Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Fred was born on the 28 June 1874 at Darlington and later baptised 19 July 1874. He was the son of James and possibly Annie. Information about the early life of this soldier is very limited.
Fred enlisted into Durham Light Infantry on 1 May 1890 aged 15 years. He married his first wife Ruth Farnaby in 1900 at Darlington. They had a stillborn child on 4 March 1901 but the record does not state the sex of the child.
The 1901 census shows the couple visiting the home of George Swainston and his family at 5 King William Street, Darlington. Fred’s trade is recorded as being a blacksmith’s striker at that time. Fred and Ruth have a son, William Farnaby Featham, who was born to the couple in 1902.
After this date there is no further information regarding Ruth or her son, William. However at Stockton in 1912 Fred marries again to Elizabeth Pugh. The couple have two sons together Frederick born 1913 and Harold born 1918 at Middlesbrough.
During the war Fred joins the Merchant Navy. He serves aboard HMS Inflexible as a stoker (service number 8559/SO). At some point, possibly whilst serving at sea, he is wounded. He is awarded a Silver War Badge number 21933 on the 2nd January 1918 which indicates an honourable discharge from the services.
He certainly was transferred to the Labour Corps (service number 709920) but again dates are uncertain.
Fred died of pneumonia in a military hospital on 26 June 1919.
The following inscription is added to his headstone at Ripon Cemetery :- Loved by all.
On 11 August 1920 his family have published in the Teesdale Mercury the following remembrance:- ‘When nights are long and friends are few; Dear husband, how I long for you; But God will link the broken chain; When once in heaven we meet again; Dearest Daddy, how we miss you; More and more as time goes by-; But in heaven we hope to met you; Where we may never say goodbye.
Towards the end of 1920 one of their sons, Harold, died when his clothes caught fire at home. He was two years 11 months old when the accident happened. The Teesdale Mercury 15/12/1920 reports that the coroner conducted an inquiry. The boy lived with his mother and brother at the old Primitive Methodist Chapel Yard.
“Mrs Featham said that at 11.30am on Wednesday she went to Mr Richard Watson’s shop at Newgate corner leaving the child alone in a room with the door open. Her other boy was at school. The fire was on, a fender was down but there was no guard. The witness returned in about 5 minutes and found the boy lying on the floor with his face downwards and his clothes on fire. He was very badly burnt about his body and face.
Mrs Brown, who lived downstairs, tore the child’s clothes off. His mother had previously had the boy in her arms and was removing the clothing. The floorboards were burnt.
Mrs Featham thought the boy had taken one of her coats that had been lying on the bed and thrown it on the fire and had then carried it to where he was lying. The coat was on fire and nearly all burnt away. The coat was lying near the boy who wore woollen clothing.
The boy had been insured since August until he was 14 and she had previously buried two children.
Mrs Annie Brown, who lived in the downstairs tenement heard the last witness say “Harold, what are you doing? “ Mrs Featham shouted for her and she went upstairs. The room was full of smoke and the witness took the blankets off the bed and got the fire out. The boy died at 2.45pm.
The Coroner said he was satisfied the child died from burns accidentally received. She could not help it and under the circumstances, the mother was only away a reasonable time.”
Frederick James Featham is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
