Joseph Winwood
Newspaper
Thiepval Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Joseph Winwood was born April 18th 1881 at Wingate, County Durham.
His father Robert Winwood native of West Stow, Suffolk, born July 23rd 1844. migrated to the north east of England and married for the first time to the widow of Thomas Archibald, Mary Ann Archibald nee Stark aged 31 and 7 years his senior with 2 sons and 2 daughters of her own, December 21st 1868 at Wingate. They were living at Home Row, Shotton Colliery in 1871 where Robert was employed as a coal miner. They had 4 children together 2 sons and 2 daughters, only Eliza survived to adulthood, Sarah Jane died age 2 in 1872, John Robert aged 1 in 1873. His wife Mary Jane died, December 7th 1873 giving birth to Robert Jnr. and leaving Robert Snr. with the responsibility of a new born child and Eliza aged 4 years. Unfortunately the infant Robert died March 31st 1874.
Robert Winwood remarried, July 2nd 1874 at Holy Trinity Church, Wingate Mary Ann Partridge, Joseph’s birth mother. Mary Ann Partridge had a son of her own George Partridge born in 1869. They went on to have 11 children, 8 sons and 3 daughters, only 9 survived, Angelina born June 23rd 1876 died September 22nd 1878 and William Roland born January 14th 1883 died February 18th 1883. Robert who was still employed as a miner-stoneman underground, in 1911, was joined at the colliery by his three unmarried sons, Thomas (22) a hewer, William (19) and Archie (17) as pony driver’s underground.
Joseph Winwood married March 24th 1906 at Wingate Parish Church Frances Ann Race born December 14th 1885 at Durham. He was employed in 1911 as a coal miner-hewer, living at No.1 Front Street, Wingate, County Durham with his wife, two sons and a daughter, by 1914 they had a further 2 sons.
On the outbreak of war he enlisted at Deaf Hill, December 15th 1914, assigned as Private 22563 to the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry one of the new army battalions, joining the regiment at Newcastle-upon-Tyne the following day. The 13th Battalion attached to the 68rd Brigade, 23rd Division moved to Aldershot in November and on to Willesborough, Kent in March 1915 and by May they were at Bramshott. The main body of the Regiment departed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, 68th Brigade, 23rd Division, August 26th 1915 concentrating near Tilques. September 5th they were attached to the III Corp and moved to Merris-Vieux for trench familiarisation from the 20th and 27th Division, taking over the front line sector between Ferme Grande Flamergrie to the Armentieres-Wez Macquart road in their own right by the 14th. Private Winwood joined his regiment in the field September 29th 1915, where, having been spared action during the Battle of Loos, they spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez. In late June 1916, the 23rd Division was moved south to the Somme and the 13th Battalion entered the fighting south of La Boisselle on July 7th 1916. In late July and early August, they were involved in desperate fighting around Munster Alley east of Pozieres, the battalion suffered over 100 casualties. After spending the rest of August in reserve at Armentieres, the battalion returned to the Somme with the 23rd Division. On October 7th, they joined an attack on Le Sars.
Concluded the attack Private Winwood was reported as possibly wounded, later wounded and missing by November 8th 1916. His wife already grief stricken by the loss of their youngest son Joseph Jnr., who died July 7th 1916 after 6 days of acute gastritis, awaited news of her husband. It was not until January 3rd 1917 that Private 22563 Joseph Winwood Durham Light Infantry was officially declared to have been killed in action. The date of October 7th was adopted as the official date of his demise. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 72,246 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Thiepval, France, which commemorates servicemen from Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme between 1915 and 1918 who have no known grave. He was 35 years old.
Frances Ann as his widow received all monies due to him, a person of 28 shillings 9 pence a week for herself and their 4 children along with his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 274, Johnson Street, Wingate, County Durham.
Frances Ann Winwood nee Race died at Trimdon, County Durham, aged 69 years, July 31st 1955. Details of their children; Sydney died aged 87 years November 28th 1994, Leslie in 1982 aged 74 years, Winifred in 1971 aged 58 years all registered in County Durham, Stanley Winwood died at Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1974 aged 64 years.
Joseph's elder brother John Henry Winwood also served and perished during WW1. Born at Wingate, County Durham, May 1st 1879, he was married with 4 children. He enlisted in 1914 assigned as Private 345 to the 18th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers and died October 18th 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. Interred at Solferino Farm Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, near Ypres, Belgium he was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. His wife emigrated with their children to Canada in 1920 and remarried, she died at Burnaby, British Colombia, Canada, May 2nd 1957.
Joseph and John Henry’s mother Mary Ann Winwood nee Partridge died aged 68 years, June 11th 1919 preceding that of her husband Robert Winwood, who lived with his married daughter at 41, Granville Terrace, Binchester, County Durham and died April 20th 1926 aged 82 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Joseph Winwood is remembered at Wingate on W121.02
