Level Crossing Cemetery Fampoux
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Moses Silcox was born in 1878 at Wheatley Hill, County Durham, one of 12 children of whom only 8 survived, he was the 4th born of 5 sons and had 3 elder sisters. His father Mark Silcox was a native of Kingswinford, Worcestershire where he was born in 1837 and married at St. Mary’s Kingswinford, August 31st 1857 to Rebecca Horner born 1841, South Staffordshire. They remained in Staffordshire before transferring to the north east by 1875 where their daughter Mathilda was born at Shadforth, County Durham.
Mark Silcox was employed as a coal miner in 1881 at Wingate, as was his 3rd born son Mark Jnr (17), Moses was 2 years of age. Ten years later they had moved to Long Row, Pittington and at the age of 21 years Moses was married to widow Isabella Jane Garthwaite who had 2 children of her own Thomas born 1894 and Lena 1896 from her second marriage to William Garthwaite born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1869 who had died in 1897. She was born Isabella Jane Crowder, February 7th 1876 at Easington, County Durham, her first married had taken place December 31st 1892 to Henry Johnson and lasted little more than one year.
In 1901 Moses and Isabella were living at Littletown, Pittington where he was employed as a coal miner supporting his wife and son James (11 months) and step children Thomas (7) and lena (5), they went on to have a further 6 children of their own, John 1902, Isabella(Bella) 1903, Rebecca 1905, Moses Jnr 1906, Mark born 1908 and Mary 1909. In 1911 they were still living at Long Row, Littletown Colliery, County Durham, where the male members of the family were employed as coal miners with the exception of James who was still a scholar.
Moses Silcox was one of the first to enlist in November 1914 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, assigned as Private 628 Northumberland Fusiliers joining the regiment at their barracks at Newcastle where he was transferred to the 26th (3rd Tyneside Irish), a Pals Battalion. After training near home they joined the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon in Yorkshire during June 1915 and went to Salisbury Plain in late August for final training.
They proceeded to France in January 1916 concentrating near La Crosse east of St. Omer where they underwent further training and trench familiarisation before going into action during the Battles of the Somme as of July 1st 1916 including the capture of Scotts and Sausage Redoubts, the Battle of Bazentin Ridge July 14th-17th, Pozieres July 23rd-September 3rd and Flers-Courcelette September 15th-22nd 1916.
In 1917 they fought in the 1st and 2nd Battles of the Scarpe and the Battle of Arleux, phases of the Battles of Arras, April 9th-May 16th 1917. Private 26/628 Moses Silcox was killed in action April 25th 1917 and interred at Level Crossing Cemetery, Fampoux, Pas de Calais, France, grave I. B. 59. He was 39 years old. Isabella commissioned an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone at a cost of 6 shillings 1 pence, it reads, “Still To Me In Memory Dear.”
As his widow Isabella Jane received all monies due to him, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal and a pension for herself and their children until she married for the fourth time in June 1918 to Robert Wilson. She and Robert went to live at B.17 D. Elizabethville, Birtley, County Durham, a purpose built village originally occupied by Belgian refugees until they were repatriated after the signing of the Armistice in November 1918 when it was then occupied by the local population.
Isabella Wilson-Silcox-Garthwaite-Johnson nee Crowder died aged 70 years in 1946 registered in Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Moses Silcox is remembered at Hallgarth (Pittington) on H143.01 and H143.02 at Littletown on L75.01 and at Sherburn Hill on S146.02
