In Dunston (Christ Church) churchyard is the Commonwealth War Grave of 1523 Private Andrew Thompson, serving with the 1/9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, who died 18/03/1916.
He was the son of Martha Thompson, of 32, Athol Street, Dunston, and the late Andrew Thompson.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Andrew Thompson Jnr was one of 14 children of whom only 6 had survived by 1911. His parents were both born in County Durham, his father Andrew Thompson Snr at Whickham near Gateshead, in 1849, Martha Worrell, sometimes transcribed as Worrow, at Coundon in 1860. Martha was the daughter of coal miner James Worrell and his wife Ann.
Andrew and Martha were married in 1881 at Newcastle upon Tyne and settled in the suburb of Benwell where their son Cuthbert was born in 1882. Between 1883 and 1885 they had moved to Dunston, Gateshead, historically in County Durham, birthplace of James in 1885 and Hannah in 1891 whilst they were living at 2, Seymour Street, Dunston, where Andrew Snr was employed as a barge waterman.
Andrew Jnr and his brother Reuben were also born at Seymour Street, in 1894 and March 14th 1900 respectively, although the family had moved to number 1. which consisted of two dwellings. Andrew Thompson Snr had left his employment on the river and was now working at the forge, Cuthbert (18) was employed as a coal miner, James (15) was a labourer at a brick yard, the remainder of the children, 2 of whom were of school age, remained at home with their mother.
Martha’s widowed mother Ann Worrell and her brother, coal hewer Thomas Worrell (34) occupied the second dwelling and had also taken in a boarder, cartman Joseph Rutherford, they employed 16 year old Isabella Marshall as a domestic servant. Their youngest surviving child William Worrell Thompson was born in 1906.
Cuthbert and James Thompson left the family home when they were married in 1907 and 1910 respectively, the remainder of the family resided in 2 rooms at 214, Ravensworth Road, Dunston, in 1911. Andrew Snr, and Andrew Jnr (16) were both employed at the colliery, Reuben (11) and William (5) were scholars, also in the household was James William Thompson (2), this could only be Hannah’s child as neither of her brothers had children by that name.
Hannah (20) had found employment in the confectionary trade, she may well have been working for John Vose who had founded his own confectionary business by the mid-1890’s and had a factory at Ouseburn, later bought out by John Maynard and Charles Riley.
Andrew Thompson Snr died ages 64 years, registered at Gateshead in 1913.
August 4th 1914, Britain declared a state of war existed with Germany, Andrew Thompson Jnr was one of the first to enlist at Gateshead and was assigned as Private 1523 to the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry of the Territorial Force.
In the absence of a military record it is not possible to know his exact movements. His medal index card indicates he departed to France, April 20th 1915 but he was in England at the time of his demise.
Private Thompson was stationed at Rothbury as part of the 3rd/9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The hills surrounding Rothbury were used for trench training during WW1. Private 1523 Andrew Thompson died very suddenly of heart failure at Rothbury, Northumberland, Saturday March 18th 1916. He was 21 years of age and single.
His family requested that his body be brought home for burial, this was organised by the Army but paid for by them. Monday all the soldiers stationed at Rothbury followed his coffin to the railway station accompanied by The Rothbury Brass Band playing the Death March and Lead Kindly Light.
His remains would have arrived at Newcastle Railway station and from there taken the short journey to Dunston where he was laid to rest at Dunston Christ Church Churchyard, grave C. 20.
His mother Martha received all monies due to her late son from the Army, his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal also a pension of 10 shillings a week awarded, December 8th 1916, to be received weekly as of December 12th 1916, sent to her at 32, Athol Street, Dunston, Gateshead, County Durham.
Martha later left Athol Street and moved to 9, Clepham Street, Dunston. She commissioned at a cost of 12 shillings 6 pence an additional inscription to be added to Private Thompson’s military headstone, it reads, “AT REST EVER REMEMBERED BY MOTHER, SISTER AND BROTHERS.”
Christ Church was demolished in 1978 and all gravestones removed although the internments were left undisturbed. In order to honour Private 1523 Andrew Thompson and the 8 other war dead buried there a CWGC Special Memorial was erected, April 14th 1982, at Gateshead (Saltwell) Cemetery, Low Fell, Gateshead, historically County Durham, now Tyne & Wear.
Although both of Andrew’s older brothers would have been eligible to serve as of May 1916 when conscription was extended to all married men, no record has been found. Their younger brother Reuben Thompson enlisted as soon as he turned 18 in 1918. Post war he emigrated to Australia in 1923 as did his brother William Worrell Thompson in 1924.
His mother Martha Thompson nee Worrell may have died in the district of Gateshead, County Durham in 1954 aged 94 years, having outlived her husband and at least 4 of her children.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Andrew Thompson is remembered at Dunston on D38.04, D38.06 and in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance, page 52.
