Henry INGHAM

27 April 1917

INGHAM – Killed in action in France, Pte. Henry Ingham, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Ingham, of 12, Brookside, Skipton, aged 28.

27 April 1917

SKIPTON SOLDIERS KILLED

News has been received that Pte. Henry Ingham, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Ingham, of 12, Brookside, Skipton. has been killed in action in France. In a letter to the deceased’s soldiers parents, Pte. W.E. Carr, another Skipton soldier states:– “It is with deep regret that I have to write to you a letter of bad news, but perhaps you have heard it already. It is about your dear son, Henry, my chum ever since we enlisted. He was in the trenches on Easter Monday, and during a raid by the Huns was killed. I was not with him nor did I see him, but as far as I can hear from those who know he was killed instantaneously by a shell. You know how much I thought of Henry, as we have stuck together since we joined up, and I feel his death keenly.”

Pte. Ingham, who was 28 years of age, enlisted about six months ago, and had been in France about three months. Prior to enlisting he was employed as a weaving overlooker by Messrs. Bentley and Co., Broughton Road. Skipton.

Private Ingham was formerly closely identified with the Skipton Congregational Sunday school, he having been secretary and treasurer of the Young Men’s Class, while he was also an old scholar of Mr. Massey, at the British School.

26 October 1917

SKIPTON

IN MEMORIAM SERVICE FOR THE FALLEN

An in memoriam musical service was held at the Congregational Church, Skipton, on Tuesday evening last in memory of the teachers and old scholars of the Brougham Street Council School, who have made the supreme sacrifice in the first three years of the war. Their names are as follows:– Willie Barraclough, C. D. Bennett (teacher), Arthur Bruce, Sam Cairns, Cyril Calvert, Ennie Clarke, Tom Clarke, Harry Ingham, Tom Langman, Reggie Pollard, Lewis Sedgwick, Joe Stewart, Harry Tindall (teacher), and J.W. Varley. Mr. A. Townsend, in explaining the objects of the service, said he hoped it would not be of a sorrowful character, but that they were gathered together to honour all the men that had laid down their lives.

Rev. L. F. Gaunt, in the course of a brief address, said that he fully concurred with the statement made at the opening of the service that their predominant thought should be one of trust and thanksgiving for those who had made the supreme sacrifice. They were not to think of those young lives as having been thrown away and lost. No true life would ever be lost, for it was a gift of God, and anything that came from Him could never really die. Standing one day this summer he had watched the field of daisies rippling in the wind, and had rejoined in their beauty, but even as he stood there a mowing machine had come and cut down all the flowers. It seemed a waste of life and beauty, but he remembered that the roots were still there and that the flowers would grow all the fairer and the stronger next year. So it was with those whom we described as having been cut down in their youth. The roots of life had not perished, but would bear flowers and fruit again. Our loved ones, who had passed away, could still be helped by our love and by our prayers. It was for those who remained to prove themselves worthy of the sacrifices that had been made so that at the end they might meet again without shame.

During the evening the following programme was gone through by the members of the Brougham Street Old Scholars’ Choir: Anthem, ‘O God protect with Thy strong hand’ (Grier); sentences and collects; anthem, ‘Rest for the weary’ (Gounod); hymn, ‘For all the Saints’; lesson; magnificat (S. Nicholson); hymn, ‘God of our fathers’; solo, ‘The trumpet shall sound’ (Handel), Clifford Townsend; ‘Hallelujah chorus,’ organ; solo, ‘I know that my Redeemer’ (Handel), D. Wear; anthem, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ (Smart); hymn, ‘Was there ever kindest shepherd’; anthem, ‘Peace to the souls of the heroes’ (Callcott); hymn, ‘The day Thou gavest.’ During the evening a collection was taken, the proceeds of which are to be devoted to the proposed school memorial.

15 March 1918

SKIPTON WEAVER’S SUICIDE

Upset Through Being Rejected

At the Skipton Town Hall on Tuesday morning, Mr. Edgar Wood (District Coroner) held an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Maurice Ingham (27), a weaver, residing at 18, Brookside, Skipton, who was found dead at his home with his throat cut shortly after noon on Monday.

Dr. Robert Fisher said he had known deceased from being a child, and medically attended him some years ago. About three weeks ago he was rejected for the army and was very much upset. He saw him at the time and had a chat with him. He was then quite sane. He had not seen him since. He attended him about eight years ago when he attempted to cut his throat. He was not insane then, as he saw him shortly after. When he was rejected for the army he thought he was not good for anything, and he tried to cheer him up, and told him that others had been rejected and were following their work as usual. Deceased had a very happy home and a good wife. He saw the body of the deceased on Monday, and found he had cut his throat on the right side from below the ear to the windpipe. He was of the opinion that the wound had been self-inflicted.

Ambrose Ingham, of 12, Brookside, Skipton, father of the deceased, gave evidence of identification, and added that he went for a walk with deceased on Sunday night, and he was then all right. He had been away from work about a fortnight, but was improving in health. He did not see the deceased at all on Monday until he had cut his throat. He could not make any suggestion why he had done it. Deceased had worried about his brother, who was killed in the war on April 9th last, and also because he himself had been rejected for the army. He had never threatened to commit suicide, and he had expressed his sorrow for previously attempting to take his life. They had not the slightest suspicion that he would do anything of the kind again, or they would not have left him. Of late he had been troubled with sleeplessness.

Sarah Ann Ingham. mother of the deceased, said she saw her son between 10 and 10-30 on Monday morning. He was then at home, and seemed to be all right. When she left him he said he was going to clean up, get the dinner ready by the time his wife came home from work. She had no suspicion that he would do anything to himself. As he had never threatened to take his life since eight years ago. The last time he cut his throat he was depressed.

Mrs. Ripley, of 16, Brookside, Skipton, said she had not seen the deceased alive since last Friday. She went to see how he was, and he said he was a little better. He was, however, very quiet. She heard what had happened when deceased’s wife came home from the mill. She heard a scream and she went to see what was the matter. On going upstairs she found deceased laid dead on the floor, with a blond-stained razor close by him. He was fully dressed.

The jury returned a verdict of “suicide whilst of unsound mind.”

[Brother of Pte. Henry Ingham.]

12 April 1918

IN MEMORIAM

In loving memory of Pte. Henry Ingham, of the York and Lancaster Regiment, who was killed in action in France, April 9th, 1917.

“Only those who have loved and lost can understand.”

– From Emily. 16, Cumberland Street, Skipton.