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Wolverhampton's War

~ Lost voices from the Great War

Wolverhampton's War

Tag Archives: St Matthew’s Church

William Frederick Titley

22 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by heidimcintosh in Front Line, Men who served

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Birmingham Road, Blakenhall, Cockshutts Lane, Dudley Road Council School, Green Lane, Horseley Fields, Johnson Street, Jolly Collier, Moore Street, South Staffordshire Regiment, St Luke's Church, St Matthew's Church, St Peter's Church, Thomson Avenue, Walsall, Willanhell Road, William Titley

This blog post has been shared by Maureen Griffiths about her granddad:

***************************     

Born, 5th January 1891 – Died, 27th May 1918

Born on 5 January 1891, this baptism record from St. Matthews Church, is the first record we have of William Fred Titley.

Baptism Record For William

St. Matthews - Horseley Fields

St Matthew’s Church, Horseley Fields

The record shows he was baptised 22nd of January 1891, his mother’s name was Jane Titley (nee Wilkes) and his father was also named William Titley. His father was an “Edge Tool Polisher” at that time.

 

They lived in Moore Street, off the Willenhall Road, at the back of the old “Jolly Collier”. We have visited Moore Street recently and there are no houses remaining, there are only scrap yards and factories along its short length now.

School admisions RecordOn 13 February 1899 William Fred turns up in the register of Dudley Road Primary school, and their address is now given as 31 Green Lane, All Saints. Green Lane became the Birmingham Rd in the 1920s. The register shows that he left the school 19 October 1899 the reason given is that he “Left Town”.

William and his family certainly had left town, they turn up in Walsall on the 1901 census, it could have been William’s father looking for work, or it could have been other matters. The census shows the Titley family living at 10 Long Street Walsall, including parents William Fred and Sarah Jane. William’s older sister, Sarah, was born in 1888. There are also two younger sisters, Alice and Elise Maud. By the 1911 census we find the Titley household has moved to No. 33 Johnson Street, off Cockshutts Lane.

Both Cockshutts Lane and Green Lane were developed in the early 1920s, to become the Birmingham Road, running into Thomson Avenue. This was a public works project to find work for the unemployed in the area.

William was living in Johnson St. and working in a local factory as a brass polisher, when he met and married Ruth Smith in St. Luke’s Church Blakenhall on Christmas Day 1912. They had two children, a daughter, Elsie May, born 1913 when they were living at 99 Green Lane, and a son, William Fredrick Joseph, born in 1914, when they were living back at Williams parents’ house, No 33 Johnson Street. Maybe the family moved back to William’s parents house because he was about to enlist to fight in WW1, we can’t be sure. We do know that William did enlist in the 1/6th South Staffs Regiment and went off to fight in France.

Beuvry Communal Cemetery Extension 1918 3

Beuvry Communal Cemetery Extension with town and Church in the back ground.

On 27th May 1918 William Fredrick Titley was killed in action and is buried in Beuvry Communal Cemetery Extension 11 c 11. Beuvry, Department du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. He is also remembered in the Lady Chapel at St Peter’s Church

The 1/6th South Staffordshire battalion war diary covering the 27th May 1918 records that only one man from the battalion was killed on that particular day. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that this was Private William Fredrick Titley 17721. As a Private soldier he would have been on duty in the listening post which is described in the diary. The village of Essars, the area in which the battalion were stationed is just a short hop from Beuvry where he is buried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

George Tipple

09 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by heidimcintosh in Front Line, Men who served

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Devonshire Regiment, France, Frost Street, George Tipple, Leicestershire Regiment, Monmoor and Victoria Works, St Matthew's Church

The son of George and Ellen Tipple, George was born in Wolverhampton in 1900. He was christened in St Matthew’s Church, Wolverhampton on 31 January 1900. The family were at 13 Frost Street, Wolverhampton, by 1911, by which date George had six sisters, Ellen, May, Clara, Lily, Jane Ann and Kate. He later worked at the Monmoor and Victoria Works.

Although he was still young, George enlisted first with the Leicestershire Regiment (number 6/38503), and later with the 5th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment (service number 72154). Unfortunately, he was killed in action in France on 30 August 1918. He is remembered at the Vaulx Hill Cemetery in France, and is listed on the memorial for Monmoor & Victoria Works.

