Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Rogers Oram was born 1894 at East Murton, County Durham, the youngest son and one of 9 children, of whom only 8 survived, 5 sons and 3 daughters, born to Christopher Oram 1852 of Cornforth and his wife Margaret Ann Rogers born 1854 at South Hetton, County Durham. They were married in the district of Easington in 1874. In the early years after his marriage he was working as an agricultural labourer living at 1 East Murton with his wife and 3 children. By 1901 the family had moved to Church Cottage, Dalton le Dale, Durham, in 1911 Rogers, now 17 was working as a brick yard labourer.
Rogers Oram enlisted along with his eldest brother Christopher Rogers Oram at Seaham Harbour, November 22nd 1915 and was assigned as Private 567 to the Northumberland Fusiliers 28th Reserve Battalion, departing for over-seas service in France after January 1916. In the run up to the preparations for the Battles of the Somme he was transferred to the 11th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Wounded in the field he would have been taken to one of the two General Hospitals near Le Havre in France. Private 567 Rogers Oram Northumberland Fusiliers died of wounds, October 15th 1916 and is interred at Ste. Maria Cemetery, Seine-Maritime, France, overlooking Le Havre, grave Div. 3. L. 10., he was 22 years old and single.
His parents paid the sum of fourteen shillings for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone which read, “Son of Christopher and Margaret Ann Oram of Dalton le Dale’. His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to them at their home address.
Rogers Oram was the first of the four Oram brothers’ who enlisted to be killed during the Great War, followed by his brother Thomas in 1917 and Richard in 1918, only his brotherChristopher Rogers Oram although severely wounded, survived the conflict.
His mother died in 1920 aged 66, his father in 1934 aged 82.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
He is remembered at Dalton le Dale on D39.01 and D39.04 and at Murton on M47.01, M47.06, M47.09 and M47.12
