Photo: Dorothy Hall
Photo: Dorothy Hall
In Barnard Castle (St. Mary) Church Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:-
In loving memory of
Joseph the beloved husband of
Elizabeth Ashmore
of Barnard Castle
who died Feb. 2nd 1901
aged 43 years
also Elizabeth died Jan. 11th
1886 aged 4 months
also Margaret died Dec. 12th
1890 aged 2 years and 3 months
daughters of the above
also of Arthur son of the above
who died March 7th 1914
aged 32 years
also Pte. Joseph Ashmore
who was killed in France March 9th 1916
aged 25 years
also Bugler Fred Ashmore
who died of wounds whilst a prisoner
at Mount Notre Dame France July 17th 1918
aged 21 years
also the above Elizabeth Ashmore
who died January 20th 1937 aged 75 years
Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Fred was the youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Blackett) of Thorngate who was born in 1896 and baptised at the Parochial Parish Church, Barnard Castle on 1st November 1896.
The couple had married at Teesdale in 1876 and produced nine children but 2 unfortunately died. The surviving children including 5 sons were Jane Ann, Thomas Anthony, Arthur, Lillian, Joseph, Henry and Frederick.
Sadly husband, Joseph, died on 7th February 1901 not long before the 1901 census was taken. The census showed his wife to be a widow living on her own means. Her daughter Jane was a flax spinner at the mill at that time whilst the younger children were at school.
By 1911 the girls seem to have left home but the sons still at home were working. Joseph as a grocer’s assistant, Harry as a print compositor for the Teesdale Mercury whilst Fred was a newsboy selling papers.
Brother Arthur died in March 1914.
Fred enlisted into the army on 12th December 1914 and joined the Durham Light Infantry with Service number 3147. This later was changed to 250335. He went to France 7th July 1916, was wounded and captured 27th May 1918. He died at the 37 Casualty Clearing Station, Mont Notre Dame Hospital, France on 17th July 1918 from a severe gunshot wound to his shoulder.
He was originally buried at Mont-Notre-Dame but was later reburied at Vailly in 1922.
His brother Joseph also died in WW1.
Another brother Harry had been a prisoner of war and the eldest brother, Thomas Anthony, was awarded the Military Medal in 1917. He had enlisted at the very beginning of the war on the 30th August 1914. He served with as 3/3678 7th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment until he was discharged from the service on 9th January 1918 after being wounded. He was awarded a Silver War Badge. He achieved the rank of Lance Corporal. Thomas survived the war. He died in 1963.
Fred was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The Teesdale Mercury 15/01/1919 reports the homecoming of Harry Ashmore who had been a Prisoner of War and tells of his experiences on the Western Front and in the salt mines as a prisoner. It also gives details of his brother Fred.
Fred Ashmore is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 185
