On the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France is the name of 25/237 Private Joseph Goldsbury, serving with the 25th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, who died 01/07/1916.

He was the son of Edward and Margaret Goldsbury, of 49, Fourth Row, Ashington.  He was married to the late Elizabeth Goldsbury..

Soldiers Died in the Great War states that he was born in Willington Quay and enlisted in Newcastle upon Tyne.

His Pension Records state that his children were Margaret born July 12th 1905, John Edward born August 13th 1906 and Frank born January 31st 1909.

His brothers Charles and Hugh died in WW1. Hugh also died on July 1st 1916.

Acknowledgments: Margaret Allison

Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-

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

His father Edward Goldsbury was born in 1857 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 at 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. 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 where he married at St. Aidan’s Church Ashington on February 25th 1905 Elizabeth Hannah Shaw.

Elizabeth Hannah was the daughter of coal miner/hewer Francis (Frank) Shaw and Hannah Atkinson, she was born at Cornwood, Northumberland in 1858.

By 1911 they were the proud parents of three children, Margaret born on July 12th 1905, John Edward known as Edward on August 13th 1906 and Frank on January 31st 1909 who was baptised at St. Aidan’s Church on March 6th 1909.

Elizabeth Hannah Goldsbury nee Shaw (26) died on July 7th 1909 possibly as a consequence of her son’s birth.

Coal hewer Joseph and his two older children were living in 1911 with his parents and 5 of his siblings in 5 rooms at 49, Fourth Row, Ashington. His son Frank (2) due to overcrowding was living with his widowed grandfather Frank Shaw in 3 rooms at 165, Seven Street, Hirst via Ashington. Frank Shaw employed a housekeeper Elizabeth Bray to run the household and care for his grandson while he was working as a hewer at the colliery.

As early as 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany.  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.

Joseph Goldsbury was one of the first to enlist with the 25th (2nd Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers when it was raised as a Pals Battalion at Newcastle upon Tyne by the Lord Mayor and City on November 9th 1914.

Assigned as Private 25/237 he moved to Ripon in Yorkshire with his regiment where it joined the 103rd Brigade, 34th Division in training before moving to Salisbury Plain in late August for final training with the 24th/26th and 27th Battalions N.F.. Private Joseph Goldsbury crossed to France in January 1916 where the Division concentrated east of St. Omer.

Preparations were already underway for the forthcoming battles on the Somme Programmed to begin on June 29th 1916 the troops were sent up to the front line where they waited in the trenches for two days due to bad weather. On the morning of July 1st 1916 at 07.28 a.m. after two huge detonations in the explosive packed tunnels under the German lines at 07.30 a.m. the whistles blew and the men went over the top.

The 34th Division saw action on the first day during the Battle of Albert involving the capture of Montauban, Mametz, Fricourt, Contalmaison and La Boisselle between July 1st-14th 1916.

It was reported on July 30th 1916 that Private Joseph Goldsbury was missing and later confirmed on January 29th 1917 that he was now presumed to have died, “on or since” July 1st 1916. His sacrifice is recorded as one of over 72,000 names inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval, France commemorating servicemen from Great Britain and South Africa who died on the Somme 1915-1918 and who have no known grave. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal he was 35 years old.

Joseph had made provision for his children should he not return. His parents Edward and Margaret Goldsbury were officially the guardians of his daughter Margaret and her brother John Edward and received the sum of 5 ponds 19 shillings 4 pence monies owed to their late son from the Army plus a grant of 4 pounds 13 shillings 4 pence.

He had nominated his late wife’s father Frank Shaw as the guardian of his son Frank. He received monies owed to his late son in law from the Army in the sum of 2 pounds 19 shillings 8 pence and a grant of 2 pounds 6 shillings 8 pence.

A “Motherless Rate” pension in the sum of 15 shillings was awarded for all three children on February 22nd 1917 to be received as of February 27th which diminished as each child reached the age of 16.

Post-war the Goldsbury family were living at 49½ Fourth Row, Ashington where they could still be found in 1921. Edward Goldsbury (63) was still working at Ashington Colliery employed by Ashington Coal Co. as a drill sharpener and had been joined by his grandson Edward (14) working as a rope boy. His granddaughter Margaret was employed by miliner Mrs. Anderson as her assistant at 73½ Station Road, Ashington. Two of his daughters were still living at home. Sarah Ellen was employed as a draper’s assistant, Mary Agnes assisted her mother Margaret in the home.

John Edward Goldsbury, better known as Edward, left his grandparents home and in 1928 was a lodger at 349, Salter Road, Gosforth on the outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne. A keen motor cyclist he and Miss Sarah Cusack returning from Morpeth and travelling in the direction of Gosforth became the victims of a road accident on a foggy night when Edward collided with a bus on September 1st 1928. Edward died immediately on impact, Miss Sarah Cusack (21) died immediately after the accident. John Edward/Edward Goldsbury was buried within St. Aidan’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Ashington on Wednesday September 5th. He was 22 years old.

Margaret Goldsbury may have married but further details are as yet unknown.

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.

Post-war coal hewer Frank Shaw in 1921 was employed at Woodhorn Pit and resided at 1041/2 Myrtle Street, Ashington with his grandson Frank (14) who was in full time education. He employed Isabella Horn (45) as a general servant and provided lodging for boarder William Hall (18). Frank’s grandfather died in 1929.

Frank Goldsbury married Margaret Anne Atkinson at St. Aidan’s Church, Ashington on December 17th 1932. Born on November 15th 1914 she was the daughter of coal miner Peter Atkinson and Mary Ellen Dryden.

Margaret Anne gave birth to Joseph Edward on June 26th 1933, Samuel Marshall October 25th 1934 and Margaret June 9th 1937. In 1939 they occupied 45, Front Street, Newbiggin by the Sea and had taken into their home Margaret Anne’s widowed mother Mary Ellen Atkinson.

Margaret Anne Goldsbury nee Atkinson died in 1996. Her death was preceded by that of her husband Frank Goldsbury (37) on July 19th 1946. Whilst working as a stoneman at Ashington Colliery he was struck by shot debris. He is at rest within Park Road Cemetery, Ashington.

Details of their children:-

Samuel Goldsbury died in 1965 at Newcastle upon Tyne.

Joseph Goldsbury in 1996 registered at Northumberland Central.

Margaret Cummins nee Goldsbury in 2018 at Newbiggin by the Sea.

Private Joseph Goldsbury’s younger brothers also served during WW1. Hugh Goldsbury died the same day ad Joseph on July 1st 1916 on the Somme. Charles Goldsbury died on June 5th 1917.

Their 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.

Joseph Goldsbury is remembered at Ashington on A17.30, as Goldsbury Joseph on A17.28, as Goldsbury J. on A17.43 and as J. Goldsbury on A17.01 and A17.27.