Richard William Longstaff
Blaydon Courier 19/07/1919
Allendale Cottage Reading Room RoH
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Richard William Longstaff Jnr born at Lanchester, County Durham, one of 8 surviving children, he was the 3rd born of 5 sons and had 2 elder and one younger sister. His father Richard William Longstaff of West Auckland born 1847, in 1871, was a boarder in the household of the Little family, he and their daughter Margaret Maria Little born 1849 at West Auckland, County Durham were married in 1871 and settled at Dipton where Richard William was employed as a coal miner. Son William was born in 1872, Sarah Elizabeth 1873, Margaret Jane 1875, John Golightly 1876, Richard 1878, Hutton 1880, Benjamin 1884 and Charlotte 1888.
In 1881 they were living at Old Rows, Collierley and had moved to 19, Allendale Cottages by 1891. Richard had been joined at the colliery by son William (18), John (14) and Richard, who was only 12 years of age, daughter Margaret worked from home as a dressmaker, Elizabeth remained at home assisting her mother while the younger children with the exception of Charlotte (3) were scholars. Richard William Longstaff Snr died in 1895 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, aged 48 years, his widow Margaret was supported by her sons until they themselves were married.
Richard William Longstaff married in the district of Lanchester in 1901 to Catherine Ann Turnbull, known as Kate, born 1881 at Hexham, Northumberland, whose family had moved to the Consett area between 1886 and 1889. She left her employment as a finisher at the paper mills once they were married and they were living in 1911 at 3, Bramwell Terrace, Villa Real, Consett with their 3 children, Dorothy Sarah (8), GeorgeTurnbull (5) and 7 month old Benjamin, although married himself, they had also taken into their home her brother, Thomas, who was employed as a labourer at Consett Steel Works whilst her husband Richard was a coal miner. Kate gave birth to Richard William Longstaff Jnr during the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/June) 1914 just prior to the outbreak of WW1.
Richard William Longstaff was one of the first to enlist, along with his brother Hutton, at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in September 1914 and was assigned as Private 1270 to the newly formed 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers raised by the Newcastle & Gateshead Chamber of Commerce, a Pals Battalion. They began training near home before concentrating in March 1915 in Shropshire at Frees Heath. During the winter months the camp became too wet and the battalion was transferred to Wensley and Richmond in Yorkshire and also trained at the firing ranges at Strenshall.
In August 1915 they moved for final training and firing practice to Codford on Salisbury Plain. Private Longstaff departed via Folkestone to France, November 22nd 1915, as part of the British Expeditionary Force attached to the 96th Brigade, 52nd Division, landing at Boulogne. Entrained at Boulogne all but C Coy who was sent to the 96th Brigade H.Q. at Le Plony, arrived at Domqueur then marched to Flixecourt arriving November 27th, then on to Bourdon and Cardonnette and finally arrived on the Amiens-Bapaume road via Albert. B & C Coy, who had rejoined the brigade, were sent to Dernancourt, A & D to Meaulte, three miles from the front line.
The 16th Battalion went into the front line trenches for instruction from the 54th Brigade, 18th Division, December 1st 1915, where it suffered its first casualty when a Private A. Wilson was wounded. They took over the front line December 8th after the 18th Division was withdrawn, they received a cheeky message from the German lines which simply said, “ hallo Northumberlands.” They spent the following months in and out of the front line trenches in the sector slowly making their way to the Somme where June 29th they were ordered to “stand fast” until the following day when they moved into battle position via Martinsart, Aveluy wood and Black Horse Bridge to relieve the 2nd Inniskillings at 2 a.m., there they waited until 7.30 a.m. when they went over the top in the opening Battle of Albert, July 1st- July 13th 1916. Of the entire battalion only 8 officers and 279 men survived the initial attack, July 14th they were relieved.
The 16th Battalion did not participate in any other major battle on the Somme but was involved in the sector in day to day trench warfare. During 1917 they were involved in operation on the Ancre and the pursuit of the Germans to the Hindenburg Line, before returning to the Somme in 1918. He would have received news of his brother’s death, August 15th 1917, who was serving with him in the 16th Battalion. When the 16th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers was disbanded, February 7th 1918, Private Longstaff was transferred to the 1st/6th Battalion who were also engaged on the Somme.
Private 16/1270 Richard William Longstaff was reported as missing at some time between March 21st 1918 and April 2nd 1918, next of kin were informed. After extensive investigation as to his whereabouts he was struck off and declared to have presumed to have died, April 2nd 1918, he was 40 years of age. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 14,708 names inscribed on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France, which forms the perimeter wall of Pozieres British Cemetery, commemorating servicemen from Britain and South Africa who were killed in the sector between March 21st and August 17th 1918, who have no known grave.
His widow Kate of 9, West Lane, Allendale Cottages, Medomsley, County Durham, who by 1919 had moved to 42, Second Street, Watling Street Bungalows, Leadgate, received monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Catherine Ann Longstaff nee Turnbull never remarried, she died in the district of Lanchester, County Durham in 1934 aged 53 years. Robert William Jnr died aged 35 in 1949, registered in Staffordshire, Dorothy Sarah in 1952 aged 49 years and George Turnbull Longstaff aged 64 years in 1970 registered in the district of County Durham, Benjamin died September 3rd 1982 aged 71 years registered in Buckinghamshire.
Two of Richard’s brothers also perished during the Great War, John Golightly Longstaff died of wounds at the hospital centre, Etaples, France, April 9th 1916, Hutton Longstaff died of wounds at the 1st Canadian C.C.S, Adinkerke, Belgium, August 17th 1917, also his brother-in-law, Thomas Turnbull who was killed in action in France, November 25th 1915.
Richard’s mother Margaret Maria Longstaff nee Little died in 1921 aged 72 years, registered in the district of Lanchester, County Durham.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
The Blaydon Courier 19/07/1919 includes the following:
"Longstaff. Missing since March 21st 1918, now presumed dead, aged 40 years, Pte. Richard William Longstaff (1270) 16th N.F., the beloved husband of Kate Longstaff, 9 West Lane, Allendale Cottages.
Once our home was bright and happy, But how sad it is today. For the one we loved so dearly Has for ever passed away. What pain he bore we did not know. We were not by his side. We only wish we could have been, Before our loved one died. Ever remembered by his loving wife and four children. We miss him most who love him best."
His granddaughter, Jean McMillan, has supplied the following:
Richard was my paternal grandfather and Hutton was his younger brother, my great uncle. There was another brother, John Golightly Longstaff (abt. 1877), service no. 23/735 Northumberland Fusiliers who died 09/04/1916. Their father was Richard William Longstaff (abt. 1848-1895) and their mother was Margaret Maria Little (1849-1921). As far as I can tell, they lived predominately around the Medomsley/Bishop Auckland/West Auckland and Auckland St. Andrew area.
Grandfather Richard William's son, my dad, was named Richard William (1914-1949) and his son, my brother, was Richard William too (1941-2011). A lovely tradition but confusing when searching on ancestry.com and the like. In 1938, my dad had left Allendale Cottages and was living in Smethwick in the West Midlands where he married my mother, Margaret May Lilley (1919-1979) who was a Geordie lass herself. How they met each other miles away from their northern homeland I do not know. Those unasked questions again, darn it! I never knew him, unfortunately, as I was about 18 months old when he died.
Richard William Longstaff is remembered in Medomsley on M36.01, M36.04 with photograph