Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
Stephen was born in 1890 at Metal Bridge Colliery, Durham. His parents were Michael and Margaret (nee Bell). They married in 1872 and went on to have 9 children but only one, Stephen survived.
The 1891 census is the first census for Stephen, he was 7 months old. His father was a coal miner. The family lived Front Street, Metal Bridge. Stephen had an older brother, John, who was born in 1873 but in 1891 he is at the Royal Victoria Blind Asylum at Newcastle.
1901 Information much as 1891 census but John aged 28 is at home and is shown as ‘born blind’. There is also another family named Curry living only a few doors away from Stephen’s family. Perhaps they are related. John died in 1908 aged 35 years at Sedgefield.
On the 1911 census Stephen (now a putter) is the only child left. Mistakenly the family give details of all their children even though by this time they are all dead they range from one week to 35 years. A servant named Rose Weaver was living in the household.
Stephen married Ethel Dobson on February 21st 1914 at Sedgefield. They had two children namely John born July 18th 1914 and Stephen Paul, who was born September 9th 1917 only 8 days after his father’s death.
Stephen enlisted at Deaf Hill Colliery on September 8th 1914. He was posted to Newcastle the following day to join his regiment, 14th Durham Light Infantry. He remained there until September 21st 1914.
Records show Stephen to be 5’7” tall, 147 lbs with a fresh complexion dark brown hair and blue eyes, His physical development was considered to be fair. His faith was Church of England.
Next stop was Aylesbury from 21st September until October 3rd 1914. Afterwards he was assigned to Halton Park from October 3rd until November 27th 1914.
After November 27th 1914 he was posted to High Wycombe until April 19th 1915 then eventually was sent back to Halton Camp.
On May 22nd 1915 whilst at Halton Camp Stephen was reported absent from 9.00pm until 9.00pm May 27th 1915 (5 days). His punishment was 12 days confined to barracks and he also forfeited 6 days pay.
He was sent to France September 11th 1915 and was wounded in the field on February 6th 1916. He received a gunshot wound to his nose. He was in hospital until February 17th 1916 when he returned to his unit. In May 1917 he attended 16 Field Ambulance suffering from acne.
Stephen was killed in action on July 28th 1917.
His widow, Ethel was awarded a weekly pension of 22 shiilings 11d for herself and her children. commencing March 11th 1918.
Medals: 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal
Stephen Curry is remembered at Cornforth on C115.03 and at Tursdale on T62.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 228
