Thaxter and Liddle Families on way to Canada 1930
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Edward Thaxter, was one of 17 children of whom 9 survived and 15 are known by name. His parents were both natives of Norfolk, Edward Thaxter Snr was born at Blofield, November 12th 1854 and Elizabeth Ann Rebecca Pegg at Houghton, March 25th 1860. Edward migrated to the north east alone whilst Elizabeth was brought by her family as a child between 1871 and 1874. The couple were married, December 10th 1875 in the district of Morpeth, Northumberland, their son Thomas was born October 7th 1876 at Bedlington as was Hannah Louisa, May 18th 1878. The family were living in the village of Bank Top, Bedlington where Edward Snr was a coal miner and welcomed, James Edward, August 7th 1880 who sadly died, September 22nd. Over the next 10 years they had a further 6 children, two of who died, James William, November 13th 1881, Edward, August 1st 1883 at Bebside, Blyth, William, July 2nd 1885-1885, George Robert, June 7th 1886, Elijah, April 27th 1888-April 28th 1888, Susannah, March 17th 1889, Herbert, April 24th 1891, whilst they were living at 8, Lambert Square, Coxlodge, near Gosforth, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. After the birth of Rose, December 26th 1893 the following years brought further tragedy to the Thaxter family, sons Arthur and Albert born at North Walbottle, Northumberland, May 5th 1896 and October 28th 1897, both died within days of each other, November 20th and 25th respectively, this came after the death of their daughter Edith May born, July 8th 1900 who had died July 26th. Their youngest child Sarah Elizabeth, known as Lizzie was born at 4, Whorlton Terrace, Whorlton, Northumberland, November 30th 1902. Edward had now been joined in the mining industry by his sons Edward Jnr (18) a putter and George Robert (15) a pony driver, both working below ground, Susannah (12) and Rose (7) remained at home with their mother assisted by servant, 22-year-old Margaret Hewitt. To increment the family income they had taken in 3 lodgers, coal miners Edward Holden (60) born in Scotland, Peter Allen (30) unknown and Robert Goodwill (24) native of Northumberland.
Edward Thaxter Jnr was married in the district of Castle Ward in 1907 to Ethel Ivy Trevethick, born March 23rd 1890 in the parish of St. James, Gateshead, County Durham, where she was baptised May 3rd. Their son Alfred Edward was born in 1908 district of Castle Ward, Northumberland, but died the following year not yet 1-year old, Thomas Edward was born at Benwell in 1910, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland where they had initially set up home, however the following year they were living in 3 rooms at 6, Edna Terrace, Westerhope, Northumberland, where Edward was a hewer at the colliery. Over the next three years Ethel gave birth to a further 2 children, Norman Edward, January 24th 1912 and Elizabeth Ivy, January 24th 1914.
War was declared with Germany, August 4th 1914 and all regiments raised new battalions in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms. Edward was one of the first to enlist, September 1914, at Newburn, Northumberland, assigned as Private 321 Northumberland Fusiliers and posted to the 10th (Service) Battalion at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.
October 2nd 1914 Edward Thaxter Snr died in the district of Castle Ward, interred at St. John’s graveyard, Westerhope, Northumberland, he was 59 years of age.
The new recruits of the Northumberland Fusiliers were split into brigades, Private Thaxter joined the 68th Brigade of the 23rd Division at their camp at Bullswater, near Pirbright, Surrey, and remained in training in the U.K. In the absence of a military record it is not possible to establish the date of his arrival at the front, however, he did not depart with the first wave in August 1915, he remained in England until January 1916 as his wife gave birth to their youngest child, Ethel Frances Trevethick Thaxter, August 25th 1916.
In January 1916 he would have joined the 10th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers during a period of rest near Bruay, after spending 5 months in the front line they had been relieved by the 34th Division. March 3rd, they took over the area around Boyau de L’Ersatz and the Souchez River from the French 17th Division and subjected to heavy shelling. Some of the men with mining experience during March 1916 were transferred to the newly formed Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers. The main body of the regiment returned in April to Bruay area for a second period of rest before returning to the Souchez sector as the Germans attached at Vimy Ridge, May 16th 1916, where they remained until their withdrawal during June 1916 to Bomy to undertake extensive training in preparation for the forthcoming offensive on the Somme.
