Medomsley Churchyard
In St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Medomsley, County Durham is a family headstone which reads;
In Loving Memory Of
ELIZABETH JANE
The Beloved Wife Of
WILLIAM FENWICK
Of Low Bradley
Who Died January 23rd 1896
Aged 38 Years
Also ANNIE MARY
Their Beloved Daughter
Who Died April 5th 1887
Aged 7 Years And 5 Months
Also ARTHUR Their Fourth Son Who Died
March 18th 1904 Aged 5 Years And 10 Months
Also The Above
WILLIAM FENWICK
Who Died At Whalton
February 26th 1940
Aged 88 Years
Also ELIZABETH ANN
Wife Of The Above WILLIAM
Who Died At Whalton
March 10th 1950
Aged 88 Years
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Edward Fenwick was the youngest of 5 siblings, he also had 3 half siblings from his father William Fenwick’s second marriage.
William Fenwick born July 29th 1851 at Hole House, Healyfield, County Durham, was married in 1876 in the district of Lanchester to Elizabeth Jane Drummond, also of Healyfield, born November 28th 1857. John Drummond Fenwick was born in 1876, William Joshua 1878 and Annie Mary 1879. In 1881 William was a farmer of 111 acres at Low Bradley and employed 3 indoor farm servants, Thomas Bewick (20), James Logan (14) and Elizabeth Ann Charlton (20). Their daughter Annie Mary died April 5th 1887, 7 years and 5 months old, whilst Elizabeth Jane was pregnant with her fourth child, another daughter born, August 20th, was baptised Elizabeth Ann at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Shotley Bridge, County Durham, September 25th 1887.Thomas Edward was born in 1890 and only 6 years of age when his mother, Elizabeth Jane Fenwick nee Drummond, died with her husband by her side, January 23rd 1896, aged 38-years, cause of death, a perforated ulcer. She was interred in the family plot within St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Medomsley, County Durham.
A year later William married for a second time in the district of Castle Ward, Northumberland to Elizabeth Ann Rowntree of Bolam, Northumberland, born September 8th and baptised September 30th 1866. Their son Arthur was born at Low Bradley, May 23rd 1898, Ursula Wanda, June 17th 1900 and Charles, May 17th 1902. Sadly, Arthur died at Low Bradley Farm, March 18th 1904, aged 5 years and 10 months, he too was interred at St Mary Magdalene. In 1911 Elizabeth Ann was assisting her father as a dairy maid, Thomas Edward as a farm hand, their half-brother Charles (8) remained at home with his mother who is also listed as assisting in the business. John Drummond Fenwick was living at West Billingside Farm in 1911 with his wife Jane, 5 children and visitors, the Southern family, William Joshua was newly married and living with his wife Rose Ann at Plantation Street, Leadgate, Durham, their half-sister Ursula with her aunt Margaret Rowntree who lived by her own means at Whalton, Morpeth, Northumberland.
War was declared with Germany, August 4th 1914, however, Thomas Edward did not enlist until the following year. He was attested at Consett, December 11th 1915 and assigned to the Army Reserve and not mobilised until January 22nd 1917. At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, he was sent to the 81st Training Reserve, 19th Reserve Brigade, which had been the 14th Reserve Battalion Yorkshire Regiment until August 1916.
July 5th 1917 Private Fenwick departed to France arriving the following day at the 34th Infantry Base Depot, Etaples, transferring as Private 33345 to “B” Coy, 1/4th Battalion York and Lancashire Regiment, July 21st 1917, a Territorial Force battalion attached to the 148th Brigade, 49th (West Riding) Division, which had been at the front since April 1915. He joined his regiment in the field which participated in the final phases of the Battle of Passchendaele, Ypres salient, Belgium, which raged from July 31st until November 10th 1917.
