Photo: James Pasby
62731 Private
A. Usher
Leicestershire Regiment
27th November 1920 Age 20
Jacky Cooper has provided the following:
Andrew Usher was the youngest child of John Usher and Elizabeth Swaddle who had married in 1890 in Gateshead. John was a coal miner, and when the census was taken in 1891 he and Elizabeth were living in Buck Lane, Gateshead. Their first child, a daughter, was born in Low Fell, and the family moved to Dunston, where two more daughters and a son were born before Andrew arrived early in 1900.
By the time the census was taken again in 1901 two of the children had died in infancy. The family was living in Grey Street, and John was still working underground as a hewer in the coal mine.
In 1911 John and the four surviving children were living at 26 Tyndal Gardens, Whickham. John described himself as married, but it is unclear where Elizabeth was at that time. Andrew, by then eleven year old, was still at school.
No military records have survived for Andrew, and it is difficult to tell when or where he enlisted. His older brother George enlisted in May 1916 when he was 18, so it is unlikely that Andrew attested before this. If Andrew had been conscripted, it would have been at least spring 1918 when he was called up. The fact that he was posted to the Leicestershire Regiment rather than a local regiment might suggest that this was likely.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show that Andrew served in 5th Provisional Company, with service number 62731. We have found no medal entitlement for a soldier with that service number, which would suggest that Andrew didn’t serve abroad.
Andrew died on 27 November 1920 in his home town. He was 20 years old. It was determined that the cause of his death was attributable to the war, and he was duly accorded a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone. Andrew’s father died in 1923.
Andrew Usher is remembered in Dunston Hill on D31.01 and in Whickham on W86.09
