9th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, Regimental number: 18/38
Formerly 18th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. (2nd Bradford Pals.)
Early life:
Edgar’s parents were Atkinson Asquith and Ada Asquith née Calvert who were married at Keighley Parish Church on the 5th of April 1890. Atkinson was a 24 year old bachelor and a porter living at 27, South Street in Keighley and Ada was a 24 year old spinster living at 32, Wells Street in Keighley.
Edgar was their first child, born in Chorlton, Lancashire on the 31st of January 1891 and registered there in the first quarter of that year.
Edgar was baptised at St. Andrew’s Parish Church in Keighley on the 29th of March the same year. They were living at 30, Albany Street in Manchester at that time and Atkinson was a shipping clerk.
In the 1891 census they were still living at 30, Albany Street. Atkinson was 24 and a railway clerk. Ada was the same age and Edgar was aged two months at that time.
By the time of the 1901 census Edgar was aged ten 33 and living at ‘Saturday Market’ in Beverley, Holderness. His father Atkinson was employed as a Tea manager of a grocery store. The next door neighbour was Frank G. Wilkinson who was a Tea dealer and Grocer (employer) who also had three shopmen, a general servant and a domestic housekeeper, so it appeared to be a good sized concern. Ada was also aged 33 and they had four children. Edgar aged ten, Maud aged seven, Stanley aged three and Norman aged one.
In the 1911 census things had changed considerably. The family were now living at 34, Spencer Street in Keighley, Atkinson was aged 43 and the Curator of a Church of England School. Ada was the same age and looking after the family and home. They had been married for 21 years and had four children, one of whom had died. The four remaining were Edgar aged 20 employed as a turner’s apprentice for a textile machinery maker; Maud aged 16 and employed as a worsted yarn reeler for a woollen manufacturer; Stanley aged 13 and a doffer for a woollen manufacturer and Norman aged eleven and attending school.
On the 3rd of November 1915 Edgar married Elizabeth Ann Dixon at the parish church of St. Michael and All Angels in Haworth. Edgar was a bachelor aged 24 and a Turner by trade. He was living at Rowton House, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle and Ada was a 21 year old spinster living at 1, Prince Street in Haworth. A bit of research into Rowton House tells us that it was a lodging house built on 1906 on the site of slum dwellings on Silver Street/Pilgrim Street at the run of the century and was capable of housing over 200 men. It was eventually taken over by the Salvation Army in the 1930s and a major fire saw it come to an end in 1967.
We’re not sure why Edgar was staying in Newcastle but it may have been for work and probably not a permanent situation for him. There is a similar record of their marriage at St. Nicholas Church, Newcastle upon Tyne although the date is for the three weeks prior to Haworth and it may just be their record of a parishioner’s marriage elsewhere, assuming Edgar was attending St. Nicholas Church (Newcastle Cathedral).
Edgar appears to have returned to Keighley and was likely to be living at Prince Street in Haworth with his wife Elizabeth Ann Asquith in her widowed mother Elizabeth Ann Dixon’s house at 1, Prince Street on Haworth, her husband John Dixon having died in late 1905.
War service:
There are no surviving Army service records for Edgar but we can ascertain some information from other documents. He enlisted at Bradford in November 1917 and his regimental number was 18/38 suggesting he enlisted with the 18th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment (2nd Bradford Pals.) He would have trained for several weeks in this country and in France before joining his unit in the field in early 1918.
The 18th battalion received orders to disband in January 1918 and Edgar was probably one of the draft of five officers and 90 men drafted into the 9th Battalion, leaving Bray on the 5th of February 1918. The 18th Battalion was disbanded and ceased to exist on the 15th of February 1918.
Edgar served with the 9th Battalion until November 1918, the date of the ceasefire. Sadly that was the day he died of pneumonia at the 30th Casualty Clearing Station.
On the 23rd of October 1918 the 30th Casualty Clearing Station had been moved from Boislieu Au Mont to Escaudoeuvres, which was about two miles North-East of Cambrai.
Edgar had been taken sick and was taken to 30 C.C.S. for treatment
Their war diary specifically mentions the influenza epidemic and Edgar’s death from pneumonia is certain to be a result of this, with him dying on the last day of hostilities.
