On the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium is the name of 2/9449 2nd Lieutenant Hubert Pumphrey serving with the 10th (Service) Battalion Cheshire Regiment, who died 26/04/1918.
The son of Thomas Edwin and Mary Anna Pumphrey, of Mayfield, Sunderland and the husband of the late Daisy Pumphrey. He enlisted in Inns of Court O.T.C., 1915. He was a Chartered Patent Agent.
Hubert Pumphrey was born on the 9th January 1881, at 3 Clifton Villas, the son of Thomas Edwin Pumphrey, J.P., [Wholesaler, Grocer and Provisions Merchant], and his wife Mary Anna (daughter of the late Joshua Wilson) at Mayfield, Thornhill Park, Sunderland. They had nine children.
Humphrey was educated at the Quaker School, 1895 – 1898 Bootham School, York, and at the Durham College of Science.
During 1895-6, Hubert was 3rd place in the Junior Two Lengths, 75 yards, (Aquatics), joint 2nd in Beginners Race One Width (Aquatics), and was part of the winning team in the Bedroom Football tournament.
(Note that this was football between teams from different boarding house bedrooms, not football in the bedroom!).
In 1895-6, Hubert was a member of the Discussion Society, reading An Escaped Slave, and he gained the Annual Exhibition prize for Plain Inlaid Turning.
In 1896 at the Essay meeting at school, Hubert’s contribution was Blind Jack of Knaresboro. He was also involved in Senior Debate.
During 1896-7, Hubert was in the Natural History Club, with interests including Archaeology and Drawing.
In 1896 at the Annual Exhibition, Hubert won prizes in Stumping (from cast), Pastel work (from copies), Pastel work (from models), Illuminations, Photography (Prints, Prints Time Exposure, Negatives, Enlargements, Opals). He was second in the Athletics Seniors Vault, and in Aquatics was second in Four Lengths and Two Lengths.
In 1897 he contributed ‘A Day among the Grampians’ to the Essay meeting, and in the Senior Reading meeting from Don Quixote.
In 1905, Hubert attended an Old Scholars meeting in Liverpool.
By 1901 the family were residing at Mayfield, Thornhill Park, Sunderland.
Hubert married at Little Broughton, Cumberland on the 11th December 1907 Daisy (South Bank, Oxton, Chester), who was daughter of Charles Hodgson Bigland, of Birkenhead. However she died before 1916. They had a child called Anstice Mary, who was born on the 4th December 1908, died in July 1923 in Sunderland, and was buried in a family grave in Bishopwearmouth.
Hubert became a Chartered Patent Agent and was manager of the Bradford branch of W. P. Thompson & Co, Patents Agents, Liverpool, and eventually after becoming a member of the C.P.A., was made a partner in the firm. He represented the firm in Bradford for some years, during which time he took an interest in and worked for the Guild of Help. In the early days of the war he was secretary for the Heaton Hall Home for Belgian Refugees, but he felt this work was not enough, and that he must do what he increasingly felt to be his duty-join the fighting forces.
He joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. on the 6th December 1915, 10th Section, 2nd Company, but was appointed on the 14th January 1916. Hunbert was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the 17th Battalion Cheshire Regiment on the 22nd November 1916.
The March 1916 issue of “Bootham” has under the War Lists: Pumphrey, Arnold, Lieut., 20th Durham Light Infantry. Hubert Pumphrey.
July 1916 issue of “Bootham” Hubert Pumphrey is training at Berkhamsted. In spite of his years he finds he can stick as well as most although (this for the Censor) there is a tendency to go to sleep in lectures given in the evening after a long march and field exercises with pack and rifle.”
10th (Service) Battalion, 10th September 1914 Formed at Chester as part of the Third New Army (K3) and then moved to Codford St. May in the 75th Brigade of the 25th Division and then moved to Bournemouth. May 1915, Moved to Aldershot. 26th September 1915 Mobilised for war and landed in France. 26th October 1915 Transferred to the 7th Brigade of the 25th Division which engaged in various actions on the Western Front including; 1916. German attack on Vimy Ridge, The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin, The Battle of Pozieres, The Battle of the Ancre Heights, 1917. The Battle of Messines, The Battle of Pilkem. 1918. The Battle of St Quentin, The First Battle of Bapaume. 21st June 1918, Reduced to cadre and remaining personnel transferred to the 9th Battalion. June 1918 Returned to England and stationed at Aldershot as part of the 25th Division. July 1918 Moved to Walsham and absorbed by the South Wales Borderers.
He was best man at his sister’s wedding, Gladys M. Pumphrey who married 2nd Lieutenant W. L. Pritchett, [third daughter of Mr. T. E. Pumphrey] on Tuesday 30th October 1917, at Bishopwearmouth Church.
He arrived in France on the 25th January 1917 and was wounded at Ypres in July, sent home to hospital, and on recovering he returned to France 13th April 1918. He was killed in action early in the dawn, at Kemmel Hill on the 26th April 1918. He led his men in what was described as “a very gallant counter-attack” on Kemmel Hill, and while running ahead of them he was caught by machine-gun fire and instantly killed.
An officer wrote:-He was very gallantly leading his men. While running ahead of them to charge a machine gun position he was shot and killed instantly. He was a keen soldier and a fearless leader.
Hubert was a keen sportsmen, fishing and climbing being his favourite pastimes.
Hubert was the eldest brother of Arnold Pumphrey.
Hubert Pumphrey is remembered at Sunderland on S140.023, S140.041 and in S140.048 part 9 page 188.
Hubert Pumphrey is also remembered with his brother on the Bootham School War Memorial, 2nd photo on the right above. Details about the unveiling of the Memorial is also available below.
With thanks to Bootham School Archives.
