The Great War had impacts on the International political stage effecting Britain but more especially Europe - the final collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the end of the brief German Empire and demise of the Romanovs and the triumph of the Bolsheviks in Russia - the ramifications of which we still feel today. The war also impacted individuals, families and local communities.
It is difficult to identify every man and woman from Wooler and its district who served in the Great War in large part because of the loss of many Army Service records either badly damaged or destroyed during the Blitz on London in the Second World War. Many families lost fathers and sons during the war, but it is clear that some families that suffered more severely than others. In this section it is intended to look at the impact of the war of some local families. Not all the families listed were from Glendale District. The Ainslie family of Norham, Chatton and Cornhill, were the descendants of William Ainslie, a stone mason originally from Norham. William married three times. Three of his four sons by his third wife Elizabeth Punton served in the War. One son died, two sons survive the war and one these subsequently married the widow of another soldier. Frederick and Mary Ann Balmer, whose children were born in Wooler, lost five of their eight sons in the War. Subsequently the family spread to other parts of Northumberland. Four of the five sons who served in the Army were killed. Another son was a munitions worker and died of Lyddite poisoning. The Boyle family of Wooler, Seghill and Jesmond (in preparation) .
The Brands were a well-known local family although with origins outside Wooler. Thomas Ward Brand and his wife Alice had five sons, one of whom had died in his early teens. They were otherwise fortunate in that two of their sons were just that little bit older. Their oldest son would have been too old to serve in the forces, but held a senior post as an electrical engineer in the Royal Dockyards. The second son was married and just too old to serve, but was active in the local Volunteers during the War. The two younger sons both served in the Army but neither seems to have served overseas.
The Carr-Ellison family of Hedgeley Hall were prominent local family with strong military connections. Capt John Ralph Carr-Ellison of Hedgeley Hall had been a career soldier who had fought in the Crimean War and had served in India and latterly on Corfu. His heir was also a career soldier, and other sons served in the Army before and during Great War. The Culleys and Darling Culleys were prominent landowners with seats at Coupland Castle and Fowberry Court respectively. The heir to Culleys of Coupland was killed in the War and the property was inherited first by an uncle, who was a Catholic priest, then by another who had emigrated to the USA. The Darling Culleys of Fowberry, who were related to the Culleys of Coupland, lost their heir, who died young, before the war. Both Coupland and Fowberry estates were sold in the 1920s. The extended family of Eastons of Tillmouth comprised the descendants of James Easton (b 1819) and his wife Jane Lewins (1819). The Great War Roll of Honour for the Council School at Tillmouth lists the names of six members of the Easton family. One of the descendants of James and Jane Easton was killed in the War and five served and survived.
The Fettis family were chimney sweeps in Wooler with origins in Scotland as well as Northumberland. One member of the family settled in Tweedmouth. Sons from both Tweedmouth and Wooler branches of the family served in the Great War. The Foggin family of Glanton lived just outside Glendale District, and had links to Whittingham. Although two sons served with the Australian Imperial Force, they were born and brought up in North Northumberland. A third son served with the RAF.
The Hetherington family of Alnwick and
The Laing family of Sunderland and Etal Manor. (in preparation)
The Leather Family of Middleton Hall, Belford, and Tickhill Friary, Yorkshire. They were the descendants of John Frederick Leather the eldest son of John Towlerton Leather, a Victorian civil engineer, and his first wife Maria Leather. John Frederick married Gertrude Elizabeth Sophia Walters and their six surviving sons served in the Army. Three were killed in action in the Great War.
The Padleys were a well known local family but one with origins well away from Wooler in the Cotswolds and Lancashire. They were more fortunate than many. Frank and Hannah Padley lost one of their four sons to the war, two other sons served in the Army but were taken prisoner and survived the war, and the youngest son was too young to serve. The Pringle family of Lowick are descendants of James Pringle, tailor of Doddington, and Eleanor Lumsden, the widow of John Lumsden of Lowick. James and Eleanor settled in Lowick and their children and their descendants thrived and spread beyond Lowick. Several members of the family served in the two World Wars and in other conflicts. The direct descendents of James and Eleanor include two grandsons, who served in the Royal Navy in the Great War, and seven grandsons, who served in the Army. They were fortunate that only one grandson - George Pringle (qv) - was killed in the Great War. The others returned from the War.
The Proudlock family of Bowsden were originally from Rothbury District. Lewis Proudlock and his first wife Jane Fulton had four sons, three of who were born in Rothbury District; the youngest was born at Lowick. Lewis's first wife died in 1893 andin 1895 Lewis married his second wife Grace Hills with whom he had a daughter. All four sons served in the Army, two died in the war and a third was wounded and invalided out of the forces and the fourth son survived. It is possible that the only daughter may have served with the Women's Land Army.
The Smart family of Wooler . . .
The Swan family of Tilmouth . . .
20/05/2018 --- 03/11/2021; 30/01/2022; 10/05/2022; 27/05/2022; 12/07/2022; 31/07/2023; 19/11/2023; 24/01/2024; |