Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-
Richard was the son of George and Ann (nee Robson) who had married in 1893. He was born at Quarrington Hill in 1896.The couple went on to have at least nine children probably more.
The 1901 census shows George and Ann living at Metal Bridge with their family, namely George William, Richard William, Matthew Thomas and Charles. George senior worked as a coal hewer.
By 1911 there had been several additions to the family including Elizabeth Jane (Lizzie), Hannah, Florence May and John (Jack). Within a couple of years daughter Celia (born and died 1912) and Joseph had been added to the brood. George was working as before but by this time his sons George and Richard had joined him at the pit. George worked as a miner/dilly whilst Richard was a pony driver. (A dilly is a miner who rides and attends to light trucks or water carts used to haul goods to the surface of the mine.)
During the next couple of years mother, Ann, died in 1915 at the early age of 40, Charles in 1916 (aged only 15) and of course Richard also in 1915.
Richard enlisted into the army at Stockton on Tees in 1914 and embarked for France with the Durham Light Infantry on April 17th 1915. He was killed in action on May 23rd 1915.
Medals, 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal
Richard William Garrett is remembered at Stockton in S138.35 as Garrett and at Tursdale on T62.02 as Garritt
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 127 as Garrett
