Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

If this is the right soldier we need to find the connection with Liverpool, ie why he is commemorated in a local church, or is it the wrong W Coles?

From the CWGC site
COLES, WILLIAM

Rank:
Serjeant
Service No:
3/11176
Date of Death:
15/05/1916
Age:
35
Regiment/Service:
Northamptonshire Regiment

1st Bn.
Grave Reference
III. M. 4.
Cemetery
ST. PATRICK'S CEMETERY, LOOS
Additional Information:
Husband of M. A. Coles, of 65, Alphonsus St., Old Trafford, Manchester.

Soldiers Died in the Great War has Sgt Coles as 'enlisted in Liverpool'.
Ancestry has two medal index cards for him with this number, one as Coles, Private, earning only a 1914 Star with Clasp, having entering a war zone on 12 Nov 1914. Most of those with this award were regular soldiers, or recalled reservists.
The second card omits the 's': Cole, and puts the rank as sergeant, earning the other two medals, Victory and British War.

D

No entry for that number in the Service Records to confirm the name of his wife.

There are a couple of possibles on LancsBMD, one in 1907 to a Mary A Mclean and the other in 1914 to a Mary A Baxendale, both of them appear to be Liverpool West Derby, Register Office or Registrar Attended, neither of course listed in the RC marriages so I suspect they were Register Office marriages.

In 1911 there is a William Coles of the right age (31) and single, a Cold Storage Porter, lodging at 64 & 66 Irlam Road, Bootle, don't know what this is but there are nearly 100 people lodging at this address.

There is a 27 year old Builder's Labourer for an Oil Cake Mill, again single, brother in law to Robert Sanderson and his wife Emma at 10 Butler Street, (lies between Boaler Street and West Derby Road).

Can't find any married to a Mary A, either in Liverpool or Manchester.

Think I'm onto something here -

The William we've identified was born in Cottingham abt 1880, enlisted in Liverpool. We think he already had military experience.

There is a pre-war service record for William Coles, b 1880 Cottingham, Northamptonshire.
In 1899 he enlisted in Northamptonshire Regt: private 5981 and served 12 years with the colours. Discharged at end of service November 1911 with 2 good conduct badges and Queen's Medal with 5 clasps. (This would explain why we can't find him in the 1911 census)

Service papers don't show a marriage but he did have a brother Thomas Coles living in Liverpool. The rest of his family were still in Cottingham (widowed mother Elizabeth and siblings) 1911 census shows a Thomas Coles, the right age, born Cottingham, living in Strathcona Rd and working as a railway shunter at Edge Hill married to Edith Mary (Ward) with 2 children.

So, we can tell a story of a soldier who went to live with his brother in Liverpool after he was discharged, possibly married Mary Ann Baxendale in Apr-Jun 1914 in Liverpool before re-enlisting with his old regiment... but a copy of that marriage certificate would be good to prove it and find out where he was living in 1914 (father's name was Francis, occupation labourer.) or can you think of another way to check it out?

He does appear in my Database of war dead with a Liverpool connection.

Northamptonshire Regiment Coles 3/11176 William Serjeant Liverpool 15th May 1916 Killed Husband of M.A. Coles, of 65 Alphonsus Street, Old Trafford, Manchester 10th June 1916

And it is a War Office Casualty List

Northamptonshire Regiment
Cole
11176
Sergt
W
(Liverpool)

Rank and File Casualty List 5th May 1916

All Privates except where otherwise shown

The town shown against each soldier's name is the home town of his next-of-kin, except when followed by the abbreviation "Enlt" when it is his place on enlistment.

His entry does not say "Enlt" so Liverpool was the home town of his Next-of-Kin.

If I am correct I have come across an article for him somewhere as I have him in Bold in my data base which I do when I have inserted something.

Echo 16 May 1917
Coles - In loving memory of my dear husband, sergeant William Coles (1st Northants) killed in action May 16 1916
In a far-off grave our dear one lies
not one of us near him to wish him goodbye;
but the angels in heaven are guarding his soul
Till we meet him again at the call of the roll.

Roll of Honour notice published in the Liverpool Daily post on 16th May 1916

No family information recorded, however my gut instinct has Liverpool connections. Don't forget the addition info on CWGC was from 1926. Ten years after he was killed.

Post crossed Amanda.

alcavtay wrote:possibly married Mary Ann Baxendale in Apr-Jun 1914 in Liverpool before re-enlisting with his old regiment... but a copy of that marriage certificate would be good to prove it and find out where he was living in 1914 (father's name was Francis, occupation labourer.)

This was a "West Derby, Register Office or Registrar Attended" marriage. Fingers crossed it wasn't a Register Office, who can suggest the nearest RC churches to the area and I'll put them on my list for look up next week.

Katie wrote:Roll of Honour notice published in the Liverpool Daily post on 16th May 1916

No family information recorded, however my gut instinct has Liverpool connections. Don't forget the addition info on CWGC was from 1926. Ten years after he was killed.

I think we've got enough proof that he had Liverpool connections, it would be nice to fill in some of the blanks though, and possibly prove that 1899 enlistment was the same man.

Amanda

MaryA wrote:

alcavtay wrote:possibly married Mary Ann Baxendale in Apr-Jun 1914 in Liverpool before re-enlisting with his old regiment... but a copy of that marriage certificate would be good to prove it and find out where he was living in 1914 (father's name was Francis, occupation labourer.)

This was a "West Derby, Register Office or Registrar Attended" marriage. Fingers crossed it wasn't a Register Office, who can suggest the nearest RC churches to the area and I'll put them on my list for look up next week.

One that comes to mind, fairly near to Strathcona Road, is St. Hugh's on Earle Road / Lawrence Road.

Thanks Karen, I've put it on my list to check that Church next week.

see this website "Cottingham Soldiers" for a very detailed and interesting write-up of William's family history. http://www.cottinghamsoldiers.org.uk/bi ... lliam.html

Amanda