Thomas Liddle
Ethel Liddle
Husband of Ethel Liddle, of 51, Cuttlers' Hall Rd., Blackhill, Co. Durham.
Paul Heatherington has submitted the following:-
Thomas was born in Knitsley on the 12th October 1880. His father was Joseph Liddle, a labourer, from Shotley Bridge. His mother, Elizabeth Ann (nee Spraggon), was born in Knitsley. Thomas was the first child in the family and had six younger siblings: Matthew, Beatrice, Margaret, Joseph, John and Alfred. At the time of his birth the family were living with his maternal grandparents at Ark Street, Consett. They then moved to Jarrow.
Thomas worked for a time as a machine operator at a paper mill in Jarrow and signed up in the Royal Navy on the 18th September 1902, when he was twenty-one years old.
On the 5th April 1910, Thomas married Ethel Brown who was born in Consett. After their marriage, Ethel continued to live with her parents at 6 The Avenue, Consett. Their first daughter, Irene, was born on the 25th July 1911 and the second daughter, Margaret, was born on the 5th May 1917.
At the time of his enlistment in 1902, Thomas was 5’ 6’’ tall. He had dark hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. He had a tattoo of crossed flags on his left forearm.
Thomas served on several different ships. He was killed on the 30th June 1917 when his ship, the HMS Cheerful, was sunk off the Shetland Islands. His body was not recovered for burial. He is commemorated at the Chatham Naval Memorial.
At the time of his death, his family were living at 51 Cutlers Hall Road.
Thomas Liddle is remembered at Shotley Bridge on S27.01 and S27.03
