scene of people walking along the seaside promenade at Morecombe Lancashire.    

Here is  my mother and my grandmother  Nana Weston,    and myself, walking a walk along the promenade some miles south   at Blackpool, Lancashire,  in 1946. 

 

Nana with my mother and myself c.1946 on Blockpool promenade  -  the only photograph I have of myself with Nana.  

We lived in Blackpool, Lancashire, some distance away from my father's family in the English Midlands  and only saw my grandmother, aunt and uncles once or at the most twice  a year. In the  1950s few in the family had a telephone,  which was regarded as "for emergencies only". My father, though  was a regular correspondent with his family, and often spoke about his childhood. 

Sadly there there was little to no Weston memorabilia which was thrown out following a family death. 

Against this background, my father's family always remained shadowy and one dimensional with little beyond facts gleaned from basic  research, until more came to light through my cousin and  an internet contact. 

Mary Barbara Matthews - Her Early Life
My paternal grandmother (known as Nana) was born in 1876, the third of ten children  born to John Matthews and Matilda Such of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. 

My great grandparents John Matthews and Matilda Such  - Matilda's background was a complex one - the third illegitimate daughter of  her namesake mother Matilda Such - but that is  another story to tell!  My grandmother's middle name of Barbara is thought to be a tribute to  her mother's eldest  sister.

A few years ago,  I was amazed to receive, via my blog,  an e-mail from a Matthews connection through marriage;  moreover with  the wish to give family treasures to a direct Matthews descendant.  We corresponded, met  and spent a happy afternoon chatting about our family history research - and I was the lucky recipient of a presentation trowel and conductor's baton given to my great grandfather (above)  and a massive family bible,  reflecting John's close insolvent with Lanesfield Methodist Church, Wolverhampton. 

 iIlustrated pages in the Bible gave space to record family events,  headed by my great grandfather  - John, born 21st July 1843 at Cookley, Worcestershire, died 17th September 1918, aged 75 at Lanesfield  Parish in Sedgley, buried in the family grave at Sedgley.  He married Matilda at St. Andrew's Church, Wolverhampton in 1871.

 

 
 The bible also recorded  the long  list  of Mary Barbara's brothers and sisters, born over a period of twenty years:

• Alice Maud, born 1872
• John Percy, born 1874 - my father's Christian names.
• Mary Barbara, born 1876 - my grandmother 
• Fanny Elizabeth, born 1878
• Arthur William , born 1880
• Annie, born 1882 
• Samuel Albert, 1884
• Harry, born 1886
• Charles, born 1888
• James Alfred, born 1892   

But the  family suffered  the early loss of four of the children:

• Charles did not survive infancy, dying in 1889.
  
  
• Fanny Elizabeth,  the sister nearest  in age to Mary,   died tragically aged 33 in 1909, following an accident when her apron caught fire from a candlelight - as reported in "The Wolverhamptson Express and Star:  22nd September 1909.
  
  
  
  
  
• John Percy died aged 36 in 1910 - his namesake, my father,  was born in 1912. 
  
  
• Arthur William, aged 35, was killed in action in 1915 at Gallipoli - remembered on the Helles Memorial  in Turkey, leaving a widow and two young children. 

 

In the 1881 census, Mary was  5 years old living with her parents (above)  and sisters Alice and Fanny and brothers  John and Arthur.  Ten years later   at 37 Wood Street, Sedgley were three more children - Annie, Samuel and Harry, with 15 year old Mary described as "helping in shop".  Her father was an insurance agent and mother a shopkeeper - general. 

By 1901  another son James completed the family and 25 year old Mary was now working as "barmaid in a café".    Two years later in 1903 she married my grandfather Albert Weston.  

Mary's Married Life 
The  1911 census listed the young Weston family living at 33 Lunt Lane, Lunt Gardens, Bilston, Staffordshire.  In the household was  34 year old Albert  Ernest,   a stationary engine driver,  born in West Bromwich,  his wife Mary aged 34, born Bilston,  son Frederick Harry aged 5 , daughter Madeleine (always known to me  as Madge)  1 year old, both born Bilston  and Albert's brother Charles Henry, at 26 a boiler rivetter, born Wolverhampton.

My father was born in Bilston  in 1912 and a younger son Eric Charles three years later in Rugby.  Daughter Ethel did  not survived infancy. 

The family seemed to move around a lot and I have a childhood memory of Nana saying she had lived in 17 houses!  Around 1919 it was onto Broseley, near Ironbridge Shropshire, where Albert worked at the Coalbrookdale Power Station.  My  father wrote for me  lots of memories of their life there,and for him, it was clearly a happy time.  One recollection was:

"We had a palace organ  double keyboard.  Mum was very musical   and would play the organ on a Sunday night with Dad on the  violin,  - we sang either Methodist hymns or hymns from the Ancient & Modern Hymn Book."

