Ian Murray has submitted the following:-
Henry Percival was born in Lanchester in 1893, the youngest child of John James and Elizabeth Thompson, themselves both born in Lanchester. Elizabeth was the illegitimate daughter of Isabella Naisbett but was raised as Elizabeth Pallister. John and Elizabeth had eleven children but only six survived into adulthood. The family lived in Front Street, Lanchester. In 1881, John James was a Registrar of Births and Deaths. In 1891, his occupation was Conservative Agent. Percival Henry was baptised at Lanchester Parish Church 9th July 1893. He seems to have transposed his Christian names at various times.
Only months before Henry was born, his sister, Mary, drowned in the river at Lanchester and when Henry was only five years old his father committed suicide by hanging himself at their home. He was 48 years old, was Clerk to the Parish Council and had just been appointed an assistant overseer.
By 1911 Henry was 18, living at home with his mother, sister and three brothers and was employed as a colliery labourer.
Henry enlisted in Durham and served first in The Hussars and then with the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He died 25th September 1915, aged 23. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Loos Memorial.
All four of Henry’s brothers served in WW1: Thomas Pallister served as a Corporal in the Royal Engineers, Walton Earle as a Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, William Wyllard as a Private in the Durham Light Infantry and James Disraeli as a Private in the Yorks. and Lancs. Regiment. All survived the War.
On March 5th 1921 at Lanchester Parish Church, Henry’s sister, Norina married Frederick Lathan. Fred had served in WW1 in The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, then in the Machine Gun Corps and later in the Tank Corps. He was awarded the Military Medal. He and Norina emigrated to New Zealand. Frederick died suddenly at a military camp during WW2 while serving as a Warrant Officer for the New Zealand Military Forces. He was buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in Karori Cemetery, Wellington. Norina’s grave is in the same cemetery and her headstone includes the fact that she was born in Lanchester. Two brothers of Fred Lathan (Vivian and Lisle) served and died in WW1. They and two of their cousins, Marmaduke Featherstonhaugh and William Samuel Featherstonhaugh who also served and died, are included on the Lanchester Village Green Memorial.
Acknowledgements: John and Trudy Horton
Henry Percival Thompson is remembered at Lanchester on L62.01 L62.02 L62.04
