Here is this week’s round-up of pieces from the Batley News relating to the parish of St Mary’s. As usual I have put in bold the names of those connected to the parish who served with the military. And, as ever, the spelling and punctuation matches that of the newspaper.
Two female parishioners were in court on Monday:
LOCAL POLICE NEWS.
Batley Court – MondayAnnie Gannon, married woman, 7, Spa Street, Batley, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Defence of the Realm Order as to Lights by failing to reduce the light in her house or to screen the window. P.C. Thornton said he found the house open and nobody there. The door was wide open, the window unscreened, and a brilliant light burning. Accused was in another house. There were six previous convictions against the woman for various offences and she was now fined 15s.
And on the same day:
There was a double charge against Rose Ann McManus, married woman, Cobden Street, Batley. She pleaded guilty both to being drunk and riotous on the 6th inst., and to using obscene language on the following day. P.C. Thornton and P.C. Cannon gave evidence, the latter stating that the obscene language was used by the woman to her mother-in-law. Accused denies that the language was so bad as the constable stated. “The dirtiest old trash in the world would not use such language,” she added. There were four previous convictions, and for the obscene language she was fined 15s., and for the other offence 10s.
The Death Notices contained one for a young parishioner whose father, George Senior, was serving in the army:
SENIOR. —On the 11th inst., aged 16 months, Joseph, son of George R. Senior, 6, Crescent Street.
Baby Joseph’s death was the subject of an inquest, which was reported in the paper:
“SUDDEN HEART FAILURE DUE TO THE HEAT,” was the verdict of an inquest on Monday on the body of Joseph Senior, the 16-months’-old child of Private George and Mrs. Senior, Crescent Street, Cross Bank, Batley. The mother said the child had been weakly, and had lately suffered from chicken-pox but had not been medically attended for eight days. On Friday afternoon she placed it in a chair on the doorstep about 1.25. The child was all right then, but when she returned a minute or so after the baby seemed to be dropping off to sleep. She picked it up to rock it, but seeng no flicker of the eye-lids, which were half-shut, gave it a little shake. The child did not move, and thinking it was going into a fit she called a neighbour. The baby died about 1.30. Dr. R. A. Campbell said he saw the child before two o’clock, but it was quite dead. He was of opinion it had had a sudden heart attack, possibly due to the heat. He did not attach any importance to its having recently had chicken-pox.
The paper extracted more local names from the War Office casualty lists. It is noticeable from them the time lapse taken for a casualty to appear on these lists – many of the reports of these dead, missing and injured men had already appeared in the newspaper.
KILLED
Batley. —E. BARBER (744) West Yorkshire Regiment. [Edward Barber]WOUNDED, SHELL SHOCK.
Batley. —J. KILBRIDE (2247) K.O.Y.L.I. [John Thomas Kilbride]MISSING
Batley. —E. LEONARD, West Yorkshire Regiment. [Edward Leonard]
The paper included two further pieces about Herbert Booth this week. Uncertainty now surrounded his fate, and the emotional toll all this must have taken on his family is unimaginable. The first piece set out the cause of the confusion:
KILLED OR MISSING?
Conflicting Reports About a Carlinghow Tramway Worker.The fate of Lance-Corporal Herbert Booth, K.O.Y.L.I., of Beck Lane, Carlinghow, is apparently uncertain. Last week he was reported killed, the authority for that report being the following letter from his Lieutenant:—
“I have received your inquiry about your husband, Lce-Corporal Herbert Booth, and am extremely distressed to have to tell you that the news I have to give you is of the very worst, and that your husband was killed in action on 1st of July. He took part in the magnificent advance made by this battalion. I am sorry I did not know your husband personally. I have only just come to this Company to command it from the transport, which I looked after during the attack. None of the officers in “A” Company, who took part in the attack are here now; they were all either killed or wounded. Anything I can say in a letter to you cannot possibly help you, I am afraid, to bear this terrible blow, but I can honestly say that you have my deepest and absolute sincere sympathy.”
