William ROBINSON (2)

12 November 1915

HIGH BENTHAM – ROBUST RECRUITING

The remarks made last week under this heading are beginning to prove that the young men of the district are preparing for eventualities, for on Saturday last seven young men, the pick of the district, journeyed to Lancaster and joined the King’s forces–six in the Royal Field Artillery and one in the Royal Horse Artillery. They were Mr. William Carr, eldest son of Mr. Thomas Carr, of Bank Head; Mr. Thomas Wildman, youngest son of the late John Wildman; Mr. Reginald S. Wilson, son of the late John Wilson; Mr. Richard Thornton, eldest son of Mr. R. Thornton, late of the Brown Cow; Messrs. John and Richard Kidd, sons of Mr. Richard Kidd, butcher, who has now three sons serving their King and Country; and Mr. Walter Newhouse, second son of Mr. Stephen Newhouse, of Todhill, who joined the Royal Horse Artillery. On Monday another batch of six recruits visited Captain E.G. Clark’s office at Lancaster, and four were accepted for the Royal Field Artillery, viz., Mr. Arthur Taylor, son of Mr Edward Taylor, of the Bee Hive; Mr. William Robinson, youngest son of the late William Robinson, of the Old Plough Inn; and Messrs. Fred and William Smith, sons of Mr. William Smith, and grandsons of the late Richard Smith, who was at one time huntsman to the Vale of Lune Harriers. They have a brother serving in France, namely Farrier Sergeant Tom Smith, who is under orders for Serbia. From inquiries there will be a much larger batch of recruits from Greystonegill and Mewith districts next Friday and Saturday, when the farm lads’ term expires. It would seem that the duties of the Bentham Recruiting Committee will be light, for the eligible young men are going of their own accord, and all praise to them for answering Lord Derby’s call.–We understand, however, that a considerable portion of the above named were rejected for some reason only known to the military authorities.

14 July 1916

HIGH BENTHAM – Recruits

A few young men have been called up this week to join the Forces, and it looks likely that the Military are drawing the cords in a little. Stephen Newhouse, the eldest son of Mr. Stephen Newhouse, of Todhill, who has already three other sons at the Front, was sent to Yarmouth to the Garrison Artillery. Fred Smith, the son of Mr. Wm. Smith, whose brother Tom Smith is a Farrier Sergeant serving on the Tigris; Billy Robinson, the son of the late William Robinson, of the Old Plough Inn; Richard Parrington, the second son of Mrs. Parrington, of Oak Cottage; Jack Parker, the only son of Mr. Thomas Parker, of King Street; and James Wilshaw, the younger son of Mr. James Wilshaw, of Hammond Head, have all joined the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

29 September1916

HIGH BENTHAM – Home on Leave

Quite a number of Bentham boys have been home during the past week from their various regiments:– Private Stephen Newhouse, of the R.G.A., stationed at Woolwich; Pte. Henry Jacques and Pte. John Maudsley, of the Tyneside Scottish; Pte. James Henry Jacques, of the King’s Own, who was wounded in the Dardanelles; Pte. Fred Smith and Pte. Wm. Robinson, of the Duke of Wellington’s; and Pte. S. Brown, of Hardacre, who is in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

02 November 1917

ROBINSON – October 9th 1917, killed in action on the Western Front, Corporal William Robinson, West Riding Regiment, son of Mrs. Hannah Robinson, Main Street, Bentham.

02 November 1917

HIGHER BENTHAM – TWO BENTHAM MEN KILLED

On Saturday morning news reached his mother that Corporal Tom Harry Smith, of the Grenadier Guards (Machine Gun) was killed in action on the 11th October. The deceased was well known at Bentham, having been some time ago in the employ of Mr. J.E. Dean, grocer, but was later in the goods warehouse at Miles Plating, Manchester, where he enlisted on the 20th October 1914 as a volunteer, and his brother, W. Smith, in the R.F.A. as a driver.

Two of the stepbrothers are serving in France. He was 25 years of age and over 6ft. On Saturday his mother received a letter from the Guards Record Office, dated October 22nd 1917, notifying the fact that Corporal Smith had been killed in action; also a message of sympathy from the King and Queen. The deceased’s stepfather, Mr. Elijah McCann, is an old Afghan campaigner.

The news also reached Mrs. Hannah Robinson of Main Street, Bentham, on Sunday that her youngest son, Corporal William Robinson of the West Riding Regiment, had been killed in action in France. The deceased was the youngest son of his widowed mother, and her main support, and was working for Messrs. George Angus and Co. when the orders came to that works that all single men had to join up. He went with others on the 8th July last year. According to a letter received by the mother, the fatality occurred in France on the 9th October 1917. The report is to the effect that he was killed in action.

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.