In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:

3/10340 Private
E. Weldon
West Yorkshire Regiment
27th March 1915

Ernest was born on the 2nd March 1879, baptised 16th March 1879 at Darlington the son of  John Thomas Stringer Weldon, and his wife Rachel nee Howcroft, one of seven children.

The other children were:-
John C. Weldon.
Frederick H. Weldon.
William F. Weldon.
Albert Weldon.
Jane A. Weldon
Jessie Weldon.

Ernest married Caroline Anna ‘Carrie’ Curtis, born 18th October 1876, in 1899, and they had six children. They moved to South Shields in 1908 from York. In 1891, Ernest was residing at 34 Skinnersgate, Darlington. His father was a Herbalist.

The children were:-

• Minerva Howcroft Weldon, born 1898, married on the 19th May 1917 Alfred James Edson, and they had a child born 19th August 1919 called Blanche Marjorie Edson, baptised 22nd October 1919. The father was in the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. They were residing at 2 Tower Place, York.
  Jessie Montrose Weldon, born 22nd May 1901, baptised 16th June 1901 at St Mary’s, York, died 1st November 1978. In 1921, she was a Laundry Ironer at the Tynemouth and District Laundry Company, based at North Shields. She married in 1929 Albert Whalley, born 25th August 1904, died 13th February 1968, who was a Gardener. In 1939, they were residing at the Old School House, Blackburn with three children.
• Ernest Syria Weldon, born 21st March 1903, baptised 8th April 1903 at St Thomas, York. In 1921, he was a Lamp man employed by the Harton Coal Company at Harton Colliery but on strike. He married Margaret Boyd in 1925. In 1939, they are residing at 16 Sanders Road, Hawkesbury, Bedworth, Warwickshire. Ernest had remarried Margaret Weldon, born 7th June 1897, with three children.
• Frederick Weldon, born 13th September 1904, died 28th November 1961. He  married on the 20th February 1932 Lily Walker, born 29th April 1907, baptised 21st April 1907 at Leeds, died 28th April 1979.
• Guy Percival Weldon, born 6th November 1906, died 23rd February 1958. He married  Florence Davis born 19th January 1909, in 1927. In 1939, they were residing at 20 Carton Close, Rochester, where he was an Aircraft Dispatch Clerk.
• Walter Weldon, born 19th September 1910, died 1978. In 1939, he was residing at M.H. Stannington, Glendale, Northumberland.
  Residence Place Glendale, Northumberland. He was a Colliery Hewer.In 1911 and 1921 they resided at 54 Stoddart Street, South Shields.

Ernest was employed as a spare Trimmer at Tyne Dock for the North Eastern Railway Company. Ernest had served in the Boer War, service number 6995, in the 2nd Volunteer Service Company in the (Prince of Wales’s Own) West Yorkshire Regiment, he was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal 1901 and the King’s South African Medal 1902, no Clasps, and afterwards became a member of the National Reserve.

Ernest joined the North Eastern Railway as a teemer in October 1908 and then was appointed spare trimmer in August 1913 at the Tyne Dock. He volunteered for active service and was sent to France on the 28th December 1914 as a private in the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. Ernest took part in the fighting at Neuve Chapelle and received wounds in the head. Ernest succumbed to these wounds and died at the London 4th General Hospital which was located at Denmark Hill, London.

Ernest left a widow and six children.

A letter was written to his wife Carrie by Corporal Percy Dewhurst D.C.M. and M.M. which was published in the Gazette Friday 16/04/1915.

Carrie married on the 21st March 1917 William Harvey Fourman who was in the 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment.

Ernest Weldon is remembered at South Shields on S86.008 and S86.043 and on the North Eastern Railway War Memorial (York).