Photo : Vin Mullen
Hooge Crater Cemetery: Pauline Priano
Medal Index Card
Evening Telegraph and Post 27/05/1915
Frank Monoghan
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Francis Monaghan, one of 7 children, was the youngest of 2 sons, he had 1 younger and 4 elder sisters. His parents William Monaghan and Catherine Casey were born November 13th 1846 and 1864 respectively at Tydavnet, County Monaghan, Ireland and had been brought to England by their respective families settling in the north east. They were married at St. Bede’s Church, Jarrow, district of South Shields, County Durham, February 10th 1881 and moved in with her father Patrick Casey and brother John (22) at 6, Lime Street, Jarrow. All three men were employed as labourers at the iron works while Catherine is listed as housekeeper, living with them were 4 boarders, iron works labourers John Raglin (25), John McKenna (20) and brothers Owen and James Mone (20 & 22).
By 1891 they had branched out on their own, William had abandoned the iron works to take up the post of caretaker at Dunn Street School which came with a house, part of the school building. He and Catherine now had 5 children, Catherine born November 15th 1881, Margaret June 30th 1883, Mary 1884, William Jnr June 29th 1887 and Sarah Annie July 11th 1889. Francis was born just after the completion of the 1891 census, April 30th 1891 and finally Elizabeth 1895.
In 1901 Catherine was living with her daughters and Francis (8) at Willington Quay. It may well be William Snr was on one of several trips he made to America, William Jnr (14) was at boarding school in the Coxlodge area of Gosforth, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.
Catherine Monaghan nee Casey died February 18th 1903 aged 49 years. By 1911 William was living alone in 1 room at 237, High Street, Jarrow employed as a corporation labourer. His 4 elder daughters were married, Elizabeth was living at 93, Grainger Road, employed by her uncle and aunt Owen and Susannah Casey as a servant, William Jnr (23) had joined the Army joining the 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, which between 1909 until November 1914, served in India, Francis was living at 6, Orchard Terrace, Newcastle.
When war was declared with Germany in 1914 Francis Monaghan enlisted at Jarrow and was assigned as Private 3428 to the 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, part of the Regular Army, which had been recalled from Sabathu, India and attached to the 84th Brigade, 28th Division. He departed with his regiment landing at Le Havre, France, January 18th 1915 and was moved immediately to Belgium participating during the 2nd Battle of Ypres, subjected to gas and shell attacks.
Private 3428 Francis Monaghan Northumberland Fusiliers was reported as missing, presumed to have died in February 1915, the news communicated to his father William Monaghan living at 46, Lord Street, Jarrow with his married daughter Catherine Wadey. His death was later confirmed as, “on or since”, February 20th 1915. He is commemorated within Hooge Crater Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium, reference; La Chapelle Farm Memorial 13. Seventeen soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried during February and March 1915 at La Chapelle Farm, Zillebeke, their graves destroyed during subsequent fighting, Private Frank Monaghan is believed to have been amongst them. The remains of all 17 were brought into Hooge Crater Cemetery for mass burial and then marked by individual headstones. Frank Monaghan was 22 years of age and single.
His father William received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The Monaghan family within less than 3 months of his demise received news that his elder brother William had been killed in action May 5th 1915 on the Ypres salient, Belgium, serving with the 1st Battalion The Royal Scots. He was 27 years of age and single, William has no known grave, his sacrifice is recorded on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.
William Monaghan Snr died, January 24th 1920 at Jarrow, district of South Shields, County Durham, without any male heirs thus bringing this branch of the Monaghan family to an end.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
His brother William was also killed in 1915.
Acknowledgements: great-nephew, Vin Mullen
Frank Monaghan is remembered in Netherton on N5.02 in Jarrow on J2.10 where his inital is given as "T" and in A11.43 page 61.
