The Thiepval Twelve

On my recent visit to Amiens I visited the Thiepval Memorial which records the names of 72,000 soldiers who died in the Somme region, but whose bodies were never found. Binders containing all the names in alphabetical order, were lodged in an alcove in one of the pillars, These contained the names of 12 Warburtons. I photographed the two pages containing the names.

My investigations into these twelve revealed the following.

Sergeant Albert Warburton, Cheshire Regiment, died 5th September 1916.

Albert is not included in existing clans. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1884 in Congleton, Cheshire, son of Henry and Betsey (nee Beech). He is recorded in the 1911 census, but crossed out so probably not really at home. He is recorded as a soldier, aged 25 and born in Church Lawton. His parents had had 12 children, 11 still living, though Betsey is deceased. Henry is descended from a George born in Altrincham circa 1803, but George’s ancestry is uncertain.

Private Arthur Warburton, The King’s Liverpool Regiment, died 14th July 1916, aged 38. Son of Mrs Elizabeth Warburton of 70 Stamford Road, Birkdale, husband of Edith Warburton of 7 Moss Road, Halsall, Birkdale, Southport.

Arthur is in the Partington Clan though I had previously recorded his death incorrectly. His birth was registered in the fourth quarter of 1877, the son of Robert and Elizabeth nee Taylor of Birkdale, Lancashire. He married Edith Banks in Ormskirk in 1900, and had a son and 3 daughters.

Rifleman Bert Warburton, Rifle Brigade, died 22nd October 1916, son of James and Emily Warburton of 495 Harborne Park Road, Harborne, Birmingham.

Bert is not included in existing clans. His birth was registered at Kings Norton in the first quarter of 1895, as Bertie, the son of Edward James and Emma nee Grosvenor. In the 1911 census his parents have had 8 children, all living, and are living in Harborne. His father James, aged 50, is a greengrocer born in Birmingham. The family are from Bromyard, Herefordshire where Ancestry Public Trees document them back to Joseph born 1675.

Leading Seaman Charles Warburton, Royal Naval Reserve, died 19th December 1917.

Charles is not included in existing clans. He was born on 27th September 1888 in Swansea. His parents were Charles and Jane nee Speckman, and he was one of 10 children. His father Charles, and grandfather Edwin were both born in Cumberland, and moved to Wales via Wrexham. Charles married Lilian Maud Davies in 1909. Lily of 4 James Court, James Street, Swansea was his next of kin. She had 7 children (one before marriage), up to 1917, but at least 2 died in infancy.

Private Edward Warburton, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, died 18th July 1916.

Edward is from the Rochdale family. He was born on July 7th 1875, son of John Henry and Elizabeth nee Butterworth. Edward married Sarah Jane Wellings in 1899 and had a son and four daughters.

Private Fred Warburton, Lancashire Fusiliers, died 21st October 1916, aged 33, son of John Warburton, husband of Mary Lillian Loggie, formerly Warburton of 16 Holtby Street, Blackley, Manchester.

Fred is not included in existing clans. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1883 as the son of John and Elizabeth nee Marlor of Blackley. John was born in Nantwich, Cheshire, the son of James of Broxton, Cheshire and Sarah nee Deighton. James was born in 1808 and features in the Broxton family. Fred’s marriage to Mary Lillian Nangle was registered at at Prestwich in 1914, but no children were registered with mother’s maiden name Nangle. Mary was remarried to Alexander Loggie in 1920. Fred’s line has now been documented in the Broxton Clan.

Private Henry Warburton, The King’s Liverpool Regiment, died 30th July 1916, aged 25, son of Thomas and Eliza Warburton of 40 St Andrew Road, Anfield, Liverpool.

Henry is included in the Warburton Village clan. He was one of 10 children of Walter Thomas and Elizabeth Ann nee Fullager, born on July 29th 1891 in Liverpool.

Second Lieutenant Henry Heap Warburton, Lancashire Fusiliers and machine Gun Corps, died 9th September 1916, aged 20, son of Mr and Mrs JW Warburton of 62 Avenue Parade, Accrington.

Henry’s father, John William Warburton, born in 1866 in Haslingden, Lancashire, is included in the Edenfield clan. I have now documented John William’s family. Henry’s birth was registered in the fourth quarter of 1895 to John William and his first wife Elizabeth Ellen nee Cronshaw. Elizabeth died in 1898 aged 27, and John William remarried in 1900 to Grace Majpr, with whom he had Henry’s only sister, Grace Mayor Warburton, who died a spinster in 1968.

Private James Warburton, South Lancashire Regiment, did 21st October 1916.

James is the grandson of George (1845-1907) and Elizabeth nee Marsden of the Tottington Clan, I have now documented George’s line. James’s birth was registered in 1897 the son of John William and Mary Jane, nee Young. He had an elder brother and sister. John William(1866-1924) was the eldest of George’s 6 children.

Private Thomas Warburton, Manchester Regiment, died 8th February 1917.

Thomas does not feature in any existing clans, or Ancestry Public trees. The Manchester Evening News reports his death, and gives his age, 21, and his parents as Mr and Mrs T Warburton of 64 Church Street, Urmston and 77 Sackville Street, Manchester. The 1921 census shows a Thomas Warburton, Lithographic Print Manager, an employer who works for T Warburton Ltd at 77 Sackville Street. This Thomas’s birth was registered in 1869, the son of Thomas and Mary nee Worsley. He married Elizabeth Ann Ferguson in a civil marriage at Altrincham in 1891. The youngest of their three children was Private Thomas of the Manchester Regiment, born in 1896. The soldier’s grandfather Thomas was born in 1846, son of William Warburton and Elizabeth nee Buckley, but it seems William died shortly after, as an 1861 census entry implies Elizabeth had remarried and had a son called William Taylor, though details of her remarriage have yet to be found. William Warburton and Elizabeth Buckley married in a civil marriage in 1845 so the marriage registration details are needed to determine William’s origins.

Private Thomas Warburton, East Lancashire Regiment, died 2nd July 1916, aged 22 son of Mrs Rebecca Warburton of 10 Fawcett Street, Ancoats, Manchester.

Thomas is not included in any existing clans. His birth was registered in 1894, the son of Thomas Mather Warburton and Rebecca nee Smith. Thomas and Rebecca married in 1885, but Thomas Mather died in 1898. In the 1901 census Rebecca is living with her widowed mother, and 4 children, Thomas being the youngest. Thomas Mather’s father was also Thomas, born in Manchester circa 1831, parents James and Elizabeth, whose origins are unknown.

Private William Warburton, Northumberland Fusiliers, died 12th November 1916.

William has not been connected to any of my existing clans. He is the subject of various Public Trees, but none identify him as the William on the Thiepval Monument. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and gave his next of kin as his mother Alice Warburton. His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1892, mother’s maiden name Hall. Alice Hall married Frederick Warburton in the 3rd quarter of 1873. In the 1911 census Alice and Frederick lived in Byker, had been married 38 years, and had 15 children, 8 still living. Frederick was registered and baptised in 1851, as the illegitimate son of Sarah Warburton. His grandfather William Warburton was a grocer, baptised in 1800 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne as the son of Thomas Warburton and Hannah nee Fenwick. Some Rublic Trees have Russell Warburton as Thomas’s father putting the family in Newcastle-upon-Tyne since 1745.

In summary just 3 of the 12 soldiers mentioned were already in my trees. I was then able to connect 3 more to existing clans. Exploring the other 6 identified 6 more families waiting to be documented. Is this indicative of the proportion of Warburtons I have covered so far, after nearly 20 years?