In St. John’s Churchyard Hamsteels is the Commonwealth War Grave of:-
563578 Private
W. Scaife
Labour Corps
14th May 1919 Age 34
Thy will be done
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Scaife was the youngest of 3 surviving children, 6 deceased, offspring of Thomas Scaife and Jane Ann Huthwaite.
Thomas Scaife was born at Masham, near Ripon in Yorkshire, in 1841 and at the age of 19 was living with his widowed mother Sarah (64) at Ellingstring, both working as agricultural labourers. After the death of his mother he migrated to the north east where he found employment at Ryhope Colliery as a coal miner, living as a boarder, (listed under surname Scafe), at 14, Bell Street, in the home of deputy overman William Douglass, wife Maria and their 2 children.
Thomas met and was married in 1871 at Durham to Jane Ann Huthwaite, of Cassop, County Durham, born 1849. Their eldest surviving son David was born in 1876 at Coxhoe, Sarah in 1880 at Tursdale and William at Wingate in 1885.
In 1891 they were living at Blackgate, Coxhoe, where Thomas was employed as a boiler stoker at the colliery, David (15) was a groom/coachman, Sarah (11) was a scholar, William (5) at home with his mother. Over the next ten years David married and left the family home, William joined his father at the colliery, aged 15 he was employed as a screener above ground.
They were still living in 2 rooms at Blackgate, Coxhoe in 1911, William (25) was now the only one of his siblings living at home and his parents’ only means of support, working as a general labourer, as his father was unemployed.
William Scaife was married in 1917 in the district of Lanchester, County Durham to Mary Ellen Jackson born August 3rd 1893 at Quebec, County Durham.
He served during WW1 with the Labour Corps which was formed, Army Order 85/17, published February 22nd 1917, as Private 563578. He received the same pay as an infantryman. Unfortunately, no record has been found relating to William’s war service to confirm if he ever served overseas or remained, at home in England.
Private 563578 William Scaife died, cause unknown, on May 14th 1919 at Worsley, Yorkshire. Considered a casualty of war he is listed with the CWGC.
Prior to the death of her husband Mary Ellen’s brother Joseph Edwin Jackson had been killed, April 14th 1918, in Belgium, serving with the 23rd Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers.
At the request of his widow the Army organised for William’s body to return to his home, however, this would have been paid for by Mary Ellen. He was laid to rest with full military honour and reverence within the North-West corner at Hamsteels (St. John the Baptist) Churchyard, County Durham. Mary Ellen paid for an additional inscription to be added to his military headstone, it reads, “Thy Will Be Done”. William was 34 years of age, he and his wife did not have any children.
William’s father, Thomas Scaife, died in 1922, registered at Durham; his mother, Jane Anne Scaife nee Huthwaite, died in 1923 in the district of Sedgefield, County Durham.
Widow Mary Ellen Scaife re-married at the Parish Church Swillington, Yorkshire, April 17th 1928, to widower Percy Cockerham, 5 years her junior. Both had been living prior to their marriage at 17, Primrose Avenue, Swillington, where Percy was employed as an on-setter at the colliery.
Percy and Mary Ellen did not have any children of their own, he had 2 children from his previous marriage, Lucy, born February 7th 1923 and Edward, December 18th 1924. In 1939 they were living at 60, Fourth Avenue, Adwick le Street, Yorkshire. Percy and his son Edward (14) were employed as miners.
Mary Ellen Cockerham-Scaife nee Jackson died in 1960 aged 67 years, Percy Cockerham aged 82 years in 1980, both at Doncaster.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
William Scaife is not remembered on a local War Memorial.
