John George WAGGITT

17 November 1916

NEWS OF ADDINGHAM SOLDIERS

Mr. Flint has received further letters in acknowledgment of parcels. J.G. Waggitt, 2nd Canadian Division, writes:– “We are having very bad weather here just now. I saw some of the Addingham boys just before my brother was killed, but they are not round here now. I had a little talk with Ruben Smith just a few days before he was wounded; he was with my brother at the time. We don’t get much news these days.” – E. Hargreaves writes:– “We have just had a real old time – Guy Fawkes bon fire with some ammunition boxes &c., so we can all gather round, dry our clothes and smoke to our heart’s content. I was sorry to hear my old friend Town had been wounded. I hope he is progressing favourably.” H. Spencer writes:– “We are away from the trenches at present and having a rest, but expect we shall be going up again presently. Thanking you and the subscribers for your kindness.”

A collection made at Miss Pickersgill Cunliffe’s Ladies’ Bible Class on Sunday afternoon last for the Soldiers and Sailors’ Parcels Fund realised £1 5s. – The contents of the Christmas parcels will be as follows:– plum loaf, salmon, toffee, soap, French paste, socks and Christmas card. It will prevent disappointment if those who have sons or brothers who have enlisted from Addingham will let the secretaries, Mr. Nuttall or Mr. Flint, have their addresses so that there may be no one missed out.

03 August 1917

WAGGITT – Found drowned in Heber’s Ghyll, Ilkley, Tuesday, July 31st 1917, Driver John George Waggitt, Canadian Field Artillery, son of Mr. John Waggitt, Moorside Farm, Addingham, aged 23 years.

03 August 1917

ADDINGHAM – SOLDIER’S TRAGIC DEATH

John George Waggett [Waggitt], a driver in the Canadian Field Artillery, son of Mr. John Waggett, Moorside Farm, Addingham, was found dead in Heber’s Ghyll, Ilkley, on Tuesday morning. Waggett, who was about twenty-three years of age, came home on furlough on Monday morning and went down to Ilkley in the afternoon. He complained of being very tired, and it is supposed he fell asleep while leaning over the bridge spanning the ravine and fell into the stream below. He had to pass over the bridge on his way home. A brother was some time ago killed at the Front.

THE INQUEST

The inquest was held at the Conservative Club, Addingham, on Wednesday afternoon and was presided over by Mr. Edgar Wood, coroner.

John Waggett, identified the body as that of his son, John George Waggett. He was a driver in the Canadian Field Artillery, and was 23 years of age. He had come home from France early on Monday morning on leave. He stayed at home until 2.30 and then went down to Ilkley. They expected him back in the evening. He last saw him at the Listers’ Arms, Ilkley, about 6.30. He asked him to come home, but he said he was tired of riding; he would walk home and be there as soon as him. He had only one friend with him, a civilian. He was sober and he did not think he ever tasted anything to drink. He had not been to bed since leaving France. Heber’s Ghyll, where he was found, was on his way home. He was a very steady young man.

Sergeant Goldthorpe, stationed at Ilkley, said he saw the deceased at 12.10 a.m. in Grove Road, Ilkley. He was sat on a seat fast asleep. He woke him up; he was quite sober, but he could tell he had had a drink. He talked to him about 20 minutes, because at first he would keep dropping asleep as he was talking to him. He said he had come home from the Front and he was very tired; he had had no sleep. He said, “I had better be going home, my people will be waiting up and they will be very uneasy.” He picked up his spurs saying he had no idea he had taken them off. He saw him set off home, saying he would just get home by one o’clock. He heard him going straight away, and he was quite capable of taking care of himself. It was not very dark, light enough to see for 50 yards ahead. There was no one else about. It was about three-quarters of a mile from where he left him to where he was found. He walked quite steadily when he set off.

Arthur Hornby Bland, Burley-in-Wharfedale, gardener, said he found the body just below the bridge of Heber’s Ghyll lying in shallow water face downwards at 9.30 on Tuesday morning. There was a steep bank and a drop from the bridge of 20 feet, and 12 feet down the bank-side sloping to the water. He thought he might have fallen down the bank and then rolled in. His cap was lying against his feet. There was no sign of there having been any struggling on the bank.

Inspector Bell said he recovered the body, and it was in the position described by last witness. Deceased appeared to have been dead some time. He thought he had fallen from the bridge top straight into the water. He was in the middle of the gully and it was about five yards wide, and he was lying in the position he would expect to find him if he had fallen off the bridge. His head was down the stream and his feet towards the bridge. There were no signs of anything on the bank, which was soft and mossy, and it would have been easy to see if there had been any struggling. He was lying opposite the bridge. He had £14 11s. 6d. on him. The water was about 18 inches deep where his head was.

Dr. Crabtree, Addingham, said he saw the body on Tuesday evening, and he could not find anything to account for the death of deceased except drowning. He had a bruise on the lower border of the ribs on the right side; he thought it had been done in the fall, but it would not cause death. He might have been winded by the fall, but he thought he had died from suffocation by drowning.

The Coroner, in summing up, said the last time deceased was seen he was quite sober, but overborne for want of sleep and he had no doubt fallen off the bridge into the water and accidently drowned.

The jury returned the verdict ‘Accidently fell into the water and was drowned.’

The Coroner and jury expressed their deep sympathy with the bereaved family.

10 August 1917

ADDINGHAM – THE LATE DRIVER WAGGITT

The funeral of Driver John George Waggitt, of the Canadian Field Artillery, whose death was reported last week, took place on Friday afternoon last at the Parish Church Burial Ground. The members of the Addingham Platoon of the West Riding Volunteers, in command of Sergt. Baker, met the mourners at the top of the village, and formed an escort to the Church. The service in the Church and at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. J.W. Hall (rector). The firing party fired a military salute and the ‘Last Post’ was sounded. The chief mourners were Mr. and Mrs. Waggitt, Miss Waggitt, Miss Hannah Waggitt, Miss Lily Waggitt (sisters), Mr. and Mrs. Lister Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. C. Brown, Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. Gregson (Moorside), Mr. Capstick (Woodhouse, Ilkley), Mr. Watson and Mr. E. Thackray (Netherwood), Mr. S. Whiteoak, Mr. John Rishworth, Mr. H. Todd, Mr. W. Lancaster, Mr. H. Moore, Mr. James Pighills, Mr. Bell, Mr. J. Gill, Mr. J. Rishworth, jun., Mr. A. Kendall, Mr. Charles Dewhurst (Moorside), Mr. L. Steel (Turner Lane), Mr. H. Mason, and Mr. R. Thompson (Gildersber).

Wreaths were sent from Nellie, Hannah, Lily, and Fred (somewhere in France), “In loving memory of our dear brothers John and Willie” (Willie fell in France about nine months ago), Mr. and Mrs. Nixon and Master Everitt and John Nixon. There was a large gathering of the public out of sympathy with the bereaved family.