Around 1929 the family moved again to Leicester, where eldest son Fred married Frances Green. Mary,  in the deep cloche hat, is standing by Fred's  side. That could be Albert at the back left, partly hidden; in front of him other sons Charles and John (my father).

 

 Nana with her eldest son Fred and is wife Fran, and my mother perched on the fence, Leicester, 1938.

I have only one  photograph of my paternal grandparents together - here taken at my parent's wedding in 1938. 

 

   

The 1939 Register (compiled in  preparation for wartime  ID cards) listed the Weston family in Leicester -  Albert was described as a Typewriter Works Storekeeper, with the note “Heavy Work”; his wife was noted as doing “unpaid domestic duties” and only Charles was living at home – a hosiery warehouse man

The war saw heavy bombing raids over over the industrial Midlands, and Mary and Albert were particularly devastated  when the newa came that youngest son Charles was a prisoner of the Japanese.  His father never recovered from this blow and died in 1947.  

Mary's Later Life
As a widow,  Nana made her home with her daughter, my Auntie Madge, now living in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. On our annual family holidays to the south coast,  we always stopped overnight to visit Nana there.   

 

 I have one funny recollection that has stayed in my mind  - of hearing my mother telling a friend that Nana,  on a visit to us in the the late 1950s,  criticised   the fact Mum did not polish  her husband's shoes and left him to do it himself!  

 

 Nana's 70th birthday - here with eldest son Fred 

and  his wife Fran. 

 

Mary Barbara (Matthews) Weston  - Nana -  died in 1958 at the age of 82. 
   

I must admit my memory of my grandmother is very sketchy - sad that in many ways I know so little about her, as a person.  For  she was part of me, and I surely must have inherited some of her  characteristics. 

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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity

to share their family history through photographs.

 

Click HERE  to read  more Memories  from Sepia Saturday bloggers.

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Postcards of Love from Flanders Field: Sepia Saturday

Continuing Sepia Saturday's August theme of "Postcards with Memories", I look back on on my family treasures - the cards my grandfather William Danson (1885-1962) sent  from the battlefields of World War One to his wife Alice, at home with their four young children in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. 

This first card below was posted  on 7th February 1918,    and I like to think was sent to Alice for Valentine’s Day.

 I never knew my grandmother who died when I was a baby.  Grandad was a taciturn countryman, who was working as a cattle man at the local auction mart when he was called up in 1916.  He was not given to flowery language, so the emotions expressed through these cards seemed out of character, but revealed his closeness to Alice.  In contrast the penciled  messages on the back were very prosaic.  

 

"Field Post Office - Feb. 7th 1918    

Dear Alice, received your letter allright.  I have landed back at the Batt and am in the pink.  I have had a letter from Jenny [sister] and am glad they have  heard from Tom [brother].  Your loving husband, Billy   XXX."

 

The "In the pink" phrase seemed to be a favourite term that William used in other messages as well. But not really I think, given the horror he must have witnessed.

"Batt" - I take it to mean the battalion.

"Blighty" in the address was used as   a nickname for Britain, or often specifically England.  It was first used by soldiers in the Indian army in the 19th century and was popularised in the First World War.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word derives from "bilayati", a regional variant of the Urdu word " meaning "foreign", "British", "English" or "European." or "Anglo-Indian".

A "blighty wound" was a wound serious enough to  require recuperation away from the trenches, but not serious enough to kill or maim the victim - it was hoped for by many, and sometimes self-inflicted.

 

 

 

 

"Field Post Office 29 April 1918

Dear Alice, just a line to let you know I am in the pink and hope all at home is the same. There is nothing that I want.  Will write again shortly.  Your loving Billy, xxxx."

 

My aunt thought this was a very "risque" card, and totally unlike her father! 

William and Alice, c.1916 

 

 

William's family back home

Alice with Edith, Kathleen (my mother), Harry and baby Billy . c.1916  

 

Below cards sent by William to his children for their birthdays 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A card sent to my mother for her birthday on September 8th.

 

"September 2nd 1917.    Dear Kathleen, I am sending you this card and hope you like it.  I  am well and  hope mother and baby is the same.  From your Dad."  

The armistice was signed 11th November 1918 and somehow I had the picture that all the troops immediately went home.  

 

But it was not the case. For the following two cards with pictures of Brussels were sent by William to his daughters in December 1918.

 

"24th December 1918.  Dear Edith, Just a card to let you know that I am in the best of health.  I am staying not far from the ?  that is on the card.  From her Dad XXXXXX"

 

 

"30th  December 1918.  Dear Kathleen,  I'm in the pink and hope mother and family are the same.  Will send a few more cards in a day or so.  From her Dad xxxxxx."

 

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Postcript

             William and Alice, at my own parents' wedding in 1938.  

 

The Dansons at a family wedding in 1941 - Edith, Peggy, William, Alice,  Harry and Kathleen (my mother).  Peggy was born after the First World War.  Only missing  - son Billy, who was serving in the navy.

 

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Sepia Saturday gives bloggers an opportunity

to share their family history through photographs.

 

 

 

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