N.E.R Magazine
West Pelton Churchyard
N.E.R Magazine
Son of Robert and Phyllis Ratcliffe, of Beamish, Co. Durham; husband of R. Herron (formerly Ratcliffe), of 2, King St., South Moor, West Stanley, Co. Durham.
In St. Paul's Churchyard West Pelton is a family headstone which includes:-
Also
Pte. W. Ratcliffe
14th D.L.I.
Killed in action at
Loos France Sep. 27
1915 Aged 26 years
Also
Pte. J.E. Ratcliffe
17th N.F.
Killed at Bethune
France Aug. 7th 1916
aged 28 years
Sons of
Robert & Phyllis
Ratcliffe
Ian Murray has submitted the following:-
John Edward Ratcliffe was born in 1888 to parents Robert and Phillis Ratcliffe. The couple had thirteen children and the family lived in Eden Place, Beamish. By 1911, five of the children had died and Phillis was widowed and she was living at the Colliery Offices at Beamish where she was employed as a caretaker both for the offices and for the Wesleyan chapel (which is now situated in Beamish Museum). In 1911, John was living as a boarder, with his brother William, at Eden Row, also in Beamish and both were employed as platelayers on the railway. The NER staff magazine records that Thomas “had been in the Company’s service for over two years as a gangman at Annfield Plain from April 4,1912 to January 27, 1913. The dates and length of service do not match but given that John was a platelayer in 1911 it is likely that the start date is incorrect. From 27th January 1913 John worked as a lengthman at Leadgate until 1st October 1914 when he enlisted.
John married Amy Simpson in the second quarter of 1912, the marriage being registered in Chester-le-Street. Children Fred, Annie and Elizabeth were born to the couple in the following years.
John served in the 17th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers (the NER Pioneers). The battalion was raised in Hull in September 1914 by The North Eastern Railway. In June 1915 it joined the 32nd Division and later that year proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on 21st November. John was Killed in Action on 7th August 1916 and is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery, grave reference V. H13.
Recipient of the 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
After the death of John, his widow, Amy, married Ralph Herron, the marriage being registered in July 1918 in Gateshead.
John’s brother, William also served in WW1 in the 14th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry and died of his wounds on the 18th October 1915 and is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial.
John Edward Ratcliffe is remembered at Beamish on B163.01 and B162.02 and at West Pelton on W112.01
He is also remembered at York on the NER Memorial
