Tracing Joseph Haddock Private. WW1.

[paulblue]

I am interested in any information about the South Lancashire Regiment in WW1, my great uncle Joseph Haddock died on the 10th August 1916.
Does anyone know what the South Lancashire regiment was doing on that day...what was their objective, and any information at all about my great uncle...Private Joseph Haddock.

[Lesley Robertson]

Welcome to the British Genealogy Forum. If you've arrived here from FWR, THIS message will explain things.

The Commonwealth War Graves site HERE shows that 3986 Pte Joseph Haddock of the 1st/4th South Lancashire Regt died, as you say, on 10 Aug 1916, aged 29. He's listed on the Thiepval Memorial.This was, of course, early in the Battle of the Somme. He was entitled to the Victory and British medals, which indicates that he only reached the Front after 1 Jan 1916.

It looks as though his service records were among the >60% that did not survive WW2.

The War Diary for the Regiment is probably the only way to get an idea of what they were doing, although it won't mention individual soldiers (unless something remarkable happened). It's on Ancestry.co.uk. If you don't have an account, try your nearest library - many of them have a subscription for the use of their members.

Are you only interested in his War activity? We're really here for genealogical research, so don't hesitate if you want to track the family history. I see that he married May Phillips in Warrington late in 1915, it must have been around the time he was called up.

[gortonboy]

Battalions of the Territorial Force
1/4th Battalion
August 1914 : in Warrington. Part of South Lancashire Brigade in West Lancashire Division.
13 February 1915 : left the Brigade and landed at Le Havre. Attached on arrival to 7th Brigade in 3rd Division.
12 October 1915 : became Pioneer Battalion to same Division.
9 January 1916 : transferred to 55th (West Lancashire) Division.

[gortonboy]

For 55th division ,,see - https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/...hire-division/

[paulblue]

Thank you for your valuable reply - pleased to know any information of my great uncle Joseph. Do you happen to know is date of birth..? It would appear he married May Phillips before joining the Army. Do you know of any address in Warrington where they may have lived..?

Many thanks..

[Peter Goodey]

Do you know of any address in Warrington where they may have lived..?

Doesn't look as if they lived together for very long!

Did you spot that his widow remarried in early 1917?

[Pam Downes]

Thank you for your valuable reply - pleased to know any information of my great uncle Joseph. Do you happen to know is date of birth..? It would appear he married May Phillips before joining the Army. Do you know of any address in Warrington where they may have lived..?

Many thanks..

Dates of birth are usually only found by purchasing a birth certificate. Sometimes they can be found in a baptism record, but you have to know the person's parents' names in order to find the correct baptism.

Do I presume that you know Joseph's parents' names? If so, what are they, and what is the name of the sibling that Joseph is brother to? And when was that sibling born? There are a couple of Josephs in the census who are possibles, but as neither of them lived in Warrington I don't want you to end up with the wrong one.

Pam

[paulblue]

Thanks for your reply - The parents of Joseph Haddock were....Richard and Mary Haddock, he also had a brother called William Haddock.

Many thanks for your help...

Paul.

[Pam Downes]

Well Paul, we have a dilemma. Or rather, you have.

I can find a Joseph with parents Richard and Mary, and a brother William. But he wasn't born c1887, which would make his age at death wrong. However, errors on the CWGC database are known to exist, and this could be one of them.

1891 census
census reference RG12/2833 folio 106 page 18
131 Surrey Street, Runcorn, Cheshire
Richard Haddock, head, 25, chemical labourer, (born) Hatton (Cheshire)
Mary A, wife, 27, Stretton
Jane, daur, 2, Runcorn
Joseph, son, 1, Runcorn

1901
census reference RG13/3584 folio 170 page 32
6 Welch's Yard (Old Road), Warrington
Richard Haddock, head, 36, general labourer, Stretton
Mary Ann, wife, 38, Hatton
Jane, daur, 13, Runcorn,
Joseph, son, 11, Runcorn
Annie, daur, 9, Hatton
William, son, 7, Warrington (Lancs)

1911 census
census reference RG14/23155 SN149
2 Rylances Court, Foundry Street, Warrington
Richard Haddock, head, 42, carter, Hatton
Mary Ann, wife, (age could be 41 or 46) Stretton
Joseph, son, 20 farm labourer, Runcorn
Ann, daur, 19, at home, Hatton
The schedule says Richard and Mary have been married for 20 years, and had ten children, six of whom have died.

GRO Index/FreeBMD shows the following:
Marriage with Richard Haddock and a Mary Ann Wainwright on the same page registered June quarter 1888 Warrington registration district.

Births, all with Wainwright as mother's maiden name. All the births from William onwards were in Warrington registration district.
Jane - September quarter 1888 Runcorn registration district
Joseph - March quarter 1890 Runcorn registration district
Annie - June quarter 1892 Runcorn registration district
William - March quarter 1894
Robert - December quarter 1896. Death registered March quarter 1897. Age less than a year.
Thomas - September quarter 1898, Death registered December quarter 1898. Age less than a year.
Unnamed female - March quarter 1901. Death of unnamed female, age less than a year, registered same quarter.
James - March quarter 1904
Unnamed male - March quarter 1903. Death of unnamed male, age less a year, registered same quarter.

There's a death registration for a James Haddock, aged 3, December quarter 1906, who might be Richard ad Mary's son. His baptism is probably the one on Lancashire Online Parish Clerks. https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/indexp.html

Was 'your' William born either December 1893 or early 1894 like the one I've found?

Pam

[paulblue]

Hi Pam

Many thanks for your hard work tracing my Great Grandparents....Richard and Mary, I think my grandfather William Haddock, was born in...1894.
I did not know they had ten children 6 of whom died, common place in those days, you have obtained such accurate information, I did not know the family originated in Runcorn.

Many thanks...you have been a great help,


Paul.