History of our War Memorial

Researched by Anne Willcox, who states: " It has been a difficult task and in some cases, it has had to be on the  basis of "best guess", although I am reasonably certain of the accuracy, except where stated." Therefore, caution needs to be added as those in blue in this section, are probable but some doubt exists  

WW1 List

William Ashton 

          b Blackburn

          East Lancs Regt    d 26/2/17 of wounds, Mesopotamia  

          Comm, Basra Memorial Iraq    

          son of William & Mary Ashton    of 11 St Ives Rd, Blackburn                   

Richard Birch  

          Kings own Royal Lancs Regt

          KinA 18/6/18  Flanders/ France

          Buried Couin Military Cemetry, Pas de Calais   

son of Richard & Mary Birch, 367 Accrington Rd, Blackburn                              

Albert Bishop 

          b Blackburn

          Loyal North Lancs Regt          KinA 9/8/1915 Gallipoli    

          Comm.  Helles Memorial, Turkey

Richard Bolton

          son of Solomon Bolton of 4 Cabin End Row Oswaldtwistle

          Private, Coldstream Guards                         

KinA 4/3/17 Flanders   bd Sailly-Saillisel Cemetry                    

James Brindle  

          Kings own Royal Lancs Regt   17367   KinA  8 May 1915, Ypres

          5 brothers also served

          Picture & more detail on De Ruvigney Roll of Honour

John Calvert 

          b Blackburn   

Private in E.Lancs Regt  KinA 10/8/1916  France & Flanders    bd Vermelles British cemetery, Pas de Calais                             

William Henry Duckworth 

          Probably Kings Own Royal Lancs   Regt

          Enlisted Accrington  KinA 18 April 1918, Flanders

          Comm. Loos Memorial Pas de Calais

          (Another b Belthorne in Household Cavalry)                    

Joe Taylor Fisher   

          Born Staincross, Yks to Joe Sidney Fisher & Ann

          Ann remarried  to William Metcalf of Stanhill Hall

          JT married to Sarah Elizabeth Barker & lived in Birkenhead    

          2^nd Engineer on SS Serula reg Cork (Merchant Navy)

          Died 16/9/1918 comm. Tower Hill memorial                       

Archie Forrest

          Blackburn in 1911 census, son of Isaac & Harriett Forrest

          CWG- Royal Engineers d 26/8/17  bd Ieper Belgium

James Gabbot  

          born Oswaldtwistle, enlisted Accrington   

Royal Fusliers – died of wounds 4/5/17 age 33 buried Boulogne - Private                             

John Green

          most probably Pvt in Cameronian Scottish Rifles

b in Blackburn, K in A 25/9/1915 France

Comm Loos Memorial Pas de Calais

William Lowther

b Blackburn

Pvt East Lancs Regt KinA 25 June 1915, Flanders

Bd Talana Farm Cemetry, Ieper

Husband of Sarah Ann Lowther 34 Snape St Blackburn

John Metcalf

          b Oswaldtwistle

          Pvt East Lancs Regt KinA 1July 1916, Flanders

          Comm. Thiepval Memorial, Somme France

          one of Accrington Pals

Cecil Mercer

          See 1911 census

          Nothing on CWG  unless age wrong –suspect it is.            

There is a C.Mercer, son of Wm Mercer

                   Gunner RFA d 17/3/18 age 31 (ours would be 21)

          No records of any Cecil Mercer who would be anywhere near 31 in 1918

Tom Robinson

          Probably  b Blackburn

          Pvt in East Lancs Regt  KinA 1 Sept 1917, Flanders

          b La Targette Cemetry, Pas de Calais

          son of Henry & Charlotte Robinson, 13 Moss Lane Knuzden

John James Sargent

          East Lancs Regt, died 9/5/15  bd Belgium  comm. Ploegsteert Memorial

          born Blackburn, Resident of Falkirk, Stirling

William Smith

          (too many to identify him – see later)

James Taylor

          b Blackburn 1886/7  son of Robert & Mary Taylor, husband of Mary Elizth Taylor

          probably driver in Royal Horse Artillery KinA 22/10/1918

James Walton

          b Oswaldtwistle

          Pvt in East Lancs Regt   KinA 2 April 1918 Flanders  26187

          (on CWG, date of death given as 30/3/18 & son

                   of the late Sarah Alice Thompson of 4 India St Accrington

                   comm. Pozieres Memorial – would be inclined to trust this date)

