Main CPGW Record
Surname: LOFTHOUSE
Forename(s): Anthony
Place of Birth: Paythorne, Yorkshire
Service No: 13730
Rank: Private
Regiment / Corps / Service: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
Battalion / Unit: 10th (Service) Battalion
Division: 23rd Division
Age: 23
Date of Death: 1916-10-05
Awards: ---
CWGC Grave / Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 6 A and 6 B.
CWGC Cemetery: ---
CWGC Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Non-CWGC Burial: ---
Local War Memorial: GISBURN, YORKSHIRE
Local War Memorial: PAYTHORNE, YORKSHIRE
Additional Information:
Anthony Lofthouse (born 22 July 1893) was the son of John Thornber and Mary Jane Lofthouse, née Thompson. John was born at Paythorne, Yorkshire and Mary at Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. Anthony was the cousin of Private Anthony Thompson (12976) (q.v.) and a distant cousin of Private Richard Lofthouse (6407) (q.v.).
1901 Paythorne, Yorkshire Census: Paa - Anthony Lofthouse, aged 7 years, born Paythorne, son of John T. and Mary J. Lofthouse.
1911 Paythorne, Yorkshire Census: Paa - Anthony Lofthouse, aged 17 years, born Manor House, Paythorne, son of John Thornber Lofthouse, widower.
British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards: Pte Anthony Lofthouse, 13730, W. Rid. R. Theatre of War first served in: (1) France. Date of entry therein: 26.8.1915. K. in A. 5.10.16.
British Army WW1 Medal and Award Rolls: Pte Anthony Lofthouse, 13730, 10th W. Rid. R. K. in A. 5.10.16.
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects: Pte Anthony Lofthouse, 13730, 10th Bn W. Riding. Date and Place of Death: 5.10.16. France. To whom Authorised/Amount Authorised: Father - John T. £22 14s. 7d.
UK, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923: card(s) for Anthony not found.
Photograph: 'West Yorkshire Pioneer' (3 November 1916).
Data Source: Local War Memorial
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Entry in West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record:
LOFTHOUSE, Anthony, aged 23, West Riding Regiment, son of Mrs. J.T. Lofthouse, of Paa Farm Paythorne, killed in action 1916.
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Click the thumbnail below to view a larger image.
Private Anthony LOFTHOUSE
Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)
Divisional Sign / Service Insignia: 23rd Division
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Additional Photo(s) For Soldier Records
Unknown platoon of 'A' Company, 10th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), Aldershot, 1914
Photograph sent home to his parents at Bolton by Bowland by Pte Henry (Harry) Valance Killeen (13738). Henry is standing, with his hands behind his back, 11th from right. His brother, Pte Reginald Victor Whiteley Killeen (q.v.), was killed in action on the 25 January 1916
Courtesy of Paula Ann Payne (née Bailey), Barnoldswick
'A' Company, 10th (Service) Battalion The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), Bramshott, August, 1915
Courtesy of Bernard Ideson
Names of identified officers and other ranks on above photograph
ROLL CALL OF THE SKIPTON DIVISION LIBERAL & CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATIONS, August 4th 1914 - August 4th 1916
Entry on Page 26
View Craven Herald Articles
View Craven Herald Articles
03 November 1916
PAYTHORNE – Cr. J. T. Lofthouse’s Loss
At the monthly meeting of Bowland Rural Council on Monday a vote of condolence was passed with Mr. J. T. Lofthouse, Paythorne, in the loss of his only son who was killed in France a few weeks ago. In moving the resolution, the Chairman said that if there was any consolation for Mr. Lofthouse, it was the knowledge that his son died in the service of his King and Country. The resolution was seconded by Mr. Gill, and the members signified their approval by standing.
