Arras Memorial

Willington Cemetery

In Willington Cemetery there is a family headstone which reads:-

In
Loving Memory
Of
WILLIAM SURTEES
Beloved Husband Of
ELIZABETH DEFTY
Who Lost His Life At Brancepeth A PitOn 13th August 1902 Aged 48 Years
Also The Above
ELIZABETH DEFTY
Died 29th April 1946 Aged 84 Years
Also Of Their Children
ROBERT SURTEES Aged 3 Years
WALTER Aged 9 Months
THOMAS WILLIAM Killed In Action In France
April 23rd 1917 Aged 32 Years
MARGARET ANN MORLAND
Died Jan 22nd 1929 Aged 48 Years
And Of Their Grandchild ELIZABETH LILIAN
Died Feb 4th 1934 Aged 18 Years
MARY ISABELLA COLLING
Daughter Of The Above
Died March 14th 1968 Aged 85 Years
“Peace Perfect Peace”

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Thomas William Defty born 1885 at Willington, County Durham, was the eldest of 3 sons and had 2 elder sisters. His father William Surtees Defty of South Shields, County Durham born 1856, a labourer by trade, met Elizabeth Raine born 1853 at Towlaw, County Durham, whom he married at Gateshead in 1878. They had moved to 104, Walker Street, Jarrow, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne before their first child Margaret Jane was born in 1881 followed by Mary Isabella in 1883. After the birth of Thomas Willian they moved to 48 Russell Place, Willington where William found employment as a coal miner. Robert Surtees was born in 1891 and Walter in 1894. Tragedy stuck later that year as their son Walter died during the 3rd quarter of 1894 at only 9 months old and within 3 months also their son Robert aged 3 years.

After the death of their children they moved to 12, Railway Street, Willington, William had now been joined by Thomas William (16) at the colliery whilst Margaret Jane (20) remained at home with her mother, Mary Isabella (18) was an apprentice dressmaker.

William Surtees Defty was killed at Brancepeth A Pit, August 13th 1902, whilst working as a hewer a stone fell at a slippery parting in the roof near a, “roll” and killed him. He was 48 years of age.

In 1903 Mary Isabella Defty was married to John Vickers Colling, her sister Margaret Jane in 1904 to Robert Morland and Thomas William during the 2nd quarter of 1905 to Elizabeth Ellen Mitchell who gave birth to their son John William during the 3rd quarter of 1905.

John Vickers Colling died in 1909 aged 29 years. In the census of 1911 Mary Isabella working as a quilter, daughter Doreen born in 1905 and her mother Elizabeth are living together at 3, Hutton Terrace, Willington. Living with them was Mary’s cousin 31-year-old Emmanuel Fuller and two boarders Thomas Neyler (19) and Ernest Tomlin (36), all employed at the colliery. Thomas William (26) in 1911 was living as a boarder along with Gilbert Logan (24) at 28, Dover Terrace, South Moor, County Durham with John H. Wheatley and family, all working as hewers. Having separated from his wife he had listed himself as, “single”.

Just prior to his enlistment, August 1st 1914 he visited his wife at 22, Belle Vue, Monkseaton and upon his return told his mother he had found her living at the same address with a T. Wilson. She informed him that she had on June 14th 1913, at St. Paul’s Church, Cullercoats, gone through a form of marriage with T. Wilson and produced a marriage certificate confirming this statement. He also saw T. Wilson who informed him they had to get married, “on account of her condition”. As he had been called to enlist he had no time to deal with the matter.

