Hill 10 Cemetery

Medal Index Card

Sunderland Echo Wednesday 11/12/1918

Newcastle Journal Tuesday 18/01/1916

Sunderland Echo Saturday 17/01/1916

Christopher Hanby was born in December 1881 at Sandgate, Shotton, Durham, to Christopher Hanby, born Northallerton, 1850, died 11th December 1912, and his wife Sarah, born Salford, Lancashire, in 1852, died 27th November 1901.

He was one of eight children, John Blackbird born 1871, died 11th March 1959, at 4 Coronation Cottages, Shotton Colliery, Durham, Mary Hannah born 1875, [married 24th December 1902, to George Sanderson, at Shotton Parish Church], William born 1877, Henry born 1879, [died January 4th 1949, at 14 East Street, Shotton, the residence of Mrs Carter, age 69]*, Elizabeth born 1884, James Royal born 1886, died 19th August 1911, and George born 1888.

Source : Sunderland Daily Echo Friday 07/01/1949.

Christopher parents were running the Commercial Inn at Shotton. His brother James Royal Hanby was a barman at the Commercial Inn at Shotton Colliery.

In 1881 they were residing at Sandgate, Shotton, and then by 1891, were residing at 3 The Town, Northside, Shotton. By 1901, they moved to Front Street, Shotton.

Christopher was a Limestone Quarryman.

In 1911, George Blackbird Hanby was a barman at the Commercial Inn at Shotton Colliery. Also their grandaughter Florence, age 11 was staying with then whilst at school.

Christopher enlisted at Sunderland into the 6th Battalion Yorkshire regiment, about December 1914.

The 6th (Service) Battalion landed at Suvla Bay in Gallipoli as part of the 32nd Brigade in the 11th (Northern) Division in August 1915; the battalion was evacuated to Egypt in January 1916 and then moved to France in July 1916 for service on the Western Front.

He went overseas on the 28th September 1915.

Christopher died on Sunday 12th December 1915.

Michael Dixon has sent in the following:

Christopher Hanby was my grandmother’s uncle she was called Elizabeth Hannah Hanby, her father, my great grandfather was George Garibaldi Sanderson who married Mary Hannah Hanby.

On his way to Gallipoli the West Yorkshire Regiment stopped off in Egypt, it was whilst here that he sent my grandmother an ostrich feather.

When he was killed in December 1915 my Great grandmother, Christopher’s older sister received his WW1 trio, this passed to my grandmother, who then left them to me along with the ostrich feather.

I am in the process of researching my Hanby heritage as my grandmother died in Feb. 1987.

Christopher Hanby is remembered at Shotton on S125.01 and S125.02

Yorkshire Regiment at Hill 10 Cemetery
The CWGC entry for Private Hanby