On Saturday morning, however, Mrs. Booth received a message from the Territorial Record Office at York, stating that her husband was posted “missing” after an engagement on July 1st. In view of this message Mrs. Booth has hopes that after all her husband may not be dead, and she has written the authorities for further information.
Private Booth was 31 years of age, and before enlisting was employed by the Yorkshire (Woollen District) Tramways Ltd., at their Savile Town Depot.
Any hope was quickly extinguished, as set out in the second snippet:
A CARLINGHOW MAN’S FATE
Doubt about the fate of Lance-Corporal Herbert Booth, of Beck Lane, Carlinghow (mentioned on Page 8), has been set at rest by an official notice that he was killed in action on July 1st. His death was first reported by his officer, but he was afterwards posted as “missing.” With confirmation of his death, Mrs. Booth has received a letter of sympathy from the King and Queen. She is left with two children, 3 and 6 years old respectively. He worked at the Savile Town Depot of the Tramway Company.
News of James Trainor’s death reached home. His name is recorded Trainor on the Church War Memorial, but elsewhere it is Trainer. The newspaper reported as follows:
A BATLEY HERO.
Death of a Brave Soldier Who Had Been Four Times WoundedPrivate James Trainer, whose death is reported on Page 8, was the son of Mr. John Trainer, 17, Spa Street, Batley, and although only 22 years old he had been in the Army since 1912. He had been four times wounded in this war – he went to France in August, 1914 – and he has died in Beckett’s Park Hospital, Leeds, following an operation.1 He was a Roman Catholic and a member of the United Irish Club, Batley.
More information was given about James Trainor and another St Mary’s soldier, James Garner, on the back page of the paper.
TWO BATLEY REGULARS
One Killed – Another MissingPrivate James Trainer, K.O.Y.L.I., son of Mr. John Trainer, 17, Spa Street, Batley, has died of wounds recieved in action on July 3rd. Trainer was 22 years old, and his last place of employment was the goods yard at Batley Station. Previously he worked as a hurrier at Messrs. Critchley’s Batley Colliery. In 1912 he joined the Regulars, and he had been in the Army a year and a half when war broke out. He went to the Front 10 days after the commencement of hostilities and was wounded in the fateful retreat from Mons. On recovering he rejoined his regiment, only to be wounded again in the battle of the Aisne, and soon after returning to his regiment he was wounded a third time. His last injury was a serious wound in the body, and he was invalided home. He underwent an operation in Beckett’s Park Hospital, Leeds, and returned to the Front for the fourth time on New Year’s Day. He was well-known in Batley as a member of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church and the United Irish Land League.
Private James Garner, K.O.Y.L.I., son of Mr. John Garner, 5, Spa Street, Batley, is officially posted “missing,” not having been heard of since July 1st. He was 27 years of age, and it is 10 weeks since a letter was received from him. On that occasion he said he was all right, having come through an engagement safely. It is believed that he was with Private James Trainer, also of Spa Street, Batley, who is this week reported killed. Garner was in the Regular Army, and had been in India a few years with his regiment when war started. He had been with the Colours six years, and previously he worked at Soothill Wood Colliery, as a hurrier. He was connected with Cross Bank Roman Catholic Church.
In final military news this week, the paper was asked to quash a rumour about Joe Gavaghan, and did so with a short piece:
NEWS OF A BATLEY SERGEANT
“Going On Quite All Right.”We are asked to allay a rumour which has been current lately regarding the safety of Sergt. Joe Gavaghan, West Yorkshires, one of the three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gavaghan, Jacob Street, Woodwell, Batley, who are with the Colours. Mr. and Mrs. Gavaghan received an official message a week ago that Joe had been missing since July 30th. During this week, however, they have received two letters from him, both written in August and in his own handwriting, to the effect that he is with his regiment and going on quite all right.
Footnotes:
1. This is incorrect. James Trainer died, and is buried, on the Somme.
Past To Present Genealogy 