On the outbreak of war Thomas William left his employment as a coal miner and enlisted at Bishop Auckland as William Defty. He was assigned as Private 14927 to the Border Regiment joining them at Carlisle, September 2nd 1914 and transferred to the 7th (Service) Battalion, part of Kitchener’s Second New Army. The battalion was attached to the 51st Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division. Having trained at Andover they moved to Bovington in January 1915 and then on to Winchester in June. He had been appointed as Acting Corporal November 16th 1914, his rank as Corporal was confirmed in July 1915 just prior to his departure for the Western Front, July 13th 1915, landing at Boulogne in France. He joined the Division concentrated near St Omer for trench familiarisation before they took over front line duty in the southern part of the Ypres salient in Belgium where they saw action in spring of 1916 near the Bluff on the Commines Canal, south east of Ypres, they then moved to the Somme.

During the Battles of the Somme they were in action on the opening day July 1st at the Battle of Albert where the Division captured Fricourt. July 12th 1917 during this battle he was wounded, a gunshot wound to the arm and taken by the 51st Field Ambulance to the hospital centre at Etaples and rejoined the 25th Infantry Base Depot July 22nd 1916 before returning to his Division in the field.

February 23rd 1917 Corporal Defty was appointed Lance Sergeant and 4 days later on the 27th to Acting Sergeant. His rank of Sergeant was confirmed March 1st 1917.

The Division moved to the Arras sector for the commencement of the Battles of Arras that raged between April 9th-May 16th 1917. Sergeant 14927 (Thomas) William Defty Border Regiment was reported to him commander as, “missing”, April 23rd 1917.

It would appear his mother was not informed as she wrote a letter to the Records Office as follows, “Sirs, I am writing to you to see if you can give me any news of my son I have had no word from him for 5 weeks which is an unusual thing he has always written once or twice a week and I am now getting uneasy if you can give me any news I would be greatly obliged, Yours truly. Mrs Defty”. Another letter written by her is dated Jan 23rd 1918, it reads, “Dear Sirs, I am writing to see if you can give me any more news of my son 14927 Sergt. W. Defty 7th Border Regiment as it is now 9 months today since he was missing all our efforts have been useless. I cannot get any news about him. We shall be thankful to hear from you, when writing to me about my pension you referred to him as my late son and at the time of his death and so on and yet I have never had any official news of his death only reported as missing, shall be glad to hear from you. Yours truly, Mrs E Defty”.

It was eventually confirmed to her that her son was presumed to have died April 23rd 1917, however her problems did not end there as her son had also listed as next of kin the existence of a wife and child, all of which came to light and put in jeopardy his mother’s pension and any money owed to her son by the Army, despite the fact he had nominated her as his sole beneficiary and she had been receiving his dependants separation allowance. She also argued that her son had never maintained his wife and that she (his wife) had abandoned their son John with his grandparents who in turn had adopted him.

The Records Office also wrote to Durham County Constabulary August 16th 1918 as regards the entire matter. In their reply they confirm that Elizabeth Defty of 15, Hutton Terrace, Willington was interviewed and had showed them a letter written some years earlier in which Thomas William’s wife stated her intention of getting married. It concludes, “I have no doubt if you appeal to the Inspector of Police, Whitley Bay, he will cause inquiries be made into the alleged bigamous marriage”.

How exactly the matter ended as regards the investigation into his wife’s bigamy is unknown as there are no other documents in Thomas William’s service record to cover it, however the Register of Soldier’s Effects confirms that November 4th 1919 his mother did receive as his sole beneficiary all monies owed to him.

The sacrifice of Sergeant 14927 (Thomas) William Defty Border Regiment is recorded as one of 34,845 names of servicemen from Britain, South Africa and New Zealand inscribed on the Arras Memorial which forms the perimeter wall of Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, commemorating all those who died in the Arras sector who have no known grave. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He was 32 years of age.

Elizabeth Defty nee Raine died aged 84 years, April 29th 1946 and was interred with her husband and their children who died in infancy, in the family grave at St. Stephen’s Churchyard, Willington Cemetery, as is her widowed daughter Margaret Ann Morland, Mary Isabella Colling and a grandchild Elizabeth Lilian.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Thomas William Defty is remembered at Willington on W120.02

The CWGC entry for Serjeant Defty