William Whalley

          lived in Oswaldtwistle

          Pvt in E Lancs Regt  K in A 21 March 1918 Flanders

          Comm: Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France

Tom Whittaker 

          most probable person b Blackburn

          Sgt in East Lancs Regt KinA 21 March 1918 Flanders

          Comm: Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France

(NB another possible b Clayton le Moors, Pvt in East Lancs Regt, died 21/6/16 – one of Accrington Pals)

WW2 List

Walter Jackson   

          no obvious entry in Roll of Honour  or CWG

Harry Roberts  

probably 23/1/42 Loyal N Lancs Singapore   3713437

possibly 29/12/1941 Royal Artillery 1709607  Malaya

Richard Sutton

          Craftsman, REME d 3/11/42 Middle East  1550729

          Bd in El Alemein  War Cemetry Egypt                             

1911 Census

32 Mount St, St James, Knuzden

William Mercer               Head    38         House painter                Blackburn

Lily Mercer                    Wife     34         -                                   Bacup

Frank Mercer                 Son      14         Warehouseman- cotton  Blackburn

Cecil Mercer                  Son      13         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Enos Mercer                 Son      11         Scholar                         Knuzden

Lily Mercer                    Dau      9          Scholar                         Knuzden

William Mercer               Son      7          Scholar                         Knuzden

Edna May Mercer          Dau      5          Scholar                         Knuzden

Alan Mercer                   Son      2          -                                   Knuzden

Alston Mercer                Son      2m        -                                   Knuzden

106 Alker St, Blackburn

John James Sargent      Head    21         Cotton spinner              Blackburn

Maria Sargent                Wife     20         Card room hand            Blackburn

George Sargent             Son      7m        -                                   -

51 Audley Lane, Blackburn

Isaac Forrest                 Head    40         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Harriett Forrest              Wife     40         Dress maker                 Blackburn

Ethel Forrest                 Dau      16         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Archie Forrest               Son      14         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Elizabeth Forrest           Dau      11         School                          Blackburn

John Forrest                 Son      9          School                          Blackburn

Phyllis Forrest               Dau      5          -                                   Blackburn

Bernice Forrest              Dau      4          -                                   Blackburn

331 Accrington Rd, Blackburn

William Ashton              Head    50         Shop keeper                 Blackburn

Mary Ashton                 Wife     49         Housewife                     Blackburn

James Ashton               Son      24         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Elizabeth Ann Ashton    Dau      19         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Tom Ashton                  Son      17         Apprentice to ……         Blackburn

William Ashton              Son      15         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Sarah Ashton                Dau      14         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Bertha Ashton               Dau      12         School – part time         Blackburn

367 Accrington Rd, Blackburn

Richard Birch (w)           Head    55         Market Gardener            Poulton le Fylde

Ellen Birch                    Dau      29         Housekeeper                 Poulton le Fylde

Robert Birch                  Son      25         Garden worker               Oswaldtwistle

Maggie Birch                 Dau      22         -                                   Oswaldtwistle

William Arthur Birch       Son      16         Garden worker               Oswaldtwistle

Lilian Birch                    Dau      15         Cotton weaver               Oswaldtwistle

Richard Birch                Son      14         At school                      Accrington

22 Duke St, Oswaldtwistle  (unlikely – too young)

William Henry Bolton     Head    39         Cotton weaver               Oswaldtwistle

Mary Jane Bolton          Wife     36         -                                   Oswaldtwistle

James Richard Bolton   Son      13         Cotton spinner              Oswaldtwistle

Arthur Bolton                 Son      7          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

Fred Bolton                   Son      5          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

Clarence Bolton             Son      4          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

Jennie Bolton                Dau      2          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

48 Logwood St, Blackburn

Elizabeth Wolstenholme Head    47         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

James Taylor                Son inL 24         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

Mary Elizabeth Taylor    Wife     25         Cotton weaver               Blackburn

1901 Census

Stanhill Hall, Oswaldtwistle

William Metcalf              Head    76         Coal tar distiller             Billington, Lancs

Ann E Metcalf               Wife     39         -                                   Mappelbell, Yks

Ms Cox                         Visitor   82         -                                   Wiseton, Notts

Taylor Fisher                 S/son   11         -                                   Staincross. Yks

Iris Fisher                      S/dau   13         -                                   Staincross, Yks

William Metcalf              Son      6          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

Jack Metcalf                 Son      4          -                                   Oswaldtwistle

Charley Metcalf             Son      3          -                                   Oswaldtwistle