Burial details sought - WW1 ex Soldier, died 1917

[daggers]

This query is brought in slightly edited form from another Forum, whose members were helpful in the Case of the Melling Memorial and the Tracing of Messrs Asquith.

ALFRED ELLISON McDOWELL’s birth was registered West Derby 1881, and he was sometimes spelled McDowall. He was married at United Methodist Church, Walton in 1911 to Edith nee Roberts, and children were born and registered at Ormskirk in 1911 and 1915.
He was a teacher, then a journalist, from 1910 managing a branch of the Ormskirk Advertiser [perhaps at Formby] and wrote for the West Lancs Coast Advertiser.
In 1915 he enlisted in the Army Service Corps, giving his address as 26 Formby Street, Formby. His wife may have moved to Walton to be near her own family, as the birth of a third child was registered there in January 1916..
From 1915 he served in France but was invalided to the UK in March 1917 with tuberculosis. His death certificate shows that he died at the City Hospital, Park Hill, Toxteth Park on 12 September 1917 aged 36. [I have had details of this via an earlier thread.] The informant was his wife, whose address was given as 146 Stuart Road, Walton.
There are obituary notices in the Formby Times for 15 September 1917 and the Ormskirk Advertiser 27 Sept 1917, but without mention of where the funeral was held or where he was buried.
The family background is thought to be Presbyterian.

Thorough searches for burial entries have been made for the large cemeteries at Toxteth Park and Anfield, nil return.
As this ex-soldier died of TB which may have been the result of his army service, my contact wishes to trace the burial of Alfred McDowell/McDowall so that the possibility of having his death recognised as war-related may be explored.
Any help would be welcome.

Details of earlier family members have been traced but have been omitted here to keep the posting to a modest level.
Daggers

[Hilary]

As a first step I would try the churches in Formby itself. Their registers are in Lancashire Register Office.

Ed Officer

[jan44]

Hi Daggers,

I read Alfred's sevice record on anc site. His religion was listed as Presbyterian.

What about the non conformist burial registers, or did you try those?

Jan

[MaryA]

Walton Park Cemetery is a possibility 283 WAL
Burial Registers up to 1948 - free ground and 1938 - paid ground, unfortunately no index for 1917.

West Derby Cemetery 352 CEM10
Burial Registers and Order Books for C of E, General and RC.

[Katie]

Hi

I am not going to the Record office till Saturday. If the location of the burial hasnt been found by then I will have a look for the burial

[Hilary]

It might be worth contacting these people

Special memorial plan to pay tribute to Formby's war heroes ...
FORMBY'S Roll of Honour for the Great War could be turned into a permanent memorial to the men who fought for their country.
http://www.formbytimes.co.uk/.../formby ... -22738634/ -

I'll try and get a look at the War Memorial in Formby in the next few days if I can

Ed Officer

Also this one
Formby Times Past: April 2009 Archives
22 Apr 2009 ... To help the Goulbourne family with their war memorial campaign for ... to build a permanent memorial outside Formby Library on Duke Street. ...
http://formbytimespast.merseyblogs.co.uk/2009/04/

[daggers]

Ed. Officer and others
Thanks for suggestions and clues. Here is more news:
The name of Alfred McDowell, Army Service Corps, appears on a roll of honour which was discovered and copied for Formby Library. His address is given as 'Formby Street'. This is an informal list of those who served early in the war, on a sheet of approx A1 size.
I gather that the Formby War Memorial does not bear the names of the fallen, but that moves are afoot to have them publicly displayed after more research.
I shall post a request for SKP to look at the Formby burial regsiters at Preston.

We have not thought about cremation! I shall ring Anfield and report back.

D

[Katie]

Hi Daggers

He is buried at Kirkdale.

Reg No: 67160
Division: C
Date of Burial: 17th September 1917
Age: 36
Address: 146 Stuart Road
Parish or District: Walton
Mode of burial: Private
Section: 5
Grave No: 208
By whom ceromony performed W.J.Sexton.

hope this helps

[jan44]

Very well done Katie. what a star.


Jan

[MaryA]

Good one Katie, that's a little further out than I'd thought he would be - isn't Kirkdale the one on Longmoor Lane?

[daggers]

Katie
Very many thanks for that. I shall pass it on the the original seeker.
Daggers

[Katie]

Hi Mary

yes Kirkdale is on Longmoor Lane. With his burial not beimg at Anfield the nearest cemetery to Walton would be Kirkdale, so thats why I first checked there and found him.

[daggers]

Rounding off this thread with many thanks to all who helped, from the other Forum where the quest began.
D

[MaryA]

It's good we've been able to help in return, they do a lot for us also.

Mary

[daggers]

Back in August 2009 Katie and others helped to track a burial at Kirkdale Cemetery, of a WW1 soldier in 1917. This was in response to a query on the Great War Forum, where the original enquirer has just posted that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission has formally recognised the case as a war-related death, and entered the details in the Debt of Honour Register.
Thanks are due all round.
Daggers

[daggers]

Here are the details now on the CWGC site:
Name: McDOWELL, ALFRED ELLISON
Initials: A E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Army Service Corps
Unit Text: "A" Coy.
Age: 36
Date of Death: 12/09/1917
Service No: S4/065481
Additional information: Husband of Edith McDowell, of Liverpool.
N.B.: Recent research has shown that Private McDowell is buried here.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Div. C. Sec.5. Grave 208.
Cemetery: LIVERPOOL (KIRKDALE) CEMETERY

D

[MaryA]

A successful conclusion - well done!