Photo: B Pirrie
R4/089787 Private
A.B. Bee
Royal Army Service Corps
9th June 1918.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Andrew Brown Bee, one of 7 children of whom only 4 reached adulthood, was the 3rd born of 4 sons and had 3 elder sisters. His father William Bee born 1843 at Newton, Midlothian, Scotland, was married at Earlston, Berwick, Scotland, June 7th 1867, to local girl Margaret Gray born 1841. By 1871 Margaret had given birth to 2 children both of whom died at a very young age. Jane Sanderson Bee born July 21st 1868 died before 1871, Thomas born July 25th 1868 died in 1971 whilst the family were living at Market Street, Galashiels where William Bee was employed as a butler. Their son John Gray Bee was born about 1872, Christine Brown, November 6th 1873 and Agnes about 1876. Tragedy struck again when Christine died on New Year's Eve, December 31st 1879, at the age of 6 years. William, his wife and surviving children were living at 32, Market Street, Galashiels, Selkirkshire when Andrew Brown Bee was born in 1880. William now supported his family working as a general labourer, ten years later they had moved to 72, Overhaugh Street and Margaret had given birth to their youngest child James Walter in about 1883.
William Bee died, May 8th 1900, at Galashiels, Margaret took into their home his widowed mother Christine Brown Bee (79) and they were supported by Andrew (20) employed by a shoe maker, James (18) an apprentice baker and Agnes (25) a woollen weaver, their brother John Gray Bee had married a girl by the name of Mary and was living two doors away at 70, Overhaugh Street. He and Mary had a daughter, Isabella (2). John supported his family and also her grandmother Janet Shepherd (85).
Andrew Brown Bee left Scotland for the north east of England after 1901 settling at Lanchester, County Durham where he met and married at Lanchester Registry Office, December 22nd 1906, Ethel Saunders born at Shildon, near Sunderland, County Durham, June 5th 1886. Their daughter Eva was born at Rowley, March 27th 1907 and son William James, April 8th 1911, whilst they were living in 2 rooms at George Street, Consett, where Andrew was employed as a labourer at the steel works, January 30th 1913 their youngest daughter Margaret Agnes was born at Consett.
War was declared with Germany in August 1914, by which time Andrew and his family were living at 2, Consett Road, Castleside, Consett, County Durham. He had left the iron works and was now employed as a groom and coachman. Andrew was attested at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, April 24th 1915 and posted to Lathom Park, Ormskirk near Liverpool, Lancashire, May 17th 1915, to the Army Service Corps as Private R4/089787. The A.S.C. Remounts Service was responsible for the horses and mules and their distribution to army units and were also part of the Lines of Communication on active service but were not under the orders of any specific Division.
At the time of his departure for Lancashire Ethel was pregnant with their fourth child, Andrew Brown Bee Jnr was born at Consett, January 7th 1916.
Private Bee did not serve abroad and was transferred to Army Reserve Class W, March 24th 1917 until October 17th 1917 when he was sent to hospital (unspecified) for medical examination. The report dated, November 28th 1917 stated he was suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, not as a result of but aggravated by ordinary Military Service. The decision was taken that Private Bee was eligible for discharge under King’s Regulation 393(xvi), ‘no longer physically fit for war service’ and awarded a pension.
Private Andrew Brown Bee R4/089787 died after discharge as a result of his illness, June 9th 1918, interred at Castleside (St. John) Churchyard, Consett, County Durham with military honours.
Andrew’s brother James Walter Bee also served with the Army Service Corps during WW1 and served overseas until his discharge in March 1919.
Ethel remarried in 1921 at Lanchester to Thomas Henry Marwood, born April 2nd 1896, their son Thomas Henry Marwood Jnr was born October 11th 1921. In 1939 they were living at 16, Consett Road, Castleside, County Durham, Thomas Henry employed as a blast furnace barrow-man, his son a sand quarry treading mill worker. Ethel Marwood-Bee nee Saunders died in 1965 aged 78 years, Thomas Henry Marwood aged 86 years in 1982, Thomas Henry Marwood Jnr during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 2000, aged 79 years.
Details as regards Andrew and Ethel’s children. Eva Bee married in 1929 to Thomas W. Lightfoot. In 1939 they were living at 11, Milton Street, Ryton where Thomas was employed at the colliery below ground as a heavy worker puller up.
William James Bee was a miner/labourer at Healeyfield (Ganister), Castleside, Consett. Injured by a fall of stone, May 15th 1935 he died, September 8th 1935 aged 24 years. The Colliery Guardian reported September 13th 1935 as follows, “The inquest was held on Monday night at Lanchester on W. J. Bee, who was injured on May 15th, while working as a labourer in the Healeyfield ganister mines, Castleside, and died on Sunday. J. R. James, a filler at the mine, in giving evidence, said Bee was wearing a safety helmet. Mr. W. Wainwright, H.M. Inspector of mines said he thought the first fall struck Bee on his safety helmet. But for that he would have been killed outright. It was the second fall, in Mr. Wainwright’s opinion that fatally injured him. Accidental death was the verdict.”
Margaret Agnes Bee had moved to Wallington in Surrey where she was living at 13, Linden Avenue. She was married at Holy Trinity Church, Wallington, July 29th 1939 to Harry John Clark (25) who at the time was on active service as Private Clark, East Surrey Regiment. They had two children Harry John Jnr born 1939 and Susan E. Clark in 1950.
Exact details as regards Andrew Brown Bee Jnr as yet unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Andrew B. Bee is remembered at Castleside on C113.01