10 October 1918
GISBURNE - Wedding
Private John Askew, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Askew, Demesne Farm, Newsholme, was married on October 10th to Miss Violet Lofthouse, third daughter of Mr. John Lofthouse, Pad [Paa] Farm, Paythorne. The bridegroom was on short draft leave and has now returned to his unit. It is interesting to note that in his final marksmanship test a short time ago he gained 123 out of a possible 125 points. The bride, who was dressed in a brown and fawn coat frock with a hat of fawn velour, was attended by the bridegroom’s sister, Mrs. Tom Smith, and Miss Hannah Askew, and the bride’s sister, Miss Grace Lofthouse. Miss Lofthouse gave her sister away, and the ‘best man’ and groomsman were Private Tom Smith, the bridegroom’s brother-in-law, home on leave from France, and Mr. T. Askew, cousin of the bridegroom. The ceremony was performed in the Gisburne Parish Church by the Rev. C.C. Brodhurst, rector of Bolton-by-Bowland, in the absence of the Vicar of the Parish.
[The above marriage is of the sister of the late Private Anthony Lofthouse, killed in action, 5 October 1916.]
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
25 September 1914
THE ROLL OF HONOUR
The following men have answered the appeal by joining the Settle Company of the 10th Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment:–
From Austwick – William Hoyle, Wilson Pritchard, Samuel Shepherd, Fred Swale, John William Thistlewaite, George Thistlewaite.
Airton – Kayley Earnshaw.
Arncliffe – Percy Hodgson, John Simpson.
Bolton-by-Bowland – Irvine Clark, Jim Coates, Richard Davies Ellison, Harold Greenhow, Edward Victor Grubb, James Mason, Robert Singleton, Joseph Chapman Syers.
Bell Busk – Leonard Fox.
Clapham – Albert Edward Drury, Arthur Herbert Procter.
Grindleton – William Irvin Bell, James Wilding Clarkson, Joshua Crossley, William Walker.
Gisburn – Anthony Lofthouse, John Robinson.
Hellifield – James John Angus, Charles Graham, Thomas Harding, Charles Harwood, Sidney Hoar, John Ernest Linnett, Joseph Edward Preston, Thomas Procter, Christopher Ralph, Norman Roberts, Fred Graham.
Horton – John Bruce Davidson.
Ingleton – Hugh Robinson.
Longpreston – Arthur Bailey, Thomas Garnett, John Henry Hitchin, Henry Edward Horner, William Jones, James Kayley, Job Kayley, Arthur Lawson, William Henry Metcalfe, Joseph Parker, William Procter, William Rawlinson.
Langcliffe – Richard Butler, Thomas Henry Edmondson.
Marton – John Beckwith.
Malham – James Swinbank.
Newsholme – Thomas Edward Askew, Carl Parrington Branthwaite, Benjamin Ashton Butler, William Henry Scott.
Otterburn – Harry Gilbert Tunstill.
Settle – Robert William Bell, Ernest Campbell, George Clark, John Thomas Cockerill, Robert Cresswell, Herbert Dickinson, William Edward Gibson, George Jellett, Thomas Laytham, Robert Henry Maunders, Robert Newhouse, Walter Umpleby, Thomas Walsh, Solomon Richard Webb.
Stainforth – Walter Dinsdale.
Slaidburn – Edwin Isherwood, Walter Isherwood, Abel Moore, Charles Edward Parker, George Whitfield.
Wigglesworth – Fred Metcalfe, George Oversby.
Waddington – Joseph Barrett Hartley, Albert Hird [Herd], Harry Smith, Thomas Rigby, William Watson.
03 November 1916
PAYTHORNE FARMER’S SON KILLED
Mrs. J. T. Lofthouse, of Paa Farm, Paythorne, has received information that his son, Pte. Anthony Lofthouse, of the West Riding Regiment, has been killed in action.
Pte. Lofthouse, who was an only son, and 23 years of age, enlisted in Capt. Tunstill’s troop in September, 1914, going out to France a year later. He will be much missed in the neighbourhood, for he was of a happy and genial disposition.
Pte. B. Butler, writing to Mr. Lofthouse, says:– “I am extremely sorry to have to break the news to you. Anthony got killed by a shell in a bombing expedition on October 5th. I feel very much upset about him. We were good pals, and he was greatly respected by all the lads in the company. I shall miss him very much. I saw him buried and got some of his belongings, so I will see you get them. We have had a rough time of it lately, but are out of the trenches now for a rest."