Henry or Harry Edwards

01 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by heidimcintosh in Front Line, Men who served

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Bayliss Jones & Bayliss, Bilston Road, France, Henry Edwards, Little Chapel Street, Midland Counties Express, Monmore Green, Northumberland Fusiliers, St Matthew's Church, Wesley Street

edwards-harryHenry was born in Wolverhampton in about 1898, the son of David and Mary Ann Edwards. He was baptised on 2 November 1898 at St Matthew’s Church, Wolverhampton. His father died, and his mother remarried James Wall in 1900. In 1901 they were living at 2 Wesley Street, along with Henry’s sister, Sarah Ellen Edwards and step-sister Annie Johnson. By 1911, they had moved to 24 Little Chapel Street, Monmore Green. Henry now had a step-brother, James Wall. At some point, he worked for Bayliss, Jones and Bayliss.

In 1915, at the age of 16, he enlisted in the 21st (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers (service number 19263). He was wounded, and died from these wounds in hospital in Rouen on 14 September 1917. This was reported in the Midland Counties Express on 6 October 1917, by which date his mother’s address was given as 242 Bilston Road.

George Arthur Chinn

09 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by heidimcintosh in Front Line, Men who served

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Bilston, Derry Street, Express & Star, Gallipoli, George Chinn, Silver War Badge, South Staffordshire Regiment, St George's Church, St Matthew's Church

The Express & Star article giving notice of the death of Frederick Chinn, also stated that his mother “is somewhat concerned as to the welfare of her son George Arthur Chinn, who is serving in the Dardanelles, and from whom she has not heard for some time.”

George was born in Wolverhampton in 1884, and was baptised at St Matthew’s Church on 19 October 1884. The family were at 8 Derry Street in 1891. Like his brother, he became an edge tool grinder. George married Annie Harley in St George’s Church, Wolverhampton on 4 August 1912, and they went on to have two children, Charles Arthur and Nellie, in 1913 and 1914.

On 13 August 1914, George enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment (number 10106). While in Gallipoli in August 1915, he started complaining of shortness of breath. The Medical Board that met on 16 November 1915 stated that he had suffered from rheumatic fever 13 years ago, and now had a cardiac hypertrophy, the “result of natural causes aggravated by the strain of active service”. He was diagnosed with “Aortic and Mitral Disease” and discharged on 21 January 1916 as no longer fit for active service. He was granted a Silver War Badge (number 79617) on 6 December 1916. Unfortunately, George died at the age of 33 on 20 June 1918, and is buried in Bilston Cemetery.

Charles Daniel Wedge, born Ettingshall, Bilston 1898

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by heidimcintosh in Men who served

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Bilston, Charles Daniel Wedge, Ettingshall, letters, prisoner of war, St Matthew's Church, volunteers, war medal

This post has been contributed by one of our volunteers, Lisa Gibbons.

Charles Daniel Wedge was born in Ettingshall Bilston around 1898. His parents Charles Richard Wedge and Zillah Lippett had married at St Matthew’s Church on 9th June 1899. Charles Richard (known as Richard) was relatively local, having been born and raised at Gospel End, near Sedgley. His mother Zillah was born in Felton, Herefordshire and had been in service to a family in Kidderminster prior to moving to Ettingshall.

Charles Daniel, known as Daniel, was the only son of Richard and Zillah, can be found living with his parents and sisters Evelyn, Zillah, and Mary Jane in the 1901 Census at 10 Westley Street. Daniel was only two years old – his parents would add a further daughter, Fanny, to their brood in March 1902.

Wedge's war medal record sheet

Wedge’s war medal record sheet

There are no records of attestation paperwork for Daniel. His war medal record sheet shows that he fought in the Machine Gun Corps (60008) and the Royal Field Artillery (295299).

The other interesting point is that Charles Daniel Wedge was taken Prisoner of War on 27th May 1918.

The following letter and cards were sent to his father, Charles, and sisters during his imprisonment. They were found in the 1980s in the box of photographs and cards belonging to his sister Mary Jane Wedge (who married James Maddocks).

