Lancaster brother' headstone
A headstone in St. Thomas' Churchyard Craghead reads:-
In loving memory of
Lance Cpl. J. Lancaster
Who was killed in action
1st July 1916 aged 32 years
Also of Pte. A. Lancaster
Who was killed in action
29th April 1917 aged 24 years
Also of
Lance Cpl. C Lancaster
Who died from wounds
12th April 1918 aged 20 years
Sons of
William & Esther Lancaster
Also their grandson William
Who died 17th February 1916
Aged 2 years
They are gone bur not forgotten
Remembered by their Father Mother
Brothers & Sister
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Charles Lancaster was born 1889 in the parish of St Oswald, Durham City, one of 7 children, 5 boys and 2 deceased (gender unknown), born to William Lancaster 1860 Durham and Esther Beatrice White 1858 Stanton, Gloucester. They were married July 13th 1884 in the parish of St. Mary-The-Less, St. Oswells, Durham City where they resided for several years at 19, Church Street Head, Elvet, later moving to 11 Beechgrove Terrace, Edmondsley. William Lancaster worked as a coal miner and in 1911 was living at Front Street, Craghead, his sons were also employed at the colliery with the exception of Charles who was a butcher at the Coop.
Charles Lancaster’s military record no longer exists but his Medal Roll Index Card lists he was assigned to the Northumberland Fusiliers firstly as Private 8176 then 7912 and finally as 267367, he also rose through the ranks to Lance Corporal in the 1st/6th Northumberland Fusiliers. Other records indicate he enlisted in Newcastle upon Tyne most probably at St. George’s Drill Hall, August 1914. The 1st/6th Northumberland Fusiliers trained in Hexham as part of the Northumbrian Brigade, Northumbrian Division and it was not until 1916 that he was sent to the front. His battalion fought on the Ypres salient in 1916 from February to August and during the Battles of the Somme at Flers-Courcelette, Morval, Transloy Ridge and then in the trenches for day to day fighting until March 1917. The Arras Offensive was underway in 1917 and the battalion was engaged in the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and at the front near Cherisy. In the spring of 1918 Charles was wounded and taken by Field Ambulance to the 54th Casualty Clearing Station at Aire, a busy centre used by the Commonwealth forces as headquarters and the base of the 39th Stationary Hospital.
Private 237267 Charles Lancaster died of wounds April 12th 1918, he was 29 years old and single. He is interred at Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave IV. F. 25.
As his sole beneficiary his mother Esther received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was the third of William and Esther’s sons to make the ultimate sacrifice in the Great War. His brother Lance Corporal 406 James Lancaster was killed in action July 1st 1916 on the Somme and Private 1046 Arthur Lancaster April 29th 1917 during the Battle of Arras, they were both in the 26th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Their brother John William served and was officially discharged January 28th 1916, he was 29 years old. He was awarded a pension, the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
William Lancaster died in 1945 preceded by his wife Esther in 1940.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Charles Lancaster is remembered at Craghead on C120.01 C120.02 and C120.04
