Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
Thomas was born at Coxhoe in 1896. His father was Lewis Hargreaves and his mother Margaret (nee Etherington). They lived at Front Street Coxhoe. The couple married at Stockton in 1894 and went on to have 3 children but sadly 2 died.
1901 census shows a mixed household. The Hargreaves family are living with Margaret’s widowed father George Etherington at Prospect Place Coxhoe (son in law Lewis (coal miner hewer), Margaret and 4-year-old, Thomas). Also there are Margaret's brother and sisters Ellen, Elizabeth and young George. Two boarders Patrick Connelly and his son John plus a visitor Christopher Ogden were also listed. All of the men in the household were working in some capacity at the pit.
By 1911 Lewis Hargreaves is now shown as head of the 5 roomed household. He is working as a miner at the stone works. Son Thomas at age 14 is old enough to be working as a pony driver in the pit. The other living children born to them are Margaret Ann and George. Margaret’s father, George Etherington is still living with them doing shift work at the mine. Young George Etherington is a pony driver. There is also a boarder living them, namely William Brown.
Thomas enlisted at Spennymoor and was posted to 25th Northumberland Fusiliers, a Pals’ regiment. Following training he embarked for France in 1916.
On July 1st 1916 the Tyneside Irish were assigned Objective 9, an attack on the village of La Boiselle.
When the preparatory, ‘loosening up’ shelling stopped mines, Lochnagar, were blown at 7.28am with the soldiers going over the top at 7.30am. It was July 1st 1916 at the Somme battlefield.
The attack on Mash Valley saw the 25th Tyneside Irish in support. The geography of Mash Valley meant that the battalion had first to advance downhill (in full sight of the Germans), cross a short flat then move uphill. Many of the 25th Tyneside Irish were shot down before they even reached the British front line. Despite their brave effort of the Northumberland fusiliers at Mash Valley there was no gain by the end of the day. The 25th battalion suffered 509 casualties. Thomas Hargreaves would be among this number.
Info from The Lochnagar Crater Foundation
The Newcastle Journal17/02/1917 reports:-
Mr and Mrs Lewis Hargreaves. Front Street, Coxhoe. hare received official that their son. Private Thomas W. Hargreaves who has been missing since July 1 last, was killed that date
On Thomas' Service Medal and Award Card and Rolls there are references to ‘Forfeits for fraud'. Enlistment November 30th 1915’. The application for the British War Medal and Victory Medal appears to have been resubmitted at a later date. No further information is available.
Thomas William Hargreaves is remembered at Coxhoe on C103.01, C103.03 and C103.08 and at Tursdale on T62.02