Heworth St. Mary
4418 Private
Thomas William Richardson
Durham Light Infantry
24th June 1915
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Thomas William Richardson was the youngest of 5 known children, 3 sons and 2 daughters. His father Henry Richardson Snr was born at Silloth, a port town in Cumberland, in 1836, and was married in the district of Carlisle in 1859 to Ann Wills, native of Cliburn, Westmoreland, born 1832. They settled at Cliburn where son John was born in 1862 but had migrated to the north east by 1864 and were living at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham. Daughters Elizabeth and Mary also son Henry Richard were born there in 1864, 1866 and 1870 respectively. Henry Richardson supported his family employed as an engine-rite, they occupied number 1, Henry Place, Felling, living with them was Henry’s widowed mother Mary Richardson. Ann gave birth to Thomas William at Felling in 1873 and they remained as a family at Henry Place for the next 20 years. In 1881 Henry Richardson was employed as a coal miner as was son John (19), by 1891 John had left home, Henry Snr was now working as a labourer at the shipyard, Henry Jnr (22) was a qualified carpenter and joiner, Thomas William (17) an apprentice plumber. All the Richardson children had left home by 1901, Henry and Ann remained at Henry Place until Ann Richardson nee Wills died in 1903 aged 70 years, Henry Richardson Snr was living alone at Felling in 1911, he died in 1912 aged 76 years.
Thomas William Richardson had married at Felling, Gateshead in 1899 local girl Amy Cooper born 1878, Thomas and his wife also chose to settle at Henry Place only 2 doors away from his parents. in 1901 he was employed as a general labourer supporting his wife and 9-month old son Henry, born June 6th 1900. Over the next 10 years Amy had a further 3 children, one of whom died, gender and details unknown, 2 surviving sons, Norman and John were born in 1906 and 1909 respectively. They occupied 3 rooms at 17, Hatzapfels Terrace, Felling Shore, Gateshead, in 1911, and had taken in Amy’s widowed mother Mary Cooper. Thomas William supported them all employed by a paint manufacturer as a bricklayer’s labourer.
When war was declared with Germany in 1914 Thomas William Richardson had almost reached the age of exemption as he was 41 years of age, however, he was one of the first to enlist, accepted to serve, assigned as Private 4418 to the 9th battalion Durham Light Infantry. The main body of men, 9th Battalion D.L.I, left Newcastle-upon-Tyne railway station bound for France, April 19th 1915 and within days were fighting on the Ypres salient in Belgium. Private Richardson did not depart with them as he was at the No.1 Supply Depot of the D.L.I. at Counthorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Private 4418 Thomas William Richardson Durham Light Infantry was involved in an accident, he fell from a train while travelling. Official record state he died at South Shields, June 24th 1915, aged 42 years, He is considered a casualty of war by the CWGC.
At the request of his family his body was brought back to Felling where Private Richardson was buried with military honours, in the south east part of St. Mary Heworth churchyard. His wife paid the sum of 8 shillings 2 pence for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “In The Midst Of Life We Are In Death.”
In 1939 Thomas and Amy’s son Henry employed as a transport checker, was living at 11, The Drive, Felling with his wife Jane Slowther born February 8th 1906, whom he had married at Gateshead in 1931. The house was the home of Jane’s parents, Alexander Slowther, her mother Elizabeth and siblings Norman and Alan.
Further details as regards Norman and John Richardson and their mother Amy Richardson nee Cooper, as yet unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Thomas William Richardson is remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 161
