Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas French was the only child of Alfred French born August 25th 1895 at Gateshead, baptised at Saint James, September 18th and his wife Matilda A Graham born August 10th 1896 at Milkwellburn, near Hamsterley Colliery, district of Lanchester, also in County Durham.
His father Alfred French was one of 13 surviving children. His parents Thomas French and Ann Jane Tate both originated from Cumberland where Thomas was born at Flimby in 1850, Ann Jane at Cockermouth in 1855. Married at Camerton, Cumberland, November 16th 1872, the first of their numerous children were born there between 1874 and 1878, Mary, Susanna and Ann Eliza, before they migrated to the north east settling in County Durham. In 1881 they were living at 40, Bog Row, Hetton-le-Hole, with the latest addition to the family, Margaret born 1880, Thomas supported his family employed as a coal miner. Daughter Sarah was born at Hilton near Darlington in 1883 but two years later they had returned to Hetton where John William, Ethel, Jane and Elizabeth were born between 1883 and 1890. Thomas in 1891 was employed at Team Colliery in the village of the same name in the parish of Lamesley, still the only bread-winner. Thomas Jnr was born in the district of Chester-le-Street, County Durham in 1893, Alfred, August 25th 1895, Albert, April 14th 1897 and Emily 1899 at Gateshead. Thomas and family were living at 11, John Street in 1901, he was employed as a hewer and now had the help of his eldest son John William (18), employed as a chemical labourer, to support the family, by 1911 they could be found living in 3 rooms at 5, Boyd Terrace, Westerhope, Northumberland. Thomas Jnr’s elder sisters had all left the family home with the exception of Emily (21), he and his father and brothers were all employed as coal miners, Thomas Snr and John William (28) as hewers, Thomas Jnr (19) as a putter, Alfred (15) and Albert (14) as drivers, Emily (12) attended school.
Tragedy struck the family twice within a year when Ann Jane French nee Tate died aged 54 years during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1911 and John French aged 60 years, a hewer at Walbottle Colliery died, August 29th 1912, “whilst he was hewing at the gate-end in a lingual face, a piece of stone fell from the edge of the top catch, fatally injuring him.” It can only be presumed in the absence of information that the older married members of the family in some way assisted or took into their homes the younger siblings.
Although Alfred and his brothers were eligible to serve during WW1 only the record of his elder brother Thomas French has been found. Private Thomas French M.M. Royal Army Medical Corps was killed in action in France, May 3rd 1918.
Alfred and Mildred were married in 1919 in the district of Lanchester, County Durham, Thomas was born at Low Westwood, Durham, December 14th 1919. In 1939 his parents were living at Southfield Terrace, Whickham, Alfred was employed as a colliery foreman, whilst their son Thomas enlisted upon the outbreak of war, assigned as Driver T/183406 Royal Army Service Corps.
As during WW1 the transport division of the R.A.S.C. was responsible for the movement of men and supplies using any means possible, motor vehicles, barges and trains. Driver French was sent to the Libyan and Egyptian deserts involved during the North Africa Campaign, June 10th 1940 to May 13th 1943, after the Italian declaration of war June 10th 1940 when British Forces crossed from Egypt to Libya. The Italian forces were reinforced in Africa, February 1940 with the arrival of the German, Afrika Korps, commanded by Erwin Rommel also known as, “The Desert Fox”
Driver T/183406 Thomas French died, aged 21 years of age, April 10th 1941 and was buried in a common grave on the battlefield with M.S.S. S.M. Hatwall, 346 RMT Coy and 2 other members of the R.A.M.C., M.S.M. F.C. Shreek and Drv. S. Beattie, grave number 2. G. 5. All four were brought into Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya, for re-internment, August 3rd 1944, where Driver Thomas French is at rest, grave 1. G. 1.
His parents paid for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “He Died The Noblest Death A Man May Die, Fighting For God, Right And Liberty.”
His father Alfred French died June 22nd 1971 aged 76 years, Mildred A. French nee Graham aged 82 years in 1979, both registered in the district of Gateshead, County Durham.
With the death of his parents this line of the French family ceased to exist.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas French is remembered at Whickham on W86.01
