Photo: Barney Rice

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Walter John Finnigan was the youngest of 5 children, he had 5 half siblings, 3 from his father’s previous marriage and 2 from his mother’s. His father Thomas Finnigan born in the district of Sunderland, County Durham in 1852 was the son of Irish immigrant Patrick Finnigan and Mary Ann Boggins who was born in India. Thomas was married, August 4th 1872 to Anne McCarty, known affectionately as Annie, born 1856 in Ireland. They had 3 children together, Mary Ann 1873, Margaret 1875 and John Francis 1877, at Southwick, near Sunderland, in 1881 they were living at 3, Church Street, Southwick, where Thomas was employed as a bricklayer, Annie Finnigan nee McCarty died later that same year. November 24th 1883 Thomas married for a second time to widow Bridget Matilda Osborne nee Hickey, born February 22nd 1852 at Alnmouth, Northumberland, who had 2 children of her own from her marriage to Bernard Osborne, who had died, July 3rd 1875, leaving her with Mary Ann (1) and new-born William Bernard 1875. Thomas and Bridget by 1891 had 5 children Louisa Jane, September 6th 1884 district of Sunderland, Thomas Patrick 1886, Washington, Alice, January 22nd 1887 and twins Lucy and Kathleen born December 7th 1889, where born at Low Fell, Gateshead. In 1891 they were living at 6, Clayton Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, Thomas maintained his employment as a bricklayer, John Finnigan (14) was an errand boy, step son William (15) was employed at the colliery as a driver, his sister Mary Ann (17) worked as a school teacher, Louisa (6) and Thomas Finnigan (4) were scholars, Alice (4) was pre-school age and the twins were babies. Walter John was born at Low Fell in 1892, he was only 6 years old when his father Thomas Finnigan died, May 11th 1898. His widowed mother had moved them into 6 rooms 24, Bute Terrace, Low Fell, Gateshead, by 1901. William Osborne (28) was now the eldest living at home employed as a coal hewer, his sister (27) had maintained her employment as a teacher, Thomas Finnigan (15) worked below ground at the colliery as a pony driver, Kathleen (11) and Walter John (9) remained at home with their mother, to increment the family income they had taken into their home coal miners Richard and John Brennan and Joseph Thompson. Although Louisa Jane, Alice and Lucy were not living with her in 1901, by 1911 all but Alice, who had emigrated to America, returned to the family home at Bute Terrace. Mary Jane (36) was employed by Gateshead Education Committee as a teacher, her brother William Bernard Osborne (35), Thomas Patrick Finnigan (24) and Walter John (17) were coal miners, Louisa Jane (23), Kathleen and Lucy Finnigan (21) worked in a cafe as waitresses, Joseph Thompson was still their boarder.

Louisa Jane Finnigan emigrated to America in 1911. Having missed her passage aboard the SS Zeeland she sailed from the Port of Liverpool, August 1st 1911, declaring she was in possession of the sum of 35 US Dollars and intended joining her sister Alice who was residing with a Mrs Mullen at 24, Sycamore Street, Providence, Rhode Island, she arrived at the port Boston, Massachusetts, August 10th 1911, aboard the SS Arabic. Louisa Jane was married, September 4th 1911 to Daniel Henry McIntyre, born at Gateshead, September 14th 1886, who had arrived in Boston with two of his friends, May 19th 1910, with the SS Saxonia. Daniel Henry prior to his departure had been living at 55, Chichester Street, just off Alexandra Road, Gateshead, employed as a clerk and had resided with his aunt Mrs. Robinson at 12, James Street, Providence, Rhode Island. He and Louisa Jane had 2 children prior to the commencement of WW1, Daniel Henry Jnr, September 12th 1912 at Bridgeport, Fairfield, Connecticut and Mary Louise, October 20th 1913.

After the declaration of war, August 4th 1914, her brother Walter John Finnigan enlisted in England, assigned as Private 1605 he was posted to the 1st/8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The battalion was at its annual training camp when war was declared and upon its return to Newcastle-upon-Tyne was assigned to the coastal defences between Rocker and Whitburn where it was joined by the new recruits, who having been split into four companies, were trained for service overseas at Boldon, Ravensworth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The men of the 1st/8th Battalion departed for the front from Newcastle-upon-Tyne railway station, April 9th 1915. In the absence of a military record it is unclear if Private Finnigan was amongst them, I suspect not, as it is probable the disease that caused his demise manifested during his training period. A medical report comment on the Dependants Pension document states, “wholly impaired,” and he was subsequently posted to the 23rd Provisional Battalion Durham Light Infantry, which never served overseas.

Private 1605 Walter John Finnigan died of pulmonary tuberculosis, March 4th 1916, district of Castle Ward, Northumberland. The likelihood is this relates to him having been a patient at St. Mary’s Hospital, Stannington, Castle Ward, Northumberland as Ponteland Tuberculosis Hospital was for children only. St. Mary’s was originally commissioned by Gateshead Council as the Gateshead Borough Lunatic Asylum, after it opened in 1914 it was requisitioned by the military as a war hospital.

His mother received all monies due to him from the Army, at her request and paid for by her, the Army organised that the body of Private 1605 Walter John Finnigan Durham Light Infantry be returned to Gateshead, County Durham, where he was laid to rest with military honours within Wrekenton (St. Oswald’s) Roman Catholic Cemetery, in the South-East corner. She commissioned an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Of Low Fell R.I.P.” Private Finnigan was 22 years of age and single.

It should be noted I have stated Private Finnigan was posted from the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry to the 23rd Provisional Battalion, which differs from the entry by the CWGC, the reason being that the 23rd Provisional Battalion D.L.I. was only re-named the 26th Battalion D.L.I. in January 1917 after the demise of Private Finnigan.

Meanwhile in America Daniel Henry McIntyre of 853, Wood Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, was required to give his details to the State of Connecticut, February 18th 1917, however, he was also attested at Providence, Rhode Island, New England, July 17th 1918, assigned as 2013572 to the Canadian Engineers, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Although no further evidence has been found to confirm he ever served overseas it is a possibility as his daughter Lilian was not born until, April 4th 1920.

By 1930 he and his family were living at 37, Lawrence Street, East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, Daniel Henry still supported his family employed as a clerk. On the morning of June 23rd 1930, having alighted with a friend from a trolley car at Bloomfield, whilst crossing the road, they were struck by an automobile. His friend Charles Lynch escaped injury, however 42-year-old Daniel Henry McIntyre was so seriously injured that he died a half-hour later at Mountainside Hospital, Bloomfield. The driver Louis Cantoni of Brooklyn had taken Daniel Henry to hospital and afterwards was arrested by the police on a charge of manslaughter and later handed over to the prosecutor’s office.

After the death of her husband Louisa Jane McIntyre nee Finnigan returned to England where she died in the district of Monkseaton, April 12th 1937, her children did not, having created families of their own in America.

Private Walter John Finnigan’s mother Bridget Matilda Finnigan-Osborne nee Hickey died in 1927 her demise registered in the district of Tynemouth, Northumberland.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.

Acknowledgements: Barney Rice

Walter Finnigan is remembered in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 43

The CWGC entry for Private Finnigan