Thomas James Sorrell RE and Yorks Reg?

[Hett65]

Sapper WR/125512 Thomas James SORRELL RE died on the 27th March 1921 aged 42 years and is buried in a churchyard at Byers Green, County Durham; he has a CWGC headstone. The problem I have is that I cannot connect him to that village; the CWGC has his wife Lily living at 28 Aldam Street, Darlington which is about 15 miles away.

Information I have found is that he was born about 1879 at Redcar and he was a soldier by 1911 serving as Pte 7958 Yorkshire Regiment. He married Lily Greenwood (born Redcar) in the December quarter of 1911 at Darlington. I thought I would be able to trace his address in the 1921 census but he died 6 months before it was taken. If he has died at Byers Green I would have thought his wife would have him buried at Darlington which is the address on the CWGC.

I intend to try local newspapers to see if they have a report on his death, whether wounds or disease (possibly influenza); but I am wondering if anyone can assist me with anymore information on this man.

Thanks, John

 

[RaySearching]

Thomas James Sorrell 

was a pre war regular soldier he enlisted in 6/12/1904  (source silver war badge entry)    (2nd Bn Yorkshire Regiment 1911 census )

He entered the theater of of war on the 5/10 1914 with the Yorkshire Regiment at some point  transfered to the Royal Engineers 

he was dicharged from duty "sickness" on the 9/1/19 awarded silver war badge  he died at home 1921 of TB

Thomas  has two MIC's  the first one shows his earlier R.E. number

medal roll shows his three service numbers

 Dont know so  I cannot help why he is interred in Byers Green

Ray

 

[travers61]

Grave Registration documents on CWGC entry says he died of wounds (gas). 

 

When this GR doc was signed off on 2.3.1925 his widow is recorded as Darlington. Later amended to 28 Aldam Street, Darlington his army details added & confirmed as a war grave. 

 

Travers

Edited 25 March , 2023 by travers61

[RaySearching]

6 minutes ago, travers61 said:

Grave Registration documents on CWGC entry says he died of wounds (gas). 

His pension ledger card entry states he died of tubercolosis   ?

[travers61]

46 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

His pension ledger card entry states he died of tubercolosis   ?

I now see that card which shows when he applied for a pension in July 1920 it gives the disability as TB, for which he received a 100% pension.  At this time he was living at 66 Archer Street, Darlington.

The info on the CWGC grave Registration would be from 1925 when after being identified as a possible war grave on the March 1925 Grave Registration document, extra info would have been sought from locally, the vicar or his widow ?  So easy to see how it ends up as wounds (gas) if he was actually gassed as well.  Maybe at the time this type of cause of death was more likley to get a war grave than TB ?

 

The connection to Byers Green is probably the address on his widows pension cards possibly created soon after his death:

Mrs Lily Sorrell, 6 Adamson Terrace, Todhills, Willington, then amended to 2 Brunswick Street, Darlington.

 

Todhills is a very small hamlet just 1 mile west of Byers Green, so I would expect Byers Green was the nearest parish church & burial ground.

 

Travers

 

 

Edited 25 March , 2023 by travers61

[RaySearching]

12 minutes ago, travers61 said:

Mrs Lily Sorrell, 6 Adamson Terrace, Todhills, Willington, then amended to 2 Brunswick Street, Darlington.

Travers

The pension card you found was not showing up on my search of the pension records

I have just searched for Lily Sorrell and there it is

I think you may have solved  John's query

 

Ray

 

[Hett65]

Ray

Thanks for information on his MIC and entry to theatre of war and pension record etc.

Travers

Thanks for information on Sorrell and his widow, and you have answered my query as to why he was buried at Byers Green with him living at nearby Todhills.

John

[RaySearching]

The pension card is question which i believe was found by Travers

Image courtsey of the western front association fold /three

[Hett65]

Ray

Thanks for that information, it certainly answered my query, and also thanks to Travis on this one.

John

[travers61]

As further confirmation, his death is registered in Auckland Registration District which in 1921 included Byers Green.

https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/auckland.html

[Hett65]

Travers

Thanks, members of the GWF are so helpful in answering queries on soldiers, and this one had me stumped as to why he had been buried at Byers Green, and both your research and Ray's have been very helpful.

John