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Hey just want to say thank you for all this info on my great uncle Anthony Lofthouse. I hope to visit Paa this summer 2019 and see his memorial plaque on the Paythorne Methodist Church. There are some things here that I have not seen.
Much appreciated and thank you from our family for keeping Pte. Anthony Lofthouse memory alive.
Cheers
Lisa Blackburn
Vancouver, Canada
In reply to Lisa Blackburn.
I have extensively researched and chronicled the history of 10th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment with whom Anthony served. You will find a day by day account of the Battalion at http://www.tunstillsmen.blogspot.com. I hope you may find this of interest.
I also work with schools and provide workshops to support their understanding of the impact of the First War on local communities. Next Monday (11th September 2023) I shall be working with students at Gisburn Primary School and Anthony’s will be one of the stories which we will be exploring as he is among the men who enlisted at a meeting held in the school in September 1914 and is also named on the Gisburn War Memorial. I can assure you that we will do our utmost to do justice to Anthony’s memory.
Thank you Dr Bill Smith for replying to my message from 2019. I have looking through the website and did find some further information, also got a sense of the time of events leading up to my grand Uncle death. So sad, and scary and the fact that he was originally buried there. It was also interesting to see my grand Aunts husband Ted Askew was one of the first to enlist with Tunstills men. Just so you know I did make it to Paythorne, and Gisburn and saw the honour roll in St. Mary’s Church, the memorial plaque on Paythorne Methodist church, and the war memorial in Gisburn, where Anthony is listed with his cousin Richard Lofthouse.
I was told when I visited Paythorne Methodist Church that they honour the “3 cousins” on November 11th each year. Anthony Lofthouse, Richard Lofthouse and Anthony Thompson.
So I am very interested to hear that you are working with the students at Gisburn Primary, where my family would have gone many years ago, and talk about Anthony’s story, and that his story, with others are remembered all these years later. I have a pin as a crest with the West Riding on it, and I have often wondered if this was Anthony’s and was sent to his sister, my grandmother, after his death.
Ironically I am writing a novel based on my grandmother Mabel’s story, emigrating to Canada in 1911, and am presently editing 1916-1917 when she would have heard of her brother’s death. So reading your website, made his death today me even more tragic.
I will be thinking of you on September 11!
Have a good day,
Lisa
Hello Lisa
Thanks so much for your message. It is lovely to make contact with someone with connections to 10th Dukes and especially so when you have such a great project in progress – good luck with it and I hope it goes really well. The ‘pin’ you mention may well be what was known as a ‘sweetheart’ badge – small items given by men to friends and relatives bearing their regimental insignia – I would love to see it if you might be kind enough to photograph? I would be very happy for John to pass on my email address to you if that would help?
As you say I would imagine that Anthony and his sisters would have attended Gisburn School (though the current building only opened in 1913) and it will be really special to share with the children their direct connection to his story as he would have been in the very same assembly hall when he enlisted in September 1914. Tragically the other man who joined up on the same evening, John Robinson, died of heart failure while in training in Folkestone in 1915; his body was returned to Gisburn and he is buried in the churchyard.
The letter, quoted in the local press at the time, informing Anthony’s parents of his death was written by Ben Butler. Ben and his brother, Richard, had lived at Adams Farm, next door to the Lofthouses in Paythorne and the three (Anthony, Ben and Richard) had served together in the same Company. Both Ben and Richard survived the war. Richard was twice wounded, including losing the sight in his left eye, and was awarded the Military Medal for his ‘courage in rescuing a wounded comrade under fire’ in September 1917.
I see from your Ancestry tree that your grandfather had lived on Hayhurst Street, Clitheroe – five minutes walk from where I live!
I shall send you some photos of the session from Monday which I hope will be of interest.
Thanks again for getting in touch; good luck with the novel and hope to keep in touch.