County Gazette 02/06/1916
Teddy Delaney
Ann Franklin has submitted the following:-
Edward Delaney was born 9th October 1893 at 9 Napier Street, Westoe, youngest son of John Delaney and his wife Mary Ann Taylor. Baptised at St Peter & St Paul R.C. church in Tyne Dock on the 17th October 1893 as Timothy.
Following the death of his mother in 1902, he spent time as a scholar in St Vincents Industrial School for Roman Catholic Boys in Elswick, Newcastle. It is feasible that this is how the name change came about as possibly ‘Timothy’ or perhaps ‘Timmy’ has been misinterpreted as ‘Teddy’.
Prior to the outbreak of WW1, his occupation is given as a ‘stone putter below ground’. Enlisted in the 22nd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (3rd Battalion Tyneside Scottish), November 1914.
Married Catherine Thompson Hurlbutt on 23rd January 1915 at South Shields Register Office, when his occupation on the marriage certificate is given as ‘soldier/coal miner’ and his residence as ‘Drill Hall, Newburn’. They had one child Mary Alice Delaney.
In December 1915 the 22nd Battalion Tyneside Scottish received their embarkation orders to depart for the front, although delays meant they did not actually leave Warminster until 8.50 am on the 10th January 1916. The battalion travelled to Le Harve via Southampton and on arrival in France, the 22nd were eventually transferred to billets in Steenbecque.
On the 17th February 1916, Ted Delaney became one of the very early casualties of ‘Kitchener’s Army’ when he was accidently killed. There is a record in the battalion war diaries, with the name E. Delaney quoted in the margin of the diary. Ted’s death was also reported in the Illustrated Chronicle on Friday 21st April 1916. He was 22 years old.
Private Edward Delaney, Service No. 22/789 Tyneside Scottish, is buried in Plot 1, Row H, Grave No.72 in Rue Petillon Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix.
Edward Delaney is remembered at South Shields on S86.049 and S86.053
