St. John Hamsteels
In St John's Churchyard at Hamsteels is a family headstone which reads:-
In loving memory
of
Edward Batey
Died Sept. 28th 1902
Aged 46 years
Also Lucy Batey beloved
Wife of the above
Died Augt. 3rd 1924
Aged 66 years
Also Pte. Joseph Batey
Beloved son of the above
Who died of wounds received
In Action in France May 13th 1915
Aged 25 years
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph Batey was born at Cornsay, County Durham, one of 8 known children he was the 3rd born of 5 sons and had 2 elder and 1 younger sister. His father Edward Batey of Lanchester and mother Lucy Coates of Wolsingham, both in County Durham, were born in 1856 and married in the district of Lanchester in 1880. Newly married they moved in with Edward’s parents William and Elizabeth Batey and his brothers Martin (35) and Thomas (30) also their granddaughter Elizabeth H. Wall (20), at Lane Foot, Cornsay. It was here that their daughter Mary Elizabeth was born.
William Batey died aged 87 in 1884, his widow Elizabeth in 1889 aged 69 years. In 1891 Edward is listed as head of the household living at 135, Chadwick Street, he and Lucy now had 5 children including Mary Elizabeth. Elizabeth Jane born 1882, William 1884, Thomas Newton 1886 and 1-year-old Joseph born 1890. Edward’s brothers were still living with them and all 3 worked as colliery labourers. Having moved to 152, Chadwick Street by 1901 they also had a further 3 children, Lucy born 1898, Matthew 1901 and Edward Jnr 4 months old. Edward Batey died in 1902 at the age of only 46. After the death of her husband Lucy and her younger children, scholars Lucy (13) and Edward (10) were supported by her unmarried sons, William (27), Thomas (25), Joseph (21) and Matthew (17), employed as putters at the coal mine. They were living at Rose Mount Commercial Street, Cornsay and had a servant, 20-year-old Eleanor Churnside, Lucy’s sister Sarah Coates is listed as a visitor.
Joseph and Eleanor Churnside were married at Lanchester in 1912, their only child Lawrence was born in 1913. They were living at Tow Law, County Durham when the Great War broke out in 1914. Joseph enlisted at Durham and was assigned as Private 3196 Durham Light Infantry, joining his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. He was transferred to the 1/8th Battalion and posted to the coastal defences between Roker and Whitburn, over the next 9 months the new recruits were also trained for full-time service overseas.
The battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Turnbull of Chester-le-Street, departed from Newcastle station bound for France, April 19th 1915 and within days without any nursery training were sent to Belgium into the trenches on the Ypres salient during the 2nd Battle of Ypres where they suffered heavy casualties under shell fire and gas attacks on the Gravenstafel Ridge and at Boetleer’s farm.
Declared as missing Private Batey’s next of kin were informed and an investigation as to his whereabouts began. It was later confirmed to the War Office that Private 3196 Joseph Batey Durham Light Infantry had died of wounds, May 13th 1915, whilst a prisoner of war in Germany, at Lazarett Paderborn for prisoners of war, (translated as Paderborn Military Hospital) and had been interred at Paderborn Cemetery, North Rhein-Westphalia, grave 54.
His widow Eleanor received all monies due to him, his awards off the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal and a pension for herself, as tragically, their son Lawrence died during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1915 aged 2 years, registered in the district of Lanchester.
In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into 4 permanent cemeteries. The remains of Private Joseph Batey along with 28 other British and/or Commonwealth servicemen were brought from Paderborn Cemetery into Nederzwehen Cemetery, Kassel, Hessen, Germany, for reburial with all reverence and honour by an Army Chaplain, November 8th 1923, he is at rest grave VII. F. I. At the time of his demise in 1915 Private Batey was 25 years of age.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Joseph Batey is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 at Quebec on Q2.05 and at Satley on S116.01
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 117 and in the Battalion History page 239
