Family bible 1st Hunts Cyclists , Leave and railway ticket

[beestonboxer]

Brought a bible today with some newspaper clippings and a leave and railway ticket inside,the bible has the name Robert Oakley of Yaxley written inside and one of the clippings mentions a Lance Corporal Oakley of the 1st Hunts cyclist Battalion.

I have looked on ancestry but I cant find a mention of him would be very happy to hear from anyone who has any information.

Also in the pages of the book I found a newspaper clipping headed, STILTON MAN DROWNED , WHILE BATHING,HEROIC EFFORTS AT RESCUE, ONE OF THE HUNTS CYCLISTS.

The clipping describes the loss of a private Jackson while bathing and attempts by a LT and a private Ernie Hodson from Yaxley to rescue him.

Railway and leave ticket

[beestonboxer]

newspaper clipping

[IPT]

The drowned man would appear to be 393 Private Cecil Walter Jackson, born Stilton, enlisted Yaxley, died 28/8/1915 - http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2746300/JACKSON,%20CECIL%20WALTER

Ernie Hodson was very likely this man - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D2904849 There is an Ernest Edward Hodson, born 1897 and living at Cotswold Cottages, Yaxley on the 1911 census,

[beestonboxer]

The drowned man would appear to be 393 Private Cecil Walter Jackson, born Stilton, enlisted Yaxley, died 28/8/1915 - http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2746300/JACKSON,%20CECIL%20WALTER

Ernie Hodson was very likely this man - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D2904849 There is an Ernest Edward Hodson, born 1897 and living at Cotswold Cottages, Yaxley on the 1911 census,

Thanks for that information, I took a look at Ernie Hodsons medal index card and it shows he also went to france with Oakley , second regiment showing on MIC as Warwickshire Regt being 1/8th RWR his MIC shows entitlement to the TFWM

[Stebie9173]

The Hunts Cyclists, being a UK only Territorial regiment, provided drafts to other Regiments, with the Warwickshire Regiment being one of the main recipients.

The incident is covered on Martyn Smith's Hunts Cyclists website:

http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/

http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/Soldiers/J/Cecil%20Walter%20Jackson.htm

http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/Officers/L/J%20B%20Laurance.htm

Also a page about the battalion bands:

http://www.huntscycles.co.uk/Bands.htm

Steve.

[beestonboxer]

Thank you for the info good to put a name to the officer, have to say a good website Martyn Smith has put together regarding the Hunts Cyclists, will try and contact him maybe he has some info on Lance Corporal Oakley.

[Tink]

Robert Oakley was my great uncle, though his dad was also called Robert Oakley.
1927 he was living in North Walsham and stayed in the area until his death in 1969.

[beestonboxer]

Robert Oakley was my great uncle, though his dad was also called Robert Oakley.

1927 he was living in North Walsham and stayed in the area until his death in 1969.[/size]

Wow that's great, are you a local to Dereham in Norfolk ? did you have any knowledge of the bible? I brought the bible in Great Ryburgh near Fakenham Norfolk so it hasn't travelled very far. Do you have any other WW1 related items belonging to your Great Uncle ?

[beestonboxer]

Maybe Robert Oakley is in this newspaper clipping that was also in the bible , dated 1953 and titled as " A group of spectators at the sports meeting at North Walsham on Saturday"

The bible could possibly have originally belonged to his father as there is an inscription reading Robert Oakley Yaxley a gift of his mother sep 9th his 39th birthday 1910.

[Tink]

Robert Oakley known as Bob
Dated 1916 in the album

I'm not too far away, Cambs area.
I wasn't aware of his bible, though I do have his sisters given to her by their father Robert Oakley.

So this turns out to be my Great grandfathers bible.

[Tink]

Complete family photo

Robert Oakley (Bob) Standing middle
Robert Oakley Sitting (my great grandfather)
approx 1919/20 ish

[Tink]

News cutting

[beestonboxer]

Many thanks for posting the photos didn't expect to get such great photos of him, maybe the bible was in your family earlier as it was printed in 1837 , the first written name in the book is what looks like Elija Leach September 17th 1845 Donington Lincolnshire. Any Leach family members ? looks like he loved to play the piano - organ as both clippings mention him playing. Really appreciate you posting this information.

He looks so very young in the photo dated 1916.

[Tink]

Haven't come across the name but Bob's Dad Robert Oakley's mum's family lived in that area.

Bob was 22ish in the pic.

[Kitty55]

Hi Tink

Is Robert any relation to the brothers Oakley(six in total) - father and mother's names resp. Charles and Annie from Dereham?

Their names are according to the 1901 census - Walter; Charles; Arthur; Sidney; William and Frederick Oakley.

I'm just curious to know if you know anything about them - if they are, I've got some info and photos of them.

thanks and take care, Kitty

[Guest]

New to site - but have been researching the Hunts Cyclists for 40 years.  If you look at the MIC for R. H. Oakley - he is listed as HANTS Cyclists.  I have come across this many times and it would appear that the obit may not correct.  He had an association with Yaxley, where many Hunts Cyclists came from, so perhaps this is the point of confusion. Both the HUNTS and the HANTS cyclist has a shoulder title of a T [Territorial] over the word HUNTS or HANTS.  It is hard to see the actual wording on the shoulder title on the photo on this site, perhaps it is clearer on the original?  The drowning incident is documented on my website as per the links on the previous posts.