The opening battle on the Somme was expected to take place June 29th, however, due to bad weather it was postponed until July 1st 1916. The 10th Battalion as part of the 23rd Division participated during the opening battle at Albert, July 1st-13th 1916, where it captured Contalmaison, saw action at Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Pozieres July 23rd-September 3rd, Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd, Morval September 25th-28th, Le Transloy October 1st-18th including the capture of Le Sars.
Having risen through the ranks the now Sergeant Edward Thaxter in late 1916 early 1917 was given a new service number, 365014. In 1917 the 23rd Division returned to Belgium, Sergeant Thaxter was transferred to the 6th (Service) Battalion King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, service number 235380. The 6th Battalion was attached to the 43rd Brigade, 14th Light Infantry and participated during the Battles of Arras, at the Battle of the Scarpe, April 9th-14th 1917 and the Third Battle of the Scarpe, May 3rd-4th, before leaving France for Belgium, joining the fighting during the Third Battle of Ypres which had commenced July 31st 1917.
Sergeant 235380 Edward Thaxter King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was, according to official records, reported as missing, confirmation of his presumed death was received by his family, September 24th 1917.
Post war, at the request of the French and Belgian Governments the clearing of the battlefields began, isolated graves and small concentrations were brought into larger cemeteries. During April 1921 remains were found in an isolated grave at map reference J.15. C. 3. 7, exhumed and identified by means of a disc as those of Sergeant Thaxter, on closer examination it was concluded that he had died of wounds. Sergeant 235380 Edward Thaxter K.O.Y.L.I. was brought into New Irish Farm Cemetery, West Vlaanderen, north east of Ypres in Belgium, April 11th 1921, for re-burial with all honour and reverence by an Army Chaplain. He is at rest grave XXXIII. F. 22. and at the time of his demise in 1917 was 32 years of age. The CWGC have adopted as the date of his demise August 24th 1917, the day before his daughter Ethel’s first birthday.
It should be noted concentration records give the disc number 36071 for Sergeant Thaxter, there was no casualty with this service number and all other documents state 235380, obviously a clerical error, later corrected.
His widow received all monies due to him from the Army, also his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal. She commissioned at a cost of 4 shillings 8 pence an additional inscription to be added to Edward’s military headstone, it reads, “Died Doing His Duty.” The commission was made in the name of Ethel Ivy Liddle of 18, Denton Grove, Westerhope, near Newcastle, as she had re-married, March 11th 1918 to Thomas Liddle. Ethel had been awarded a pension of 15 shillings a week, increased to 20 shillings, after the death of her husband, however, the pension for her children was withheld as of May 5th 1918 as Thomas Liddle, who had joined the Royal Air Force, May 17th 1918 was claiming a separation allowance for the children. Thomas Liddle served with the Repair Depot, Anti-Aircraft Defence, Service No. 169137.
Thomas and Ethel had 4 children together, 3 of whom were born in England, Frederick 1920, Kathleen Mavoureen, November 26th 1922 and Clara 1929, at Castle Ward, Northumberland.
April 19th 1930 they and their respective children travelled third class, special migrant rate, from the Port of Liverpool to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, aboard the S.S. Laurentic of the White Star Line. Thomas had already prepared the way for his family to emigrate having been in Canada from1925 to 1928, at Kirkland Lake, Timiskaming District, Ontario, they eventually settled in the province of New Brunswick, where their son John Corey Liddle was born in 1939, Sussex, Kings, New Brunswick.
They both died in the Provence of New Brunswick in 1974, Thomas Liddle, January 16th, aged 78 years, Ethel Ivy Liddle-Thaxter nee Trevethick, aged 84 years, August 25th.
Details of Edward Thaxter and Elizabeth Ivy’s children;
Thomas E Thaxter married Blanche Clain/Cane with whom he had 2 children, death, April 28th 1939, New Brunswick, Canada.
Norman Edward Thaxter married Freda Mae Strayhorn with whom he had 4 children, death, December 21st 1991, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Elizabeth Ivy Thaxter married Kenneth J Hall, with whom she had 2 children, death, July 14th 2004, New Brunswick, Canada.
Ethel Frances Thaxter married Corey Murray Hall with whom she had 2 children, death, September 16th 2007, New Brunswick, Canada.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Edward Thaxter is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