WO-95/253/9. War Diary of 30 Casualty Clearing Station:
Escaudoeuvres
3.11.18: Rev. F. S. Tizzard(sic) C.F.U.B. joined 23 C.C.S.
10.11.18: Major T.H. Jonides(sic) R.A.M.C. (T) joined from 2 C.C.S.
11.11.18: Armistice signed & hostilities ceased 11 a.m. We had 42 wounded in on 11.11.18.
12.11.18: 76 wounded. Nearly all cavalry from a charge made at 10.56 a.m. Rev. H. Bunce C.F.U.B. joined unit.
26.11.18: Unit closed down and prepared to move. Influenza epidemic continued during the month. 180 admissions & 23 deaths. Weather on the whole good, some dry cold weather and frost and rain, but no heavy storm.
Keighley News 30th November 1918 page 3:
Private Edgar Asquith, West Yorkshire Regiment, whose wife resides at 1, Prince Street, Haworth, has died from pneumonia at the 30th Casualty Clearing Station, France. He had only been in France about six weeks and was formerly employed by George Hattersley & Sons, Limited, Keighley.
Keighley News 30th November 1918 page 12:
DEATHS.
ASQUITH. – November 11th, 1918, at hospital in France, from pneumonia, aged 27. Private Edgar Asquith, beloved husband of Mrs. Edgar Asquith, 1, Prince Street, Haworth. He laid his richest gift on the altar of duty, his life.
From his sorrowing wife.
ASQUITH. – November 11th, 1918, at hospital in France, from pneumonia, aged 27, Private Edgar Asquith, the beloved son of Mr and Mrs. A. Asquith, of York.
Peace, Perfect Peace.
From his sorrowing Parents, Sister, and Brothers.
Remembrance:
Edgar was buried in grave 53 of row B in plot II of Cambrai East Military Cemetery in France. His wife Elizabeth had the following inscription added to his headstone: ‘Rest In Peace.’
He is named locally in the Borough of Keighley roll of honour book at Keighley Library.
He is also named on the WW1 Roll of Honour board at the Parish Church of St. Andrew’s in Keighley.
He is also named on the Haworth War Memorial at Bridgehouse Lane in Haworth.
Because he was an employee of George Hattersley and Sons of Keighley, we think Edgar’s name would also have been on the Hattersley Memorial, which is considered lost.
Post war:
His widow Elizabeth Ann was his next of kin and she received his remaining Army pay amounting to £8 1s 8d on the 21st of May 1919 which included the war gratuity payment of £5.
Elizabeth would also have received any personal effects and his service medals the British War Medal and Victory Medal. These were usually received in 1920 or 1921 along with a Bronze war memorial plaque and memorial scroll inscribed with Edgar’s name.
She applied for and received a Dependant’s Pension which was a weekly payment for life of 13 shillings and 9 pence per week, beginning on the 2nd of June 1919. Her home address given on the pension card was 4, Prince Street but we suspect this is a clerical error.
In the 1921 census Elizabeth was aged 27 and living at 1, Prince Street in Haworth with her mother Elizabeth Ann Dixon aged 61. Elizabeth was ‘out of work’ from J. and F. Roberts of Oxenhope and both ladies were described as being on ‘Home Duties’
J. and F. Roberts were manufacturers and merchants of Tailor’s Trimmings and Linings. Their main office was at Manchester but they also had mills at Colne in Lancashire and at Oxenhope.
We found no death record for his widow Elizabeth Ann Asquith, nor any re-marriage records under that name.
Edgar’s father Atkinson Asquith died aged 71 in the first quarter of 1938 at Scarborough and his mother Ada Asquith died aged 74 in the first quarter of 1940, also at Scarborough. Ada was recorded living at 48, North Marine Road in the town in the 1939 register.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910.
1891 England Census.
1901 England Census.
1911 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915.
???England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973.
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935.
National Archives First World War diaries.
WO-95/2362/2. 18th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.
WO-95/1809/2. 9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.
W0-95/253/9. 30th Casualty Clearing Station.
Casualty Clearing Station information courtesy of The Long, Long Trail website.
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Cambrai East Military Cemetery.
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919.
British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920.
World War I Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920.
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929.
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923.
1921 England Census.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007.
1914 Whitaker’s Red Book information on J and F. Roberts of Oxenhope, courtesy of Graces Guide website.
