John_Hartley Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 William Fantom is commemorated on the main Stockport town war memorial. Press reports indicate his death from gas poisoning in October 1917 whilst serving with 6th North Staffordshires as a bandsman (and presumably stretcher bearer). The Fantom's are fairly well documented in the Stockport area so I am sure the name is right (and I reckon I've found his local birth in 1896). But, I can't him on CWGC, SDGW or the GRO for overseas deaths. Nor can I find a North Staffs man with this name. He doesnt appear to have died in the Stockport area (according to Cheshire BMD) and FreeBMD has no listings of the name for the wartime period. The press describes him as "formerly of Stockport" so I suppose he might have died elsewhere in the UK after being discharged. Anyone got any thoughts? TIA John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 John It doesn't fit in with your estimated DOB, but there's a death registered for a William Fantom, December quarter of 1917, Burton Registration District, ref. 6b 372. This man was 46 years old, but the place of death is not far off the mark? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 John i have found a William Fantom who died Burton district, but he is aged 46 - DC details are Burton 6b 372 he is the only Fantom listed for Q4 1917 Chris Looks like Sue was a tad in front of me Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punjab612 Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 John, GRO Deaths Index on findmypast has Qtr 4 1917 William Fantom Burton 6b (or could be 8b its a very fuzzy image) Page 372 Looks like your man was discharged and died in Uk Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 And it does look like the right man, as the 1901 census gives him as: Thornley Street, Horninglow, Staffs William Fantom 30 House Painter Mary Fantom Wife Alfred Fantom 10 Ethel Fantom 7 William Fantom 4 All born Stockport. Presumably you'd honed in on the son rather than the father? Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 He was the son of Joseph Fantom, a joiner, and his wife Elizabeth, living 5 Lord Street, Stockport [1881] Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 13 June , 2007 Share Posted 13 June , 2007 Just had a look at the MICs 15 Fantoms, but only one with the N Staffs - Alfred Fantom Private 241007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 13 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 13 June , 2007 Yep. Looks good. CheshireBMD gives me an 1871 birth registered at Stockport which would spot on for age. Time to dust off the credit card. Listen very carefully, I shall this only once....... ........Many thanks all round, you guys are the best. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 18 June , 2007 Author Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Well, the good news is that I've got his death certificate and he was house painter so it looks like he is the man Sue shows as living at Horninglow in 1901. He'd married Mary E Brookes in a civil ceremony registered at Stockport in 1889. The bad news is that his cause of death was nephritis which doesnt sound like a consequence of the gas poisoning reported in the press. As Chris points out the only North Staffs man is Alfred so that can't be him which means that, if he served abroard and was gassed it must have been with another unit. Then again, newspapers being newspapers, the report may be inaccurate. I think I'm going to have to draw a line under this one. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 John Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney. The word comes from the Greek nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation". Nephritis is often caused by infections, toxins, and auto-immune diseases. from Wikeipedia I have seen this on a few death certs of serving & ex serving soldiers & they have been accepted so dont give up chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 Medal card of Fantom, William H Corps: Cheshire Regiment Regiment No: 7822 Rank: Private... 1914-1920 WO 372/7 Medal card of Fantom, William Corps: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Regiment No: 29125 Rank: Private 1914-1920 WO 372/7 Medal card of Fantom, William Corps: Royal Garrison Artillery Regiment No: 82918 Rank: Serjeant 1914-1920 WO 372/7 Medal card of Fantom, William Corps: Royal Field Artillery Regiment No: 111424 Rank: Driver... 1914-1920 WO 372/7 Only 4 William Fantoms & the Cheshire Regt lad is my favourite chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon6640 Posted 18 June , 2007 Share Posted 18 June , 2007 John Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney. The word comes from the Greek nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation". Nephritis is often caused by infections, toxins, and auto-immune diseases. Often when the term "nephritis" is used without qualification, the condition meant is Glomerulonephritis, also known as glomerular nephritis and abbreviated GN'. This is a primary or secondary immune-mediated renal disease characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli, or small blood vessels in the kidneys. It may present with isolated hematuria and/or proteinuria (blood resp. protein in the urine); or as a nephrotic syndrome, a nephritic syndrome, acute renal failure, or chronic renal failure. They are categorised into several different pathological patterns, which are broadly grouped into non-proliferative or proliferative types. Diagnosing the pattern of GN is important because the outcome and treatment differs in different types. Primary causes are one which are intrinsic to the kidney, whilst secondary causes are associated with certain infections (bacterial, viral or parasitic pathogens), drugs, systemic disorders (SLE, vasculitis) or cancers. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest geoff501 Posted 3 September , 2007 Share Posted 3 September , 2007 The bad news is that his cause of death was nephritis which doesnt sound like a consequence of the gas poisoning reported in the press. As Chris points out the only North Staffs man is Alfred so that can't be him which means that, if he served abroard and was gassed it must have been with another unit. Then again, newspapers being newspapers, the report may be inaccurate. I think I'm going to have to draw a line under this one. Spotted this as I've just had the good fortune to succeed with an 'In From The Cold' died from nephritis. The newspaper also reported in his case gas poisioning. However no mention of this on the medical record, which turned up and got the result. (nephritis was 'particularily prevalent' where he served) Before this happened I was googling around to find more of this disease. I found a couple of contemporary papers (1916, 1919) that had studied it. It seems it was responsible for 10% of hospital admissions in certain areas and the cause was never really identified. Mortality was reported to be extremly low. Indian troops were comparativly immune. I also found a few papers written in recent years on 'trench nephritis' but did not have access to the online papers, which require a subscription. Any medical men seen these and can comment on whether the cause was established and what the eventual mortality figures were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 18 October , 2007 Author Share Posted 18 October , 2007 Just to round off this story, I found William's papers amongst the "pension" ones on Ancestry. He was discharged through ill health on 3 April 1916 - some 18 months prior to his death - and never served abroad. Story ends.... John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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