Sgt Ernest Driver, 6 West Riding Regiment

[bigronhartley]

Hello

I am seeking information regarding  Sgt Ernest Driver, 6 Bn and 2/6 Bn West Riding Regiment (Reg # 406 / 265017) who lived in the Keighley area. In 1911 he was living at 34 Crossroads, Near Keighley. He does have an entry on the original 1914 enlistment rolls (Keighley Library). His transcription entry reads : Address 196 Westgate, Status: Wife, Rank:  Lance Sergeant, No: 406.

He may have played for Keighley Rugby League Club between 1903 and 1914, an E Driver played at Fullback during this period. I would be grateful if anyone might be able to point me towards any records that might confirm this please ? Hoping there might be a Keighley Rugby League expert who can help. Thanks again for your help.

Regards

Ron

[ss002d6252]

Looks like E Driver's full name was Ernest Driver - from 1908

Craig

[bigronhartley]

Hello ss002d6252

Thanks very much for your interest, your help is much appreciated.

Regards

Ron

[ilkley remembers]

For anything to do with Keighley and the Worth Valley in WW1 I would suggest that you get in touch with Andy Wade who runs the 'Men of Worth' project. He is a contributor to this forum but also has a website https://www.menofworth.org.uk/. 

 

I do not know if Keighley Cougars have any records relating to men who served in WW1, although, I would be surprised if they did. Northern Union Clubs had a rather different attitude to the war than that shown by the RFU and certainly never subscribed to the 'cult of the fallen' that  for example the Yorkshire RFU showed. Rugby League in 1914 just as today was a hard game played by hard working class men

Edited 22 February , 2018 by ilkley remembers

[bigronhartley]

Hello

Thanks for the link, your help is much appreciated

Regards

Ron

[mmm45]

Ron he was Sgt in B Coy 2/6th WRR on the nominal in Cravens Part in Great War.

A couple of other Drivers listed on 1/6th nominal.

 

Hope you are well.

 

Ady

[bigronhartley]

Hello Ady

Thanks for the information. Long time no see, do you still get to Outwood ?

Regards

Ron

[Andy Wade]

Hello Ron,

I've been looking into this man and I'm pretty sure that he wasn't living at 13, Regent Street, Haworth (as in the newspaper clipping above). He was living at 40, Becks Road with his wife Mary Ellen Driver. For a period of about three or four years until enlistment he seems to have been living at Cross Roads, away from his wife and son. I did think he was just staying elsewhere during the census but he seems to have been living at Cross Roads there for a few years as he's there in the 1912 and 1913 electoral rolls.

There is another Ernest Driver born in 1885 who is living at 13, Regent Street in the 1911 census and he's definitely a different man. This moves me away from thinking that your Ernest Driver played rugby. I'll have to research each man to separate them out as there may be a third Ernest Driver living at 196 Westgate in Keighley who enlisted.

Electoral rolls for the Keighley district show a large number of consecutive yearly entries for Regent Street and Becks Road in the same years so this backs up my theory.

So far I have an E. Driver living at 40, Becks Road, married. He's in 'Keighley's Gallant Sons. I also have No. 406 Sergeant Ernest Driver living at 196, Westgate, in Keighley who was in D Company, 6th Bn West Riding Regiment and he's in the Enlistment records. No enlistment for the Regent Street, Haworth man as yet.

Gallant Sons and Enlistment records only partially match up which is a bit odd, I'd have thought that the compliers of 'Gallant Sons' got their information from the 1914 Enlistment records but there are quite a few men not in both lists. The date each list was drawn up may have a bearing on this though as Gallant Sons was published in July 1915 and it's a lot larger anyway with 1749 names against the Town Clerk's enlistment records which contain 654 names. I need to look at the actual Town Clerk's box to see if there any dates of compilation for these '1914' enlistment records.

Edited 23 February , 2018 by Andy Wade

[bigronhartley]

Hello Andy

Thanks very much for your help, it has clarified the picture significantly.  I think you are right, 2 separate men. The confusion was confounded by the fact that, on the 1911 Census, one is shown as an Iron Borer and the other an Iron Turner ! It would appear that the Haworth man is the Rugby League Player, I suppose it was wishful thinking on my part. Sgt Ernest Driver' s Mother-in-law , Sarah Jane Hartley , lived at 40 North Beck Street, Keighley in 1911. Would it be likely that there is a photo of Sgt E Driver and/or D Coy 6 West Riding Regiment in the Keighley Library Collections ? Thanks again for your help, it is much appreciated.

Regards

Ron