Having been posted to the 3rd Infantry Base Depot at Rouen, also a hospital centre, December 4th 1917, he returned to England and was admitted to the Horton County of London War Hospital, Epsom, Surrey, December 15th, described as, “debilitated.” The hospital had been created by the taking over of the Horton Asylum by the Army Council in 1915, its inmates had been transferred elsewhere and it housed servicemen from the Empire who were wounded during WW1. Private Fenwick remained there until January 23rd 1918 before being sent for convalescent treatment and assessment of fitness which included route marches, between January 23rd to February 12th 1918 when he was discharged from the hospital system and awarded furlough from February 12th-22nd and returned to Low Bradley Farm. Two days prior to his return to service, February 20th 1918, he was married at Consett to Miss Elizabeth Ann Clark, born December 29th 1890.
Upon returning to his unit Private Fenwick was posted, February 22nd to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion York and Lancashire Regiment and departed to France, March 30th 1918 disembarking the same day making his way to the Base Depot where he was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the Regular Army. March 31st he transferred with a change of service number to Private 81216 and joined the 15th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, 64th Brigade, 21st Division, in the field on the Somme, having been rushed there from Belgium when the Germans had attacked again on that front, March 21st. In late April as part of the 21st Division the battalion left the front line and was sent for a period of rest near Reims but returned to front line action, May 27th 1918, facing a German attack which endured two days, with the loss of over 450 men, killed, wounded or missing.
News reached Elizabeth Ann via her father-in-law that Thomas Edward was dead, although she herself had heard nothing from the Army. She took her case to a Mr. Charles Walton of the Records Office, who wrote to the authorities on her behalf, “Dear Sirs, On behalf of the wife of 81612 Pte. T. E. Fenwick 15th D.L.I. I beg to ask if any news has been received by you of this soldier. The reason for asking is because the wife has heard from outside sources that the soldier’s father had received word from you that the soldier was killed about the end of May or June 1st. I shall be glad if you will give me the desired information to me for his wife who resides at East Billingside Farm, Leadgate, Yours Faithfully, Charles Walton.” June 19th 1918 Elizabeth Ann’s worst fears were confirmed, her husband Private 81612 Thomas Edward Fenwick had been killed in action, May 28th 1918.
The body of her husband had been one of six buried on the battlefield by their comrades at Berry Au Bac, Picardy, France, map reference 220 X 285, a cross bearing names and military details marking their graves, details of which the authorities were aware.
After the Armistice of November 11th 1918, at the request of the French and Belgian Governments, small concentrations and isolated graves were brought into or formed into larger cemeteries. At the known map reference the crosses had not survived the subsequent action in the area, once exhumed, fortunately all of the burials were identified by name and regiment by means of identity discs, badges and in the case of Private Fenwick by means of papers in his pocket. November 23rd 1919 they were taken the 18.4 kilometres from Berry Au Bac to Reims where they were laid to rest with full military honours by an Army Chaplain within Hermonville Military Cemetery, Private 81612 Private Thomas Edward Fenwick Durham Light Infantry was interred grave II. E. 5. He was 28 years of age at the time if his demise in 1918.
His widow received all monies due to him from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, also a pension of 13 shillings 9 pence, awarded December 16th 1918, to be received weekly as of December 23rd 1918. November 23rd 1921 she received the items found on her husband’s remains, consisting of, 1 letter, 3 envelopes, locket and chain. Elizabeth Ann commissioned an additional inscription to be added to her husband’s military headstone, it reads, “Greater Love Hath No Man Than This That He Lay Down His Life For His Friends.”
What became of Elizabeth Ann Fenwick nee Clark after the death of her husband is as yet unknown.
Thomas Edward’s father William Fenwick, a well-known member of his local community, died at Whalton, February 26th 1940, aged 88-years, Elizabeth Ann Fenwick nee Rowntree also 88-years, March 10th 1950, both were interred in the family plot within St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Medomsley, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Edward Fenwick is remembered at Medomsley on M36.01 and M36.02 as T. Fenwick
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 134
