Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Thornton Heslop was an only son, had a younger full blood sister, also 6 half siblings. His mother Diana Reynolds, affectionately known as Dinah, born February 11th 1859 at Easington Lane, Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, was first married in 1877 to Robert Hind Heslop born at Durham City, County Durham, August 21st 1853. They settled at Easington Lane, where Robert was employed as a mason and later went on to have his own building firm. Their 6 children were all born there, Dorothy, August 1st 1878, Lily 1883, Robert Jnr, October 2nd 1887, John George, April 11th 1888, Henry 1893 and William, December 9th 1893. Builder and contractor Robert Hind Heslop of Elmore Lane, Easington Lane, died aged 41 years, March 15th 1894, of bowel cancer, leaving his wife not only with a new born baby but also 4 children under the age of 16 with no visible means of support.
Dinah’s brother-in-law George Thornton Heslop, her husband’s youngest sibling, was living with his widowed mother Dorothy Heslop at 4, Stone Terrace, Hetton-le-Hole, at the time. A union was formed between George and Dinah, as no actual marriage took place, from which George Thornton Heslop Jnr was born, April 1st 1897 and Margaret Reynolds Heslop, affectionately known as Maggie, in 1900. George took responsibility for Dinah, his own children and all of his nieces and nephews, bringing them up as his own. In 1901 they were living in the village of Station Road, district of Hetton-le-Hole, where he was employed as a coal miner at the colliery, Robert (14) below ground as a pony driver, Dinah was assisted by Dorothy (22) and Lily (18) looking after the household and the younger children. By 1911 the elder members of the family had married, George had been joined, working as drivers below ground, by Henry (19) William (17), Maggie (11) is listed as a scholar, although George Jnr (14) was not. They had left County Durham and were now living in 3 rooms at 53, Beaumont Terrace, Westerhope, Northumberland.
When war was declared in 1914 all regiments formed new battalion to answer the call to arms. George Thornton Heslop lied about his age, stating he was 19 year 2 months of age when he presented himself at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, October 29th 1914. He was posted as Private 247 to the newly formed 20th Battalion (Tyneside Scottish) Northumberland Fusiliers, however, he was discharged, December 12th 1914, under King’s Regulations 392 (iii)c, “not likely to become an efficient soldiers,” paragraph C, “Recruit within 3 months of enlistment considered unfit for service.”
Between December 1914 and 1916 exact details are missing from this soldiers record, until he was court-martialled, April 11th 1916, whilst serving as Private 746 G. T. Heslop 28th Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, for Fraudulent Enlistment, “when belonging to the regular forces without having fulfilled the conditions enabling him to enlist, enter, enrols himself, or enlists in the territorial army or in any of the reserve forces, or in the Air Force or enters the Royal Navy,” as apparently after discharge in 1914 he had enlisted, deserted and as a deserter, enlisted on a second occasion. Found guilty he was sentenced to 6 months and stoppage of pay. It is unclear if he served his full sentence or whether this was commuted on condition he depart with the first draft, common practice in the Army.
As Private 746, 28th Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers he was mobilised and posted to the 8th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, which having returned from Gallipoli had made its way to France in July 1916. Arrived at the front, with a change of service number as Private 202246 he posted to the 1st/4th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a Territorial force in peacetime which became part of the 149th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division until it was transferred to the Lines of Communication, July 15th 1918, reduced to cadre strength after the Ludendorff Offensive consisting of the First Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Lys 1918.
Private George Thornton Heslop Northumberland Fusiliers was listed in the Register of Soldiers Effects as having died in Germany as a prisoner-of-war, July 12th 1918, however, where exactly in Germany was unknown, the Army not having received adequate information from German authorities or the Red Cross. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 3912 names inscribed on the Soissans Memorial, Aisne, France, commemorating those who died in the sector, including the Somme and Lys, and have no known grave.
His mother Dinah, of 10 Silkey Lane, Chirton, Northumberland, received all monies due to him from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal, she also applied for a pension not only having lost her son George but also his brother Private Henry Heslop West Yorkshire Regiment, killed July 2nd 1916. Her son-in-law Private Thomas Brownless Northumberland Fusiliers survived the conflict.
The war years took a heavy toll on the Heslop family, Dinah not only lost her two sons but George Thornton Heslop died aged 57 years, November 27th 1917 of stomach cancer and was buried, December 1st 1918, within Preston Cemetery, North Shields, Northumberland.
Diana Heslop-Heslop nee Reynolds died November 20th 1931 in the district of Tynemouth, Northumberland, aged 72 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Peter Reynolds a family member has sent in this newspaper article about George Thornton Heslop;-
Newcastle Journal 13/01/1916:-
THEFTS FROM RELATIVES. WESTERHOPE MAN ENLISTS FOUR TIMES, George Thornton Heslop, jun., of Westerhope, was charged the Moot Hall Police Court, Newcastle, yesterday, with having stolen a silver lever watch, an overcoat, and a pair of kid gloves, valued at £3 2s 11d, the property of his father, on January 5, and, further, with having stolen a pair of Army boots, valued at 14s, the property of his brother, Robert Heslop, of the Royal Engineers. Supt. Weddell stated that prisoner had been in the Tyneside Scottish, Irish, Royal Field Artillery, and Royal Garrison Artillery. He had also attested under Lord Derby's scheme, and he (Supt. Weddell) had a note which was meant for prisoner telling him to report at New Bridge Street, Newcastle, at once. Prisoner had re-enlisted twice whilst a deserter. Prisoner, who pleaded guilty, had nothing to say, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment on each charge—the sentence to run concurrently. Robert Pickles, a barman, employed the Farmers' Rest, Scots wood Road, Newcastle, was subsequently charged with having bought pair of Army boots from a soldier, George Thornton Heslop, January 7. P.C. Rutherford stated that he took Heslop, the prisoner in the previous case, to the Farmers' Rest, Newcastle, where Heslop pointed out accused as the man who had bought the boots for 5s. After hearing evidence, the Bench fined defendant £3, the Chairman (Alderman Sanderson) remarking it was a disgraceful case, the boots were quite new.
Mr Reynolds also sent details on G.T. Thornton's Court Martial in April 1916.
George Thornton Heslop is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01
