Thomas Rippon
Thomas and Elizabeth's wedding day
St. John Hamsteels
In St. John's churchyard is a family headstone which reads:-
In loving memory of
Elizabeth Hannah Rippon
Died March 29th 1944 aged 58 years
Also Thomas Rippon
Husband of the above
Who fell in action
in the Great War 1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Rippon Jnr was the 3rd born of 5 sons and had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters all of whom survived. His father Thomas Rippon Snr of Gilesgate Moor, County Durham, was born June 28th 1858 and married at Esh Parish Church, September 21st 1878 to Jane Moss born 1858 at Easington, County Durham. Newly married they moved in next door to his parent Thomas and Elizabeth Rippon and siblings at 49, South Terrace, Brandon, where he was employed as a coal miner. Their son William Edward was born 1879, Joseph 1881, Leticia 1883, Thomas Jnr October 17th 1885, Elizabeth October 1st 1888 all at Esh, before they moved to Cornsay Colliery where June 21st 1890 George was born, Matthew Moss July 1st 1893 and Mary December 29th 1895. By 1911 only Matthew (18) and Mary (15) were living at their home address of 143, Chadwick Street, Cornsay Colliery with their parents. Matthew was employed as a coal miner/putter, his father a stone-man.
Thomas Rippon Jnr had married April 18th 1908 at St John the Baptist Church, Hamsteels, to Elizabeth Hannah Keepin born October 15th 1885 at 38, Bowden Close, Helmington Row, County Durham. Their son Thomas was born in 1909, Ethel, May 11th 1911 and Frederick, June 7th 1913.
Thomas Rippon enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, November 5th 1914 and was assigned as Private 1040 to the newly formed 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. The battalion trained at Newcastle before moving to Alnwick camp in the grounds of Alnwick castle, January 29th 1915. His wife gave birth to their daughter Elizabeth, April 12th 1915, whether he ever saw the child is unknown as the battalion transferred to Ripon, Yorkshire, in June 1915 joining the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division. The regiment moved for final training in late August to Salisbury Plain, and departed to France in January 1916, concentrating at La Crosse near St. Omer. After a period of trench familiarisation they were moved to the Somme where preparations were underway for the forthcoming battles.
The opening Battle of the Somme had been planned for June 29th 1916, however, it was delayed by bad weather until July 1st. At 7.28 a.m. on the morning in question two huge mines were detonated under the German positions, one to the north, the other to the south of the village of La Boissellle, not far from Albert. At 7.30 when the whistles blew the men went over the top, the battle raged until July 13th 1916. The 20th (1st Tyneside Scottish) Battalion N. F. attacked La Boisselle to the south, the 21st and 22nd (2nd & 3rd Tyneside Scottish) Battalions N. F. followed each other across 200 yards of, “No Man’s Land”. 20 Officers and 628 men of the 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers were lost.
Having risen through the ranks, the now Sergeant 22/1040 Thomas Rippon Northumberland Fusiliers was reported as missing, his next of kin were informed. After extensive investigations as to his whereabouts he was struck off, presumed to have died in battle on or since July 1st 1916. This devastating news given to his widow Elizabeth Hannah was compounded by the fact that her brother, Sergeant 168 Arthur Keepin of the 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers had also been killed July 1st 1916.
Sergeant Thomas Rippon is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France, one of the 72,336 names of servicemen from Britain and South Africa inscribed there, all of whom have no known grave and were killed on the Somme before March 20th 1918. He was 30 years of age.
His widow as sole beneficiary received all monies due to her husband, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Elizabeth Hannah Rippon nee Keepin did not remarry and died March 29th 1944 in the district of Durham Central.
Thomas Rippon Jnr died March 1st 1979 aged 70 years, Frederick Rippon May 18th 1992 aged 79 years, Elizabeth September 15th 1997 aged 82 years, all registered at Esh Winning, County Durham, and Ethel March 31st 1976 aged 65 years registered at Croydon, Surrey.
Thomas Rippon Snr died aged 80 years, August 31st 1938 at Cornsay Colliery, as did his wife Jane Rippon nee Moss, May 10th 1942 aged 83 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Rippon is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
