St. John Hamsteels
St. John Hamsteels
The headstone reads:-In loving memory of
Matthew Henry
The beloved husband of Barbara Alice Bevan
(And Ex Segt. of the 2nd D.L.I.)
Of 11 Clifford Street, Quebec
Who died February 27th 1919
Aged 27 years
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Matthew Henry Bevan born 1892 in the mining village of Quebec, County Durham, was the 2nd born of 4 sons and had an elder sister. His father Matthew Henry Snr of Sunderland where he was baptised February 1st 1860, at the age of 21 years was employed as a coal miner living at Office Buildings, Lanchester, with his mother Dorothy, step father John Caile and his sons from his previous marriage, John Jnr and Robert Caile. He married Matthew Henry’s mother Isabella Gardner Coulson, born 1868 at Crook, County Durham, in the district of Lanchester in 1894, just prior to his birth they were living at Malton Colliery with his siblings John born 1886 and Jane Alice 1890. Having moved to Cornsay Albert Adolphus was born in 1895, Charles Bevan in 1900.
When Isabella Bevan was widowed in 1902 her eldest child was 16 years of age, the youngest only 2 years old. She remarried in the district of Lanchester in 1905 to 42-year-old widower Thomas Jones, born in Wales, who had a son, Thomas Jones Jnr (19) born at Cornsay Colliery. Thomas and Isabella went on to have 3 children of their own, Isabelle born 1905 who died in infancy under 1 year of age and William 1909. In 1911 both the Jones and Bevans were living in 4 rooms at Church Street, Quebec, County Durham, Thomas Jones Snr (49) and Thomas Jnr (19), Matthew Bevan (19) and brother Albert (16) were miners, half siblings Isabella Jones (5) and Charles Bevan (11) attended school, infant William Jones was 1 year of age.
At the age of 21 Matthew Henry Bevan Jnr was married, February 9th 1913, at Quebec Registry Office, to Barbara Alice Eltringham born at Quebec, August 11th 1893, daughter of John Eltringham and Barbara Ellen Hogg. Matthew Henry and Barbara’s son Matthew Henry Jnr was born during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1913.
On the outbreak of war he left his employment as a coal miner/hewer and enlisted at Chester-le-Street, September 2nd 1914, assigned to the Special Reserve Durham Light Infantry at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as Private 9515 and where he was trained for service overseas. Mobilised March 29th 1916 and posted to the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry of the Regular Army with the rank of unpaid Lance Corporal, he departed with his regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force, March 30th 1916 from Southampton bound for the D.L.I. Depot in France. Private Bevan joined the remainder of the battalion in the field on the Ypres salient in Belgium, April 21st 1916. In late July 1916 they moved to the battlefields of the Somme as part of the 18 Brigade, 6th Division, initially in reserve before participating at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd 1916, Morval September 25th-28th and Le Transloy October 1st-18th. During the period March 14th 1917 to June 29th 1917 he again rose through the ranks to paid Sergeant. The 2nd Battalion D.L.I. remained in the trenches until, November 20th 1917, they joined the British tank advance at Cambrai where initially they took prisoners and captured German guns only to be forced back sustaining heavy losses by a German counter attack. He was given a period of leave March 11th-25th 1918 and upon his return to France re-joined his battalion on the Somme, as March 21st 1918, after a heavy bombardment of gas and explosives the German Army had attacked again on the Somme front. The 2nd Battalion was the only D.L.I. battalion on that front and were quickly overwhelmed, only 60 men escaped death, wounding or capture. The battalion over the next 6 months was rebuilt and did not participate in any hard fighting until September 1918. During day to day trench warfare Sergeant Bevan was injured, a gunshot wound, April 1st 1918, when it was also discovered he had a heart murmur, however he returned to duty 3 days later. Wounded a second time, a gunshot wound to his right thigh, July 14th 1918, he was immediately transferred back through the lines by the 17th Field Ambulance to the 26th Casualty Clearing Station for medical attention before his admittance to the 14th Stationary Hospital at WImereux. He was repatriated to England August 18th 1918, for further treatment and recuperation, aboard the H.M.H.S. St. Denis. Owned by the Great Eastern Railways, her original name was Munich, which for obvious reasons was changed in 1914 after she was requisitioned by the Admiralty.
During his recovery in England the Medical Board recommended Sergeant Bevan for discharge and he was transferred to the 4th Battalion Durham Light Infantry at Seaham Harbour part of the north east coastal defences. Examined at Sunderland War Hospital complaining of feeling faint and breathless upon slight exertion, it was concluded this was due to his previously diagnosed heart murmur, resulting in a disablement expressed as 100%, it was recommended, November 13th 1918, that he be discharged under King’s Regulations 392 (xvi), “no longer physically fit for war service.” Matthew Henry was awarded a pension of 32 shillings 6 pence, plus 6 shillings 8 pence allowance for his son, for a period of 26 weeks commencing November 16th 1918.
Prior to the expiration of his pension period Ex-Sergeant 9515 Matthew Henry Bevan Durham Light Infantry died February 27th 1919 and was buried with full military honours in the north-west-part of the churchyard at St. John the Baptist Church, Hamsteels, County Durham. He was 27 years of age.
Matthew Henry’s widow remarried in the district of Easington, County Durham in 1929 to Albert Cave born 1898 at Hunwick, County Durham. They did not have any children, their marriage was short-lived as he died February 1st 1938 at 2, Crimson Terrace, Blackhall Colliery, West Hartlepool, aged 37 years, leaving effects in the sum of 588 pounds to his widow. Barbara Cave-Bevan nee Eltringham died in the district of Durham Northern during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1973 in her 80th year.
Matthew Henry Bevan Jnr married in 1939 to Mayna Kyle, born August 17th 1917 in County Durham and with whom he had a daughter Margaret Y. Bevan born 1940, she married in 1966 to John W. P. Gray, Brenda born 1943 married in 1966 to Colin Cranson and possibly gave birth to a son, Kevin in 1949.
Matthew Henry Bevan Jnr died at West Hartlepool General Hospital. December 8th 1960 aged 47 years, leaving his widow of 2, Arnold Avenue, Blackhill Colliery, County Durham effects in the sum of 635 pounds 19 shilling 8 pence. Mayna Bevan nee Kyle aged 55 years died in 1972.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Matthew Henry Bevan is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01
He is not remembered in the DLI Book of Remembrance
