On the Arras Memorial, France is the name of 46110 Private Charles Goldsbury, serving with the 22nd (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers who died 05/06/1917.

He was the husband of Margaret Ellen Norton (formerly Goldsbury), of 34, North Seaton Road, Ashington, Northumberland.

Margaret Allison states that in 1911 he lived at 49 Fourth Row, Ashington.

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

Charles Goldsbury was one of 10 children of whom only 8 had survived by 1911.

His father Edward Goldsbury was born in1857 at St. Helens, Lancashire. Edward and his siblings had been brought to the north-east by his parents bricklayer Robert and Mary Goldsbury both of whom were Irish immigrants. 

In 1880 Edward married Margaret McQuillan in Tynemouth historically in Northumberland who was born on May 27th 1858 in Wallsend a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne. Her father Hugh McQuillan was an Irish immigrant her mother Sarah Nesbitt was born at Berwick upon Teed. 

Joseph was the eldest of their children born on June 14th 1881 at Willington Quay historically in County Durham as was Hugh on May 11th 1883 before they moved to Ashington the birthplace of Elizabeth Ann in 1884 who died in 1886 only 1 year and 10 months old when she drowned in a pond on their property witnessed by her brother Hugh (3). Robert was born in 1887 and Edward in 1889. 

They had returned to Wallsend by 1891 and had a new addition to the family, Charles, who was two months old, he was baptised at Our Lady and St. Colomba on February 15th 1891. They shared a property at 2, Boyd Street and Edward supported his family employed as a riveter’s holder-up at the shipyard, Joseph (9) and Hugh (8) were scholars. 

Their daughter Margaret was born at Wallsend in 1893 but they had returned to Ashington where Nora was born on December 9th 1895, Sarah Ellen on February 3rd 1898 and Mary Agnes on July 20th 1900. 

In 1901 they were living at 252, North Row Ashington. Edward and his son Hugh (18) were both employed as blacksmith’s strikers, Robert (13) worked below ground as a pony driver at the colliery, the remainder of the children stayed at home with their mother. 

Their son Edward (14) died on September 4th 1903 at Ashington Colliery. Edward was a pony driver below ground driving out with eleven tubs when he should only have had six. He stopped and took some drags out then started again.The load became too fast, the pony was thrown or fell, some of the tubs overturned and crushed Edward who died immediately. An inquest held the following day concluded that no blame could be attached to anyone and that he was accidentally killed. 

Joseph Goldsbury had left the family home and on March 14th 1901 travelled alone aboard the “Oceanic” of the White Star Line from Ireland to New York U.S.A. but had returned to England by 1905.  

In 1911 Joseph (29) was the eldest still living at home which consisted of 5 rooms at 49, Fourth Row, Ashington. He  was a hewer at the colliery his father a blacksmith’s striker, Charles was an apprentice butcher with the Co-operative Society.  The remainder of the children were not listed as scholars. 

As early as 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany but day to day life continued. Charles Goldsbury married Margaret Ellen Redden affectionately known as Nellie at St. Aidan’s Church, Ashington on July 31st 1913. She was the daughter of sinking engiineman Thomas Redden and his wife Elizabeth Smith. She was born at St. Goodrich, Durham on April 19th 1891. Their daughter Elizabeth was born on June 1st 1914. 

Within hours of Germany, as part of a massive attack on France, invaded Belgium violating Belgian neutrality. After a request to Britain by the Belgians for help, London gave Berlin an ultimatum which expired August 4th 1914 at 11 p.m. London time. When this was ignored, King George V then declared war on Germany that same evening. Men from all walks of life in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms volunteered to serve their Country.

In the absence of a service record it is impossible to follow Charles’ exact movement. When Charles enlisted he was initially assigned to the 24th (1st Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers a Pals Battalion raised at Newcastle upon Tyne on November 14th 1914. He departed to France as Private 46110 to join his regiment in the field. 

During his service he was reposted to the 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) Battalion attached to the 102nd Brigade 34th Division. At the conclusion of the Battles of the Somme the Division was moved to the Arras sector participating during the Arras Offensive which raged from April 9th until May 16th 1917. While the major offensive concluded in May, June saw the final actions.

Private 49110 Charles Goldsbury was killed in acton on June 5th 1917, “in France or Belgium” and has no known grave. His  sacrifice is recorded as one of almost 35,000 names of servicemen from the United Kingdom, South Africa and New Zealand inscribed on the Arras Memorial which stands within Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He was 26 years of age. 

His widow Margaret Ellen received all monies due to her late husband from the Army, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal and a pension for herself and their daughter in the sum of 18 shillings 9 pence awarded January 29th 1918 to be received weekly as of February 4th 1918 sent to her at 84, North Seaton Road, Ashington destined to diminished once Elizabeth turned 16. 

Prior to the demise of Private Charles Goldsbury his brothers Joseph Goldsbury and Hugh Goldsbury serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers had both been killed in action on the Somme on July 1st 1916 and have no known grave. 

On May 14th 1920 at St. Aidan’s Chuch, Ashington Margaret Ellen married William Patrick Norton. 

In 1921 they were living at 84, North Seaton Road. William Patrick supported his wife and step-daughter employed as a coal miner at Ashington Colliery. Margaret Ellen fell pregnant with their child, William Norton was born on May 14th 1922. 

In 1939 they occupied 6, Andrews Terrace, Wing Rural a district in Buckinghamshire where William Patrick had been working at the colliery as a hewer but was now unemployed. 

William Patrick Norton died on March 27th 1970 registered at Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire, his widow Margaret Ellen Norton-Goldsbury nee Rodden died at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire in 1975, their son William Norton in 1881.

Details of Charles and Margaret Ellen’s daughter Elizabeth Goldsbury are as yet unknown. 

Charles’ father Edward Goldsbury (77) died on November 18th 1934. Prior to the internment a Requiem Mass was held on Wednesday November 21st at St. Aidan’s Roman Catholic Church where he was a prominent member. The chief mourners were his son Robert Goldsbury, his daughters Sarah Ellen Goldsbury, Mary Agnes (daughter) and her husband John Bell, Mrs Nora Dix (daughter), and Mrs M. Cowie. 

His widow Margaret Goldsbury nee McQuillan died on December 29th 1935. 

The only surviving Goldsbury brother, Robert Goldsbury, a coal cutter at Ashington Colliery died as a result of a colliery accident in hospital on February 5th 1937. The deceased sustained a fracture of the scull and laceration of the brain having been nipped between the coal-cutting machine and the roof in the mine due to the derailment of the machine he was operating as it rounded a corner. 

Their nephew Robert Goldsbury a Serjeant in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during WW2 died March 31st 1945. Listed as missing. 

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace. 

Charles Goldsbury is remembered at Ashington on A17.01 (A17.27), A17.28, A17.30 and A17.43.