Heslop’s Local Advertiser 21/01/1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Pickles was born at Chester-le-Street, County Durham in 1896, baptised August 9th 1896, one of five children of whom only 4 survived. He was the only son of Emmanuel Pickles native of Spennymoor and Lydia Robinson of Ryhope, both were born in 1870 and married in 1891 at South Shields, County Durham. Emmanuel was employed as a coal miner, with his wife and 3 children he was living at 23, Edward Street, South Shields in 1901, having spent several years in Scotland where daughter Lavinia was born in 1899.
Emmanuel and Lydia were divorced by 1902 when he went to America declaring he was a labourer and lodged with Paul and Edna Hubry at South Iowa Avenue, Ottawa, Wapello, Iowa. He did return to England but left for the final time departing from Glasgow, Scotland, aboard the Colombia. His passage had been paid by his mother in order for him to live with his brother Joseph Pickles. Emmanuel arrived in New York, November 26th 1906. He remarried April 2nd 1913 at Mahaska, Iowa to Callie Mitchell, again in 1919 to Burtha Hurst and for the 4th time in 1923 to widow Sarah Knight, all witnessed by his brother Joseph. He died in 1941 aged 71 years at Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa and is interred at Waveband Cemetery.
Lydia and her children Thomas (15) employed at the Cooperative Milk Dairy, Lavinia (13) and Hilda (8) who were scholars were living alone in 1911 in 3 rooms at 25, Alderson Street, South Shields.
Thomas Pickles enlisted at York assigned as Private 10147 Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, he chose that Regiment as the Pickles family originated from Yorkshire. The main body of the Regiment departed with the 18th Brigade, 6th Division in 1914, Private Pickles was not amongst them not having reached the legal age for service overseas. Transferred to the 1st Battalion, August 1914, he departed to France January 27th 1915, joining his regiment in the field on the Ypres salient where it participated during 1915 at the 2nd Battle of Ypres April 22nd-May 25th, Battle of Bellewaarde May 24th-25th, the Actions at Hooge which began July 19th. On July 30th 1915 the Germans used their new weapon, flamethrowers, for the first time. Although few men died from burns it had a demoralising effect on the troops. They remained on the Ypres salient until 1916 when they were transferred to the Somme.
Private Thomas Pickles was wounded December 20th 1915 and transferred by field ambulance back through the lines to Lijssenthoek, situated on the main communications line between the Allied military bases in the rear and the Ypres battlefields. It was, ‘home,’ to the French 15th Hospital and as of June 1915 used by Commonwealth Casualty Clearing Stations.
Private 10147 Thomas Pickles West Yorkshire Regiment died of wounds sustained December 21st 1915 and interred at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium, grave II. C. 21A. He was 19 years old and single.
His mother living at 57, Gilbert Street, South Shields, received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. She remarried at South Shields in 1932 John Lloyd. Lydia Lloyd-Pickles nee Robinson died at South Shields, County Durham aged 87 in 1958.
Private Pickles’s connection to Felling is through his uncle and aunt, Thomas Henry Pickles born at Spennymoor and Phillis Pickles of Springwell, Gateshead, they lived at Pelaw near Felling as of 1907.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 21/01/1916 carries a notice which reads:
“Private Thomas Pickles, 1st Yorks, died in Hospital, France, on Dec. 21st through wounds received on Dec. 20th. Nephew of Thos. H. and Phillis Pickles, Pelaw.”
