Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Gilbert Prudhoe was born 1893 in Cockfield, the only son of Frederick William Prudhoe born 1866 in Hunwick and Henrietta Walker. a native of Cockfield born 1868. His parents were married September 26th 1885 and emigrated to America, he had an elder sister May, born 1889 in Iowa. By 1901 they had returned to England and were living at Cockfield, The Buildings, his father was employed as a colliery fitter - blacksmith but died during the 2nd quarter of 1893. His mother remarried September 26th 1894 to Henry Addison with whom she went on to have a further five children, only three survived, a boy and two girls. Henry was a workingmen’s club steward. In 1911 Gilbert was 18 years old but the census of that year gives no indication as to his employment, presumably he worked at the local colliery.
Gilbert Prudhoe enlisted in Ferryhill and was firstly assigned the rank of Private 4192 Durham Light Infantry. His military record does not exist, one of many destroyed during the blitz of WW2, it is therefore difficult to piece together his military career. He was however transferred to Private 200572 and assigned to the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry attached to the 150 Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division. He was sent to the front in 1915 as he did not receive the 1915 Star, he married Annie Gillham, a native of Ferryhill, born April 11th 1891, in Sedgefield, March 1916 and a son, Frederick William, was born September of the same year.
Gilbert in April 1917, whilst in the field, sustained wound/s and was taken to the 20th General Hospital in Camiers. It is unclear whether he died of his wounds, April 30th 1917, in Camiers or was moved to the larger hospital and railhead of Etaples, en route to England, as Private 200572 Gilbert Prudhoe Durham Light Infantry, is interred at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave VIII. F. BA. He was 24 years old.
His widow Annie paid to have the words, Rest In The Lord, added to his military headstone and received his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. She was assigned a pension for herself and their infant son. Annie remarried in 1919 to Robert Melvin Harrison and went on to have further children, Nancy Harrison 1923-2001, Gordon Harrison 1926-1990, Frank Harrison born 1920 according to records is still living. Gilbert and Annie’s son, Frederick William, died in 1983.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Gilbert Prudhoe is remembered in Chilton on C107.01, C107.04 and C107.12
