Edward MAGOOLAGAN

14 May 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – Cricket Club Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of the Old Bentham Cricket Club was held in the Reading Room of the Town Hall. There was a good number present. The chair was occupied by the President (Mr. Geo. A. Sowerby). Mr. R. Jackson (hon. treasurer) read the statement of accounts, which showed that the club had had a good year, being now out of debt, but when the rent was paid they would have nothing left. The question of carrying on the club during the coming year was considered, and it was unanimously decided to keep going until the men at the Front came back. The secretary (Mr. Tom Guy) stated that he had heard that day from the acting secretary of the Lancaster League, that Mr. A.W. Bruce, their vice-captain, had won the League batting prize, and Mr. Wm. Sanderson, at present serving with the 5th King’s Own, was the winner of the bowling average, with an average of 2.9 per wicket. Another volunteer, Mr. Ed. Magoolaghan, was second with an average of 3.2 per wicket. The election of officers resulted as follows:– President, Mr. G.A. Sowerby; captain, Mr. J. Bush; vice-captain, Mr. A.W. Bruce; secretary, Mr. T. Guy; hon. treasurers, Messrs. Rd. Jackson and M. Dickenson; committee, Messrs. J.G. Leeming, F. Pickup, R. Magoolaghan, W. Sanderson, and the captains, secretary, and treasurers; umpires, Messrs. T. Dawson, Jas. Leeming, and M. Dickenson. It was decided to make the eight men with the Forces honorary members, and a letter was directed to be sent to each.

03 September 1915

BENTHAM MEN WOUNDED

Bad news from the Front reached Bentham on Wednesday. Private Henry Jacques, the son of Mr. James Jacques, was reported to have had a finger blown off in an accident, and Private Edward Magoolaghan received a wound in the face. More serious news of a Low Bentham man is also to hand from one of his pals, but confirmation is needed.

10 September 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – DEATH FROM WOUNDS OF A BENTHAM SOLDIER

The news of the death from wounds of Private Edward Magoolagan, of the 6th Battalion King’s Own, in the Dardanelles, reached his father, Mr. Wm. Magoolagan, on Wednesday morning. Information was received last week by Mr. Lunney from one of the Bentham soldiers out with the King's Own that ‘Teddy’ had been wounded under the eye, and further information was anxiously awaited. It appears that he was wounded on the 12th August, and died from the wounds on the 23rd. The soldier who took his place was blown to pieces. The deceased joined the King's Own in September, and was in training at Tidsworth. He went out to the Dardanelles with his regiment on June 12th, and landed on the 4th of July last. He is 24 years of age, and the youngest son of a large family. Deceased was a prominent member of the Bentham Cricket Club, and played outside right for the Bentham Football Club. He was employed as a cotton weaver at Messrs. Pickup's weaving shed.

17 September 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – THE HONOUR’S ROLL

Confirmation is forthcoming of the death of Captain D. Morrison, of the 6th Battalion King’s Own. He is reported as having died from wounds he received in the Dardanelles. Captain Morrison is the personal friend of the Vicar of Bentham, and acted as his lay reader at St. Margaret’s whilst reading for his Divinity Examinations. He was well-known at Bentham, and enlisted there in October last. At the outbreak of the war he applied for a commission and was twice refused as medically unfit, but was accepted on the third occasion. In his platoon as lieutenant there were several of the Bentham boys, in whom he took a personal interest, and all speak of him in the highest terms in the letters which have been received from the Dardanelles.

On Sunday morning last the fellow workmates and pals of the late Private Edward Magoolagan assembled at Pinewood Cottages, where he resided with his parents, and walked in processional order to St. Boniface’s Roman Catholic Church. The procession was headed by his friend, Mr. Fred Smith, who carried a large wreath, and Mr. R. Sanderson and Mr. Major Dickenson. There was no funeral service, owing to the smallness of the chapel, but touching reference was made to deceased by the Rev. Father Morgan, who has taken a great interest in the recruits from Bentham and feels the loss of one of his own boys very keenly. Quite a wave of mourning has passed over Bentham, news of three deaths at the Front having been received last week.

24 September 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – IN MEMORY OF THE BRAVE

On Tuesday last a memorial service was held at St Margaret’s Church for those who from Bentham had fallen in the war. An early communion service was held and was very impressively conducted by the Vicar, about 30 communicants being present.

In the evening, service was held at 7-30 and there was a large congregation. Many had relatives at the Front and several old soldiers were present. The Alter flowers and white cross were a token of loving friendship from the Vicar and his family, the cross being entwined with the colours of ‘The King’s Own,’ blue and orange, and was suspended over the late Capt. Morrison’s seat in the chancel. It acted as a dual tribute, for Private Edward Magoolagan belonged also to the King’s Own, and the same company as Captain Morrison. A magnificent wreath of choice roses was affixed to Capt. Morrison’s stall before evensong as ‘a loyal tribute to a gallant soldier,’ from R.D. and W.E. Representatives from the King’s Own Lancasters expressed their regret at being unable to attend.

