How did he get there?

[tamarazotherday]

My Great Uncle was in 1 Battalion Highland Light Infantry and

enlisted in Liverpool. How did a Liverpool lad end up there?

I thought you needed to be Scottish to join, or am I wrong?

His details are L/Cpl Alexander Green 11358 and he is listed on

the war memorial in Edinburgh castle. I have so far found no record

of his birth (and my granddad his brother) in Liverpool, where the

rest of his family lived, so I suppose it is possible he was born in Scotland.

My grandma always said we were Scottish one side and Irish the other.

I have his medal details and he is buried in Amara. I am struggling to find

anything else about him now.

[stoj22]

My grandfather was in the HLI and his brother was a Seaforth Highlander both were Leeds lads. There were many Englishmen in Scottish battalions and visa versa.

[DMannus]

Welcome 'the mar'as anotha day' (Norn Iron speak)

What's the Irish side? (Details)

David

[grantowi]

From SDGW:

Regiment, Corps etc.: Highland Light Infantry

Battalion etc.: 1st Battalion.

Last name: Green

First name(s): Alexander

Initials: A

Birthplace: Liverpool

Enlisted: Liverpool

Residence:

Rank: L/CPL

Number: 11358

Date died: 23 October 1916

How died: Died of wounds

Theatre of war: Mesopotamia

Looks like he was born in Liverpool

Grant

[amelialongcroft]

Could this be him from the 1901 census?

Alexander Green

age 9

residence Toxteth Park, Liverpool

place of birth Liverpool

living with

father John Green, 34, dock labourer, born Liverpool

mother Elizabeth Green, 33

brother Thomas, 13

brother John, 5

brother James, 2

There's another Green family living next door including father Alexander, a widower, age 36 and son Alexander, aged 13, also born in Liverpool.

[sotonmate]

Tamara....

Here a page from the Long Long Trail,at top left of this page,to fill you in a bit:

http://www.1914-1918.net/mesopot.htm

also here for his Brigade (9th Indian Infantry) and Division (3rd Lahore):

http://www.1914-1918.net/Lahore_div.htm

It might be of interest to see that he served with an Indian Division and that the Brigades of that Division were a mix of British and Indian Regiments.

Sotonmate

[stevew]

My Great Uncle was in 1 Battalion Highland Light Infantry and

enlisted in Liverpool. How did a Liverpool lad end up there?

I have a Gt gt uncle who was a born and bred in Lambeth and was a regular with 2/SWB, I often wonder how he ended up with the Welsh

Steve

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Welcome to the forum,

It was not compulsary for the county regiments to take people only from their county! Liverpool was the second city of empire, so probably all the regiments would recruit there. Also remember that the King's (Liverpool) Regiment had both "Scottish" and "Irish" battalions.

[tamarazotherday]

Thanks everyone, I have his details from all the military sources.

I've checked the census for Liverpool (Toxteth Park) but no sign of

him or my paternal granddad Edgar. But I found my maternal grandparents in

Pateley Bridge instead of Scotland, so nothing is going to surprise me. I'm

sure their records will appear someday. I'm trying to chase up his L.O.L membership

as all the family were orange lodge supporters. I'm hoping for a photo there.

I have his parents marriage cert. They are Alexander Green (plasterer)

& Mary E Watson. Grandfather was Edgar. (Even to this day we still have

family with those 2 names.) However, his father is listed as a bricklayer on

his brother's marriage cert. I'm starting to think there was another wife.

I'm sort of on a mission to remember Alexander and reading how they all

suffered is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, anyone who would have known

about him has long gone. I would love to know what happened to the telegram

and medals. (My son's first posting was Iraq so this sort of brings Alexander a

little closer to my heart.)

I would like to get a copy of his army records but would have to probably pay

someone to do that for me. But haven't really looked into that yet. My daughter

thinks I'm obsessed LOL.

DMannus - Nothing interesting so far on the Irish side just Johnstons & Sheridans.

[grantowi]

Heres the parents in 1891, in Liverpool

GREEN, Alexander Head Married M 29 1862 Slater And Plasterer Liverpool Lancashire

GREEN, Mary E Wife Married F 26 1865 Liverpool Lancashire

WATSON, Alice Mother In Law Widow F 60 1831 Liverpool Lancashire

Living at 6, 1 Court, Park Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool

If his records are on ancestry, some nice person might get them for you

Grant

[tamarazotherday]

Heres the parents in 1891, in Liverpool

GREEN, Alexander Head Married M 29 1862 Slater And Plasterer Liverpool Lancashire

GREEN, Mary E Wife Married F 26 1865 Liverpool Lancashire

WATSON, Alice Mother In Law Widow F 60 1831 Liverpool Lancashire

Living at 6, 1 Court, Park Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool

If his records are on ancestry, some nice person might get them for you

Grant

Hi, thanks for that. I've just signed up with ancestry again. They didn't have anything

last time I was on there. That is defo the right one as James Watson deceased is on their

marriage cert.

[grantowi]

Its a pity that the 1901 census has such a limited coverage on FMP, you should be able to find them on Ancestry

Grant

[Guest]

Hi tamaranortherday,

Yesterday I came across your post from 2008 regarding Alexander Green 11358, I note you say he is your Great Uncle!

My Husband (Alex Green) who is named after him, is his Grandson, making you his cousin, (took me all night to work that one out)!!

Did you ever find a photo of him, unfortunately I have not with all my searching.

Whats even more spooky is that it was his Birthday yesterday Grandad Alex, not Alex!!

If you are still looking for any info, maybe Alex could help.

As he died when Alex's dad was about two years old, he never really spoke about him.

Hope to hear from you soon

Jan Green

Edited 4 November , 2018 by Guest

[Guest lizamy]

Hi Tamaranorthernday and lillybet -

 

Came across the 2008 post the other day while searching the Green family from Liverpool. Alexander Green was my grandfather Edgar Green's brother or cousin - family history is a bit hazy and my father died in 1965, leaving a trail of half-remembered family stories. My husband has looked into Alexander's story, and we know that he had served in Ypres, I think, the previous year and had received a facial injury and fracture. When well he rejoined his colleagues and they were transferred to Iraq, where he was mortally wounded. We believe that he was buried out there. My husband has found on-line copies of some material on him.

 

I must dig out the info we have on the family tree, which would clarify whether he was grandfather Edgar's brother or cousin. It doesn't help that the names Edgar and Alexander were very common in this Green family. Alexander - not a common name in 19th century Liverpool - comes down the generations from Alexander McDonald, born in Scotland, whose daughter Louisa married into the Green family in about 1865. Even now one of my grandsons is called Tristan Alexander. It also explains why there was a link with Scottish regiments - my own father, born in Liverpool, joined the Royal Scots in about 1920.

 

I'm also aware that as several are working on Green family members, and this site is anonymous, I could find myself talking to people I send Christmas cards to! But I don't think so yet!

 

Best wishes!