James Thompson and Ellen Butt and family
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas Butt was born January 1891 at Hawthorn, County Durham, one of 7 children 3 boys and 4 girls, one of whom James Butt died aged 1 year, born to farm owner James Thompson Butt, native of Hawthorn, born November 1st 1864 and his wife Ellen Pugh born 1870 at Middle Rainton, County Durham whom he married March 14th 1888 in the district of Easington.
Thomas is not listed as living with his family on the 1911 census and does not reappear until his enlistment at Newcastle upon Tyne, November 25th 1914, declaring he was working as a fireman at the Easington Waterworks, giving his next of kin, his father, as living at Paradise Lane, Easington Colliery. He was assigned as Private 32591 to the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry deployed at Seaham Harbour as part of the Tyne Garrison. The following month he married Margaret Dickinson, December 31st 1915 in Glasgow, Scotland, who went to live with his parents.
Mobilised Thomas left for France as part of the British Expeditionary Force August 30th 1916 and was in the field by September 14th, battalion unknown. He sustained an injury to his right foot requiring medical attention and was more seriously injured by a gunshot wound to the head April 20th 1917. Taken by the 18th Field Ambulance, 6th Division to the 14th General Hospital at Wimereux in France, he was sent back to England for treatment at the 2nd Scottish General Hospital, Edinburgh where he stayed until May 21st 1917. Thomas returned to France June 12th 1917 with the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, attached to the 74th Brigade, 25th Division, the following month, July 3rd he was transferred to the 9th Battalion participating at the Third Battle of Ypres otherwise known as the Battle of Passchendaele, July 31st-November 10th 1917.
Private 32591 Thomas Butt 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry was wounded in the abdomen, dangerously ill, he was taken to the Casualty Clearing Station where he died of his wounds September 16th 1917, he was 27 years old. He is interred at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, Pas de Calais, France, grave II. C. 3. The village of Ficheux, originally behind the German front line was captured and became an area of dressing stations near for the Battles of Arras followed later by the 20th and 43rd Casualty Clearing Stations. His widow paid 4 shillings and 8 pence for an additional inscription to be added to his gravestone which reads, To Memory Ever Dear.
Margaret returned to Scotland and was living at 7 Orwell Street, Springburn, Glasgow, care of Mrs Dickinson, presumably her mother, where in due course she received his belongings consisting of disc, photos, pipe, knife, purse, cigarettes pouch, mirror, fountain pen, cig holder, match box cover, farthing, cig lighter, wallet, 2 metal rings, razor, case, note, 2 wrist watches, straps. She received all monies due to him, a pension of 13 shillings and 9 pence a week for herself and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Thomas’s father James Thompson Butt died in December 1917, in the district of Easington, aged 53, another painful blow to his mother Ellen so soon after the loss of her son. His mother died in 1933 aged 63, his wife Margaret date unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas Butt is remembered at Hawthorn on H119.01 and at Easington Colliery on E52.01
