In Temples-Le-Guerard British Cemetery, Somme, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of Lieutenant Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop serving with the 1st/1st Battalion Queen’s Own Hussars who died 27/05/1917.

He was the son of Henry Thomas and Rachel Mary Josephine Silvertop, of Minsteracres, Northumberland  and the husband of Nevill Shorrock (formerly Silvertop), of Helens, Sidmouth, Devon.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:

Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop was the eldest of 4 children, offspring of Henry Thomas Silvertop and Rachel Mary Josephine McDonnell.

His father Henry Thomas Silvertop was the eldest son of Henry Charles Silvertop and his first wife Eliza Storer. He had 3 younger full blood siblings, three half sisters and a half brother.

Henry Charles Silvertop, true birth surname, Englefield, was born October 12th 1896 in Paris, France, and was the son of Henry Englefield and Catherine Witham Silvertop. He changed his surname to Silvertop on his accession to the property of Minsteracres Hall, Northumberland, where at the age of 25 years he was living alone, listed as a land owner and assisted by a housekeeper, a footman, a housemaid and under-housemaid, a kitchen maid, coachman and a groom. He employed a gardener who lived with his family at Garden Cottage.

Henry Charles Silvertop was married, Tuesday, August 24th 1852 in a private ceremony solemnised by the Reverend Thomas Witham of Lartington Hall, assisted by the Reverend Henry Birks, domestic chaplain, in the private chapel at Stonor Park, Oxfordshire, the family seat of the bride, the Honourable Eliza Stonor. Born February 23rd 1830 at her family seat, Stonor Park, Eliza was the 3rd daughter of Thomas Stonor, 3rd Lord Camoys and Lady Frances Towneley. 

After their marriage the couple settled at Minsteracres, Northumberland although Henry Thomas Silvertop was born in London in 1853, their daughter Agnes Mary and son George Edward were born in Northumberland, in 1854 and 1856 respectively.

Eliza Silvertop nee Stoner died in Brighton, Sussex, July 24th 1860. Henry Charles Silvertop remarried in Marylebone, London, August 21st 1862 to Caroline Filomena Weld, born in 1844 at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, she was the daughter of Edward Joseph Weld and Ellen Caroline Wrey.

In 1881 Henry Charles and Caroline were residing at 157, Cromwell Road, Chelsea, London, with their children, who with the exception of Arthur Edward (3) were scholars and Henry Thomas Silvertop (27), Henry Charles’ eldest son from his first marriage, listed occupation, gentleman. 

Henry Thomas Silvertop was married, January 19th 1882, at Woodland, the residence of Lord O’Hagan by the Very Reverend P. Starkey, to Rachel Mary Josephine McDonnell, the only surviving daughter of Alexander McDonnell and  Margaret McMullen of Kilmore, Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop was born, August 1st 1883, at 5, Chapel Street, Park Lane, City of Westminster, London, William Alexander, December 10th 1884 in Dublin, Ireland where he was baptised December 13th, Margaret Mary in 1886, in Antrim, Northern Ireland and Charles Randall, September 22nd 1889 in Northumberland. 

In 1891 Henry Thomas Silvertop J. P., his wife and children were living at Minsteracres Hall, they employed a butler who presided over a footman, a housekeeper, a kitchen maid, two house maids a nurse, under nurse and nursery maid and a coachman. Visiting their household was widow Jane Lamb, Elizabeth McDonnell and George Thomas Lambert, director of Greenwich Hospital. December 5th 1891 Rachael gave birth to their youngest child Elise Mary.

Henry Thomas Silvertop of Minsteracres, Northumberland died December 17th 1893. His effects in the sum of £11501 10 shillings 11 pence were assigned February 29th 1894 to his widow Rachel  Mary Josephine Silvertop and Charles Plumper Johnson, solicitor. 

In 1901 Rachel was living at “Seaview” Moneyvart House, Cushendall, Antrim, Ireland where she died, February 12th 1908. Her assets in the sum of £16,121 6 shillings 3 pence were assigned to her sons Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop and William Alexander Silvertop Esquires.

Francis, who lived on his own means, in 1911 was a boarder in 2 furnished rooms on the 2nd floor at 3, St. James’s Place, S.W. London, for which he paid 3 guineas a week to Mrs. Antsey, proprietor of the 12 roomed lodging house. 

When Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany, August 4th 1914, men from all walks of life volunteered to serve their Country in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms and the order that all regiments raise new battalions.

Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop had military experience, September 22nd 1906 he was a 2nd Lieutenant with the Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry Cavalry. As of 1907 it became part of the Territorial Force for home service but in 1914 the Territorials were split into the 1st Line, liable to serve overseas made up of volunteers and the 2nd Line, those unable or unwilling to serve overseas, later a 3rd Line was formed to provide men for the other two lines.

The Hussars were at their annual camp when war was declared August 4th 1914 and immediately mobilised. The 1st Line sailed for Belgium, October 5th 1914 however 2nd Lieutenant Silvertop departed to France, January 22nd 1915, joining the 1/1st Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars) which had been at the front since September 19th 1914 having landed at Dunkirk, the first Territorial unit to depart and the first to see action against the Germans. They transferred to the 4th Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, November 11th 1914.

