Thiepval Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Stewart Steel/Steele was the youngest of 7 known children, 4 sons and 3 daughters. His father Adam Steel was Scottish, born in 1836, his mother Margaret Backham was born in 1837 at Southwick, Sunderland, where they were married, April 3rd 1859 at St. Peter, Monk-Wearmouth. Their daughter Mary Jane was born at Sunderland in 1859, James in 1861 at Hetton, however, in the census of April 1861, Mary Jane is not listed and James is listed as J. Steel, the family was living at Robson’s Houses, Washington, County Durham, Adam was employed as a miner. Daughter Margaret was born in the district of Sunderland in 1869, Daniel, Adam and Stewart at Sherburn Colliery in 1875, 1877 and 1880 respectively, near Belmont, Durham.
Adam Steel died in 1890 aged 54 years when Stewart was only 9 years old. Margaret, (in the 1891 census listed as Margaret Stel), had moved with her family to Dragonville, she and daughter Mary Jane were supported by Daniel (16) employed as putter and Adam (13) a driver, Stewart (11) was a scholar. His sister married December 27th 1902, to Nicolas Wardropper Halliday, had taken her mother into her home at Shincliffe Bank Top, where her husband was employed as a banksman at the brickworks, supporting not only his wife and mother-in-law but also their 4 children, Martha, Thomas, Jane and Maria.
Stewart also took up employment at the colliery and was married, March 22nd 1903 at Shincliffe Parish Church, district of Durham, to Mary Elizabeth Curtis born 1886 at Shadforth, County Durham, with whom he had 3 children, Margaret Jane, October 14th 1903 and Elizabeth, March 5th 1905, at Old Dundrum and Edith, December 31st 1907 at Cornsay Colliery. In 1911 they were living in a 2 room home at South Terrace, Cornsay Colliery, where he was employed as a hewer.
In 1914 the Steel family occupied 144, Chadwick Street, Cornsay Colliery, Stewart left his employment as a miner and enlisted at Consett, December 21st 1914. Assigned as Private 22618 to the Durham Light Infantry he joined his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, the following day and posted to the 17th Battalion, January 29th 1915. The new recruits were sent from Newcastle to Barnard Castle and from there to the 4th Battalion’s old camp at Deerbolt for training. Their Colonel, an ex-Indian Army officer had been brought out of retirement to assist the war effort as the British Army was desperately short of experienced officers. July 26th 1915 the first fully trained men of the 17th Battalion departed to France, however, Private Steel was not amongst them as he had been posted to the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 68th Brigade, 23rd Division. He continued his training in England joining his regiment at Bramshott. The first draft of men of the 12th and 13th Battalions D.L.I. departed to France, August 26th 1915, Private Steel did not join them until September 24th, spending the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez until they were relieved during January 1916 and concentrated near Bruay for a period of rest. They returned to the front line between Boyau de L’Ersatz and the Souchez river, March 3rd 1916, taking over from the French 17th Division. Some of the battalion members with mining experience were transferred for a period to a Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers.
In mid-April they took a second period of rest before returning to the front line just as the Germans were attacking at Vimy Ridge, May 21st. The 23rd Division went into action in support of the 47th Division until they moved June 11th to Bomy and the artillery to Chamblain Chatelain and Therouanne to begin intensive training in preparation for the forthcoming battles on the Somme. Late June 1916 the division was moved to the Somme where the 13th Battalion entered the fighting, July 7th 1916, at La Boisselle, during the Battle of Albert, which raged July 1st-13th 1916, capturing Contalmaison. In July and early August they were involved in the heavy fighting at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Pozieres July 23rd-September 3rd, at Munster Alley east of Pozieres the battalion suffered over 100 casualties. During this period Private Steel was promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal July 21st 1916 and confirmed paid Lance Corporal July 22nd. After a period of rest, the division returned to the battlefields of the Somme, during the Battle of Flers-Coucelette, September 15th-23rd 1916, his record states he was killed in action September 17th 1916.
The sacrifice of Lance Corporal 22618 Stewart Steel Durham Light Infantry is recorded as one of the 72,337 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme before March 20th 1918 and who have no known grave.
His widow received all monies due to him, a pension of 26 shillings 4 pence a week for herself and their 3 children as of April 9th 1917 and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at Chadwick Street, Cornsay Colliery.
Stewart’s mother Margaret Steel nee Backham died April 22nd 1923 aged 86 years in the district of Lanchester.
Mary Elizabeth Steele remarried in the district of Lanchester in 1920 to Robert Milburn, they did not have any children. Mary Elizabeth Milburn-Steele nee Curtis died aged 89 years in 1975 at Gateshead, County Durham.
Daughter Margaret Jane married in 1931 at Durham to Sydney Bone, in 1937 they were living at 15, Dorlonco Villas, Meadowfield, County Durham. Having studied at Wingrove Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne between 1926-1929 she qualified as a nurse, June 21st 1929 and died in 1958 aged 55 years at Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.
Neither Elizabeth Steele or Edith Steele married. Edith died aged 78 years in 1986 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Elizabeth in 1997 in the district of Durham Northern aged 92 years.
It should be noted that the birth of Stewart was registered under the surname Steele all other records prior to this, BMD and census, list the family under the surname Steel, he also enlisted as Stewart Steele.
The CWGC on their website have recorded the date of his demise as September 23rd 1916, his military record and the Register of Soldiers Effects state September 17th 1916.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Stewart Steele is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.05
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 250
