William Brown MARKLEW

10 December 1915

INGLETON

Victor Marklew, of the Royal Navy, has been home on furlough this week. His two brothers, Charles and William, of the King’s Own, stationed at Plymouth, have also been home for their final leave before proceeding to the Front. Private John Metcalfe, of Weathercote, was at home for a few days.

18 August 1916

MARKLEW – Died from wounds in France, Pte. Wm. Marklew, King’s Own, son of Mr. and Mrs. Abel Marklew, Oakroyd, Ingleton, aged 24 years.

18 August 1916

INGLETON – War Items

Mr. Abel Marklew, of Oakroyd, has received the sad news that his son, Private William Marklew (King’s Own), who was 24 years of age, had died from wounds received in the Battle of the Somme. The information was conveyed in the following letter from a nursing sister:–

“Your son, Pte. W. Marklew, was admitted to this hospital yesterday suffering from a wound of the right knee. He was in an extremely collapsed condition. We did all we could to revive him, but could not prevail, and he passed away very peacefully. He was only in the hospital a few hours, and was too ill to talk, except to ask for a drink of water perhaps. He will be buried in the Military Cemetery attached to this camp which is near to the front.”

Pte. Marklew received his education at the Ingleton National School, and was subsequently apprenticed as a tailor to Mr. Walter Boyd. He joined the Colours in September last, and was sent to France in December. Mr. Marklew’s second son is now in hospital in France, and his youngest son, who joined the Navy, took part in the naval battle off Jutland.

Private Tom Heaps and Private Edward Heaps are in hospital in Kent, the former suffering from wounds in the back and legs, and the latter from shell wounds in the face. They joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and they are the sons of Mr. Robert Heaps, of Model Village.

Private Eric Capstick (Leeds ‘Pals’) is now reported to be progressing favourably and is in hospital in Huddersfield.

Private Joe Vickers (6th Duke of Wellington’s), who was wounded in the great push, is now in hospital near Sheffield. He is the youngest son of Mrs. Vickers, of Toll Bar Cottage, Ingleton.

22 February 1918

INGLETON – IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN

A memorial service for Ingleton men who have fallen in the war was held in St. Mary’s Church on Sunday evening. There was a large congregation, and the service was of an impressive character. The Union Jack was hoisted half-mast on the tower during the day. At the commencement of the service the organist, Mr. C. Bentham, played ‘O rest in the Lord’, and at the conclusion the Dead March in ‘Saul’, 'How bright these glorious spirits shine’, and other hymns appropriate to the occasion were sung, as was also the National Anthem. Standing on the Chancel steps, Bugler J. Robinson sounded the ‘Last Post’, and its solemn and eerie notes reverberated along the aisles.

Before commencing his address, the vicar, the Rev. D. T. Davies, read out the list of those who had fallen, as follows:–

Killed in action: Second-Lieutenant G. Kirk, Sergeant J. Metcalfe, Privates A. Noble, G. Scholey, C. Tomlinson, J. Smith, W. A. Hodgson, J. W. Wadeson, J. W. Robinson, J. Clapham, W. Smith, J. Schofield, J. Kettlewell, W. Marklew, E. Askew, P. Fletcher, G. Metcalfe, A. M. Booth, J. Woodhouse, W. Bolton, and J. [W.H.W.] Wilson.

Died in hospital: Privates W. H. Wignall and C. Newsholme.

Torpedoed: C. Grant.

Missing; Sergeant R. E. Walker, Privates A. Sherwin, W. Northey, E. Robinson, J. Saul, and W. [J.C.] Bradford.

The Vicar, speaking from the words, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’, said that the occasion brought them face in face with a question that was momentous to everyone, and the list which he had just read made them pause and ask the question, “Is the cause for which we are fighting of such a nature that these sacrifices are necessary?” They must remind themselves of the causes which led to the war. Our honour was pledged to protect a small country from an oppressing wrong, and we were compelled to stand by them. They were standing to protect a weak country from a fearful wrong committed by one of the strongest nations in the world – from a military point of view the strongest – a nation that was steadily prospering year after year and which had been training its manhood to satisfy its mad ambition for power. It was becoming clear, especially during the last few weeks, that the dominant note running through their proposals had been their determination that might should conquer over right, and that they would rule as masters over the whole world. When they analysed the causes they saw that the principles of justice and righteousness were struggling against oppression and wrong-doing. They had seen an attempt to impose injustice on the whole world, to impose the doctrine that might is right and mercy unknown by the will of one man, and to sweep away religion, man’s guidance, in a moment.