At the time of his arrival they were engaged at Battle of Neuve Chapelle, March 10th-12th 1915, followed by the 2nd Battle of Ypres at the Battle of St. Julien, April 26th-May 3rd and the Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge May 24th-25th 1915. They saw little action in 1916.  

Saturday, April 1st 1916, the Cheltenham, Gloucestershire newspaper had reported, “The engagement is announced of Francis Silvertop, Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars attached Royal Flying Corp, eldest son of the late Henry Thomas Silvertop, of Minster Acres, Northumberland, and Nevill, younger daughter of G. L. Foster Harter, of Alperton Park, Gloucestershire.” The couple were married in June 1916.

In 1917 the division participated during the Arras Offensive, April 9th-May 16th. The 2nd Cavalry Division was in action on the first day of the offensive at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, April 9th-May 5th 1917 and remained in the sector. 2nd Lieutenant Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars who was attached to the Royal Flying Corp, was killed in action, May 20th 1917 during the attack at Guillemont Farm less than 3 months after his wife had given birth, to a son, February 25th 1917, registered at St. George Hanover Square, London and baptised Charles Arthur Joseph Oswald Silvertop.

2nd Lieutenant Silvertop was buried within Ste. Emilie British Cemetery, Villers-Faucon grave II. D. 4, at map reference 62c. E. E4. b. 6. 9. The cemetery stood within the grounds of  the Chateaux of Ste. Emile between the house and the railway station and was begun by the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division in May 1917 and carried on by the Cavalry and Field Ambulance until March 1918, then again by British and American troops in September 1918.

All monies due to the late 2nd Lieutenant Silvertop from the Army were assigned to his executor Edward Middleton Johnson Esquire his personal assets in the sum of £94235 4 shillings were assigned, September 12th 1917 to his brother Captain William Alexander Silvertop, H.M. Army, who sadly was  also killed in action November 27th 1917 and the aforementioned Edward Middleton Johnson Esquire. His awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal were received by his widow and also a pension.

Geraldine Nevill Silvertop married for a second time in the district of Hatton in Devon in 1920 to Guy Shorrock who was born, November 14th 1868 in Darwen, Lancashire. He had served during WW1 with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. Prior to WW1 he had been a cotton broker in Bengal, India, where he and his first fiancé were married at St. Peter’s Church, Fort William, Calcutta. He was the father of 4 daughters, the eldest of whom was only 7 years younger than Geraldine. 

Charles Arthur Silvertop in 1921 aged 4 years and 3 months was a boarder together with a nurse domestic Elizabeth Ann Watson at 51, New Road, Littlehampton, Sussex whilst his mother and step-father Captain (sailor) were aboard the Motor Auxiliary Kitch, ’Shearwood,” at anchor on the west side of Littlehampton Harbour.

After the Armistice of November 11th 1918 at the request of the French and Belgium Governments the clearing of the battlefields began. Isolated graves and small concentrations were brought into larger cemeteries for reburial over a considerable length of time. Geraldine Shorrock, resident of Helens, Sidmouth, Devon. was informed of the necessity that her late husband’s body be exhumed and assured that this would be undertaken with all honour and reverence in the presence of an Army Chaplain.

Together with 195 other United Kingdom soldiers the remains of 2nd Lieutenant Silvertop were removed form their resting place in 1930 after official identification had taken place by means of the cross which still marked his grave, consultation of the existing cemetery plan and Certified Report of burial dating back to June 2nd 1920. 2nd Lieutenant Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop is now at rest within Templeux-Le-Guerard British Cemetery, Somme, France, grave II. E. 41, works completed, May 13th 1930. At the time of his demise in 1917 he was 33 years of age.

Geraldine listed as Mrs Silvertop Nevill Shonock, a transcription error of the surname Shorrock in official documents, resident of Helens, Sidmouth commissioned at a cost of 5 shillings 6 pence, an additional inscription to be added to her late husband’s military headstone, it reads, “R.I.P”.

It should be noted that the C.W.G.C. have listed this officer with the full rank of Lieutenant. This promotion appears on his medal index card but in no other documents pertaining to him, including initial burial records.

The Silvertop brothers’ uncle Commander Arthur Edward Silvertop also perished during WW1 when his ship H.M.S. Vernon was sunk during the Battle of Jutland, with the loss of all hands. Their brother Charles Randall Silvertop served with the Army Service Corps and survived the conflict.

Geraldine Nevill Foster Shorrock-Silvertop nee Harter died February 28th 1988, aged 95 years, her demise was reported in the Death Notices of The Times, London.

Her son Charles A. J. O. Silvertop was married to secretary Brenda M. Wicks in 1942 in Marylebone, London who was born December 21st 1919. An announcement in the Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, Greater London, May 1st 1956, announced his demise whilst resident at Villa Villetri, Vailée des Vaux, St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands, April 27th 1956, he was buried May 2nd. His assets in the sum of £2465 12 shillings 6 pence were assigned June 29th 1956 to Francis Charles Schilling insurance executive and Arthur Cowdry, solicitor.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace

Francis Somerled Joseph Silvertop is remembered at Minsteracres on M11.02.