Captured soldiers had the right to send two letters (of no more than four pages, though officers could write up to six pages) and four postcards per month. The stationary had to be purchased at the camp – and though these were the regulations the pressure of this mail caused the German captors to regularly withhold the sending and receiving of mail.

How different this is from today’s instant communication. The postcards that follow are just a little longer than a Twitter maximum length. How would today’s twenty years olds feel if they could only send four text or twitter messages a month?

The first card is undated by the Prison Camp and Daniel however there is a London postmark “July 6 18”. (Daniel had been captured on 27th May 1918)

6 July 1918 page 1

6 July 1918 page 1

6 July 1918 page 2

6 July 1918 page 2

Dear Dad and Sisters

Just a line to let you know I am feeling quite well and I don’t want you to take it hard over me being here for I shall take of myself. Will you let Nell know as soon as possible where I am for we can only send a card now and again and when you write can you put a fag or two in the letter for they are very hard to get. I am quite well…… (unreadable, obscured and feint) Will close now…..From your son Daniel.

This card was sent from Langensalza Camp. It is documented that this was not the best place to be, with records of British soldiers being shot after 11th November 1918. From subsequent cards it would appear that, fortunately, Daniel was moved.

From subsequent communications it would seem that the cards could take over a month (from writing) to be stamped in London, it would take several days, possible over a week to reach Bilston. The delay in communication must have been a source of frustration when a family knew that their loved one was alive and were desperate for news.

4 August 1918

4 August 1918

Daniel’s first card was dated 4th August 1918, in it he tells his Dad that a letter will follow, he writes,

“Dear Dad,

Just a line to let you know I am quite well hope you are in the best of health

Letter will follow later I have wrote to Nell and told her to tell you how things are going on, from your loving son Daniel

The following letter is dated 18th August 1918, the camp postmark is 30th August 1918 and the London postmark is 21st September 1918.

Addressed to Mr C. Wedge,

10 Westley Street,

Off Bilston Road,

Monmore Green,

Wolverhampton,

South Staffs

England

My Dear Dad and Sisters,

Just a line hoping to find you in the best of health as it leaves me at present.

Well Dad I would be very pleased if you would send me a few fags and I shall get them if you will send the money to W.D and H. O. Wills and they will make a parcel of them and send to me.

……………………………………….them       as possible. I hope Jim is quite well I sent him a letter just before I got captured. I hope he knows were (sic) I am. I daresay Mary has wrote to him & let him know. I sent a line to Zill and Eva but I have not had any answer from them yet. I can tell you it seems a bit strange not getting a line from home for 3 months. You need not worry to yourself how I am getting on for we shall be getting a parcel sent to us from the prisoner of war fund so you can see we shall be quite alright when they come. Trusting this letter will find you all well at home I will draw my letter to a close from you ever loving son, Daniel.

For

Xxxxx

Xxxxx

xxxxx

Jimmy

 

From Wedge

          Charles Daniel

Co.:    cPO1

Camp: 5901

Postmark London 12 September 1918      

18 August 1918 page 1

18 August 1918 page 1

18 Augudy 1918 Page 2

18 August 1918 Page 2

18 August 1918 page 3

18 August 1918 page 3

18 August 1918 page 4

18 August 1918 page 4

Notes: Of course W.D. & H.O. Wills were the tobacco merchants who made “Wild Woodbine” cigarettes and as Daniel cheekily points out the company would surely make a packet and send them to him if only his dad would buy them!

Jim is James Maddocks, his brother-in-law, (married to Mary Jane) and by the time this letter was written would have returned to the front line after suffering the effects of a gas attack (he served with 1/6th Staffords) which caused him to be sent away from the front for a short while.

Zill (Zillah) his sister was married by this time and lived in Wolverhampton.

Eva (Evelyn) was his oldest sister; she was married with four children, the youngest son being named Daniel, presumably after his uncle. She lived in Smethwick.

The kisses at the bottom of the page are for his nephew Jimmy (James Maddocks junior).

Several words have been faded (they were written in pencil) where they fall on creases and folds.

The story of Charles Wedge will be continued in a blog post next week…

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