Stephen Harding, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, May/June 1916

[melliget]

This could be a wild-goose chase, as the information comes from a newspaper (The Times, 6 June 1916), but worth checking.

Two brothers, Thomas Harding (farmer) and Stephen Harding (soldier), drowned in the Preston and Lancaster Canal at Woodplumpton. Doesn't give a date but presumably late May or early June 1916. It gives Stephen Harding's regiment as North Lancashire (The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment).

I've done some searching of MICs, CWGC and Ancestry deaths, incl. HARDY and also ignoring first names, but can't find anything that matches.

Can anyone find anything?

Martin

[apwright]

The paper got the surname wrong.

GRO has the following for Apr-May-Jun 1916:
Hargreaves Thomas 34 Preston 8e 782
Hargreaves Stephen 32 Preston 8e 782

On CWGC (the Grave Registration Report says "was drowned in canal"):
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/373682/HARGREAVES,%20STEPHEN

Adrian

[melliget]

Thanks very much, Adrian. After further searching, I was starting to suspect that they'd got the surname wrong. I was trying to think of names similar to Harding. It would have taken a while to get to Hargreaves!

Worth a check than let one go unfound, though.

Thanks.

Martin

[PhilB]

I regularly cycle over the canal at Woodplumpton. It`s a lovely spot but I`ll think about these two next time! It`s a very rural area on the Fylde so I assume they were farm lads?

[BereniceUK]

From the headstone in St Anne's churchyard, Woodplumpton.

[melliget]

Lovely. Thanks very much for that.

[clk]

Given the reported circumstances, I'd presume that there was a Coroners Inquest into the circumstances surrounding their deaths. I don't know if a record would still survive, or if it does where it would be located.

Sounds absolutely tragic though.

Regards

Chris

[BereniceUK]

When I get the opportunity, I'll go to Preston Library and see if there was a local press report on the circumstances. But I can see that if their reason for jumping into the canal was in any way connected to conditions at the front - maybe the younger brother was depressed at the thought of having to return there - it might not have been allowed to have been made public.

Interestingly, CWGC has Stephen, the soldier, as married.

[clk]

Soldiers' Effects http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60506/42511_6117462_0058-00138/23479?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dUKArmyRegistersEffects%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26gsln%3dhargreaves%26msddy%3d1916%26msddy_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26uidh%3drc2%26gl%3d%26gst%3d%26hc%3d50%26fh%3d50%26fsk%3dBEEy85IIgADsWgAFKY0-61-&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults has Stephen as "Depot Loyal North Lancs. Reg. Pte 24647"; died "3.6.16. Newsham-with-Barton, Lancs. Drowned". Widow - Elizabeth E + child. Not entitled to War Gratuity payment, as under 6 months service.

Regards

Chris

[BereniceUK]

A date of death of 2nd June might be more likely, as seen on the headstone. I wonder why CWGC has the 3rd of June?

From the Lancashire Daily Post of Monday, 5th June 1916.

The same newspaper, Tuesday, 6th June.

 

Edit - These links no longer work

Edited 9 September , 2020 by BereniceUK