The Rev. G.H.C. Bartley, the vicar, took for his text, ‘Fight the good fight and lay hold of eternal life.’ He said it was just three years that night since three friends separated at his last parish, one to go to the far East, he (the Vicar) to come to Bentham, and Captain Morrison to remain at Sacriston. He wished to make mention of the two others who had fallen at the Front, namely Private E. Magoolagan and Private James Bell. They must all sympathise with their relatives and friends, and pray that they might be comforted in this time of their great sorrow. The unselfish faithfulness of Captain Morrison was a very marked characteristic. He was called to serve the church in his last parish. At the outbreak of war he was called to serve his country, and now he was called to the highest service of all.

At the close the National Anthem was sung and Miss Stubbs, the organist, played the Dead March in Saul very impressively.

21 July 1916

BENTHAM CRICKETER KILLED AT THE FRONT

News reached Bentham on Thursday the 13th that Lance-Corporal Joe Jackson had been killed on the 5th of July in the big push in France. It was contained in a letter from one of his pals, Pte. Dick Wearing, to his mother, as follows:–

“July 10th, 1916 – Dear Mrs. Jackson, just a few lines to let you know that poor Joe has been killed. I was up at the Company this morning and his Platoon Sergeant told me about him. I was so sorry because there was only Joe and Reuben Wilcock and me from Bentham. Wilcock has been wounded too. So I thought I would just write a few lines to you and let you know. I did not know whether Reuben had written to tell you or not. I thought a lot of Joe. I was talking to him the night before he was killed and he was in the best of health and said he would come down to see me when he came out of the trenches. It is terrible where our lads are in the trenches for shellfire. I can’t tell you any more at this time. From R. Wearing, 7th King’s Own.”

Deceased was a well-known member of the Bentham Cricket team, and also a member of the St. Margaret’s football team which played in the Craven League. He was one of three pals who left their looms at the cotton mill, and on the 5th September, 1914 went to the North of Scotland, Fort George, to join the Seaforth Highlanders only to find that regiment closed to all but Scots. Not to be outdone they joined the King’s Own on their return, and one lost his life in the Dardanelles a year ago – Teddy Magoolagan; and the other, Billy Sanderson, Bentham’s bowler, was invalided home. This makes the sixth Bentham youth to lay down his life in his Country’s cause.

He was the youngest son of Mr. Matthew Jackson, a carrier for Wilcock & Co, of Bentham, and great sympathy has been expressed to his bereaved parents, for the lad was a great favourite. He was 20 on the 20th February last, and on that day got 10 days’ furlough to come home. He returned on the last Sunday in February to the trenches in France, and had quite a send-off. He had a presentiment that he would not return, for whilst at a friend’s house he said he “thought a shell would be landing some day with his number on it”.

16 November 1917

HIGHER BENTHAM – MEMORIAL SERVICE

The second memorial service for soldiers killed at the Front was held at St. Margaret’s Church on Sunday afternoon. The sacred edifice was well filled by parishioners of every shade of religious and political opinions. The Vicar (the Rev. G. H. C. Bartley) officiated, and the service was choral, commencing with the opening sentences of the burial service, chanted, as a processional with the Union Jack was carried in front, draped with violet. Between the lessons the choir gave the anthem, ‘I heard a voice from Heaven’ very beautifully, and the Vicar read out the names of the fifteen heroes who have laid down their lives from the parish, as well as the three who are missing, and supposed killed, as follows:– Captain D. Morrison; Private Ed. Magoolaghan; Lance Corporal Joe Jackson; Captain S. C. Bartley (the Vicar’s brother); Corporal E. Leeming; Private Tom Wilcock; Captain G. G. Eccles; Private Ezra Stevenson; Private Len Nelson; Captain Pollard; Private Percy Whitfield (N.Z.); Corporal Wm. Robinson; Corporal Harry Smith; Corporal R. Clarke (missing); Private Lancelot Dowbiggin; Private Ed. Briscoe; Private Edwin Smith.

As the names were read out many tears were shed at the memory of the loved ones ‘Gone West’. Then followed an excellent sermon by the Vicar from the words ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend’, at the conclusion of which Miss V. Stubbs played the ‘Dead March’ whilst the congregation remained standing. The recessional hymn was ‘For all the Saints’, and at the close the organist played ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ as a voluntary. The entire service was of a very impressive character.