Herbert PICKERING

17 December 1915

BARNOLDSWICK FAMILY’S PATRIOTISM

It has become a trite saying that there is scarcely a family anywhere but has its representative taking part in one capacity or another in the great struggle. The question has often been asked, in the same connection, which particular street in Barnoldswick has returned the largest quota to the Colours. Pro rata this distinction is claimed for Bankfield Street, Coates, whose six houses are represented by eleven men who have joined since the outbreak of war. One of these, Pte. Jas. Parkinson, of the 2nd Duke of Wellington’s, has been a prisoner of war in Germany since the action at Hill 60 in May last.

But the honour of sending the largest quota from a single home probably belongs to the family of Mr. W.H. Pickering, 13, Clayton Street, Long Ing, all of whose five sons are serving in the Army, two of them at the Front. Mr. Pickering, who is 65 years of age, is a retired overlooker, who came from Haslingden to Barnoldswick six years ago. He has a family of five sons and two daughters.

The eldest son, Pte. Herbert Pickering, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, is now in France. The second, Pte. Harry Pickering, of the 5th Worcester Regiment, is at Tregantle Fort, Cornwall. The third, Pte. Philip Pickering, West Riding Regiment, is at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire. Pte. Wm. Pickering, the fourth son, has had seven years’ service with the 2nd East Lancashire Regiment, part of which he spent in India and South Africa. He has been with the Forces in France about fifteen months, and was recently home on a week’s furlough.

Pte. Abraham Pickering, the youngest member of the family, joined the 3/5th East Lancashire Regiment about a month ago and is in training at Southport.

04 August1916

BARNOLDSWICK

Pte. Herbert Pickering, K.O. Scottish Borderers, is in a London Hospital suffering from sheel shock and gas poisoning. He is one of the five soldier sons of Mr. W. H. Pickering, 13, Clayton Street, Barnoldswick.

06 April 1917

PICKERING – March 19th 1917, killed in action in France, Pte. Herbert Pickering, Royal Scots Regiment, eldest son of Mr. W.H. Pickering, 13 Clayton Street, Barnoldswick, aged 36 years.

06 April 1917

ONE OF FIVE SONS – BARNOLDSWICK SOLDIER KILLED

Mr. W.H. Pickering, 13 Clayton Street, has received news of the death of his eldest son, Private Herbert Pickering, Royal Scots Regiment, who was killed in France on the 19th March. He was 36 years of age and unmarried. Formerly employed as a weaver at Coates Mill, at the outbreak of war he was living in Warrington, and working at Messrs. Crosfield’s Soap Works, where he enlisted in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and was sent home from France last year suffering from shell shock and gas poisoning. On his recovery he was transferred to the Royal Scots. Mr. Pickering has four other sons in France, one of whom has been in the Army 10 years. The news of Pte. Pickering’s death was conveyed in a letter from the Rev. R.T. Cameron, chaplain to the regiment, who records that he was killed instantly while taking up his position in the trenches.

“He was a good soldier, well beloved by his comrades and his officers too. He was buried by the chaplain of the Brigade in a graveyard where already many hundreds of French and British have been laid to their last rest. It is a sweet spot on the outskirts of a large town. All the graves are marked by a Cross and carefully registered so that there will be no difficulty in identifying them at a later date, and the graveyard is well attended to by the Graves Registration Commission. . .”