Benjamin Gratrix , World War One , WW1 Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester UK Benjamin Gratrix BENJAMIN GRATRIX Private The Loyal N. Lancashire Regt. 6th Bn. d. 12 June 1920 due to Malaria, aged 38 13775 Benjamin Gratrix was the son of George and Alice Gratrix. In 1891, he was aged 9 and living with his parents at 15 Edge Fold as a scholar. In 1901, he was aged 19 and still living with his parents, now at 10 Edge Fold. His occupation was waggoner in a coal mine. Benjamin was baptised at St. Mark's on 31 August 1882 by William H. Baynes. His parents were married also at St. Mark's on 31 December 1870 by St. Vincent Beechey. In 1911, he was a boarder at the home of Elizabeth Pickup at 74 Harriett Street, Walkden, and was 28 years of age. Benjamin served in the Balkans in the Loyal North Lancs Regiment and that he was entitled to the 1915 trio of medals, the 1914-15 Star; the British War Medal; the Victory Medal. This would explain his cause of death in 1920 as being down to Malaria. A soldier on the Balkan front was often ten times more likely to become a casualty of disease than of enemy bullets or shells. On the Macedonian (Salonika) Front, Malaria was a far greater hazard than enemy combat, incapacitating over 160,000 British soldiers alone. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Burials I-P St Marks Church, Worsley, Manchester. Civilian, Private Graves, Author Paul Speakman Private Graves I-P INGLESON Bessie KERR Margaret JOHNSON Thomas KNOTT James KEEVNEY Peter LAMBE John LANSDALE Robert LEATHERBARROW Enoch LEVERSON-GOWER Francis LOFTHOUSE Zuleika MAKIN John LAWTON John LEE Thomas LLOYD Abraham LOWE Hannah MARSHALL Rev. Peter LAYCOCK John LEIGH William LLOYD Lucy MABERLY Charles MARTIN William McCAIRN Elizabeth MIDGLEY Thomas McCREA Edward MIDWOOD Norah MIDDLETON THOMAS MILNER Cpl James MOORE Mary MOUNTCASTLE William MURRAY John Rigby NODEN Emily PARTINGTON James PRICE Thomas MOORE Thomas MULLINEUX James NEILD Henry NORRIS Ellen PEARCE James PROUD Robert MORRIS William MURRAY Ebie NIGHTINGALE Peter OMMANNEY Annie PHILLIPS George Home

Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. The McCrea Family, World War Two The McCrea Family The story behind the deaths of Dr. Edward D'Arcy McCrea and his family has an importance and a significance on a number of levels. Sadly, the whole family was killed as a result of a bomb falling on their house on the evening of 22 December 1940. His wife, Edith Florence, aged 44, their son, Patrick Philip Willock, aged 12, and their daughter, Marjorie Gillian Willock, were killed outright. The McCrea family lived at The Cottage, Barton Road - a large house with an orchard in its substantial grounds. There was a house party taking place at the time of the explosion. Nobody survived. Numerous other people, including their housemaid, were killed. The site of the house remained derelict for several years, and then in the mid-fifties the land was taken over by North West Water. That ground was later redeveloped in the nineties and a retirement home, Elmwood, was built. The grave of the family is in the churchyard of St.Mark's Church, Worsley. One message posted on the internet says: ‘My father and grandfather were standing outside their house at 43 Barton Road looking at the searchlights when they were both blown off their feet and up towards the Bridgewater Hotel, they ran round the corner and found that the McCrea house had been totally destroyed and was in flames and belongings were hanging from the branches of the trees.’ The bomb which destroyed the house is thought to have been a parachute bomb. Air raids over Manchester had begun in August 1940 but the heaviest raids were on the nights of the 22 and 23 December 1940. On these two nights, commonly referred to as the Christmas Blitz, it is reckoned that over 680 people were killed in the Manchester area. Because of its importance as an industrial area, Trafford Park was extensively bombed. The parachute bomb was probably dropped over Trafford Park, but drifted off course. The parachute bomb (or mine) was very effective at causing widespread damage by exploding at rooftop height to maximise its explosive capacity. It had the potential to destroy buildings within a 100 yard radius. More information on the McCrea Family can be found here. Researche d and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Information and books on St Mark's Church, Worsley, Manchester, UK, Church of England, Author Paul Speakman Books on St Mark's Church and the surrounding area Timeline of St Mark's Church 1846 -1946 Read More Ellesmere in America Read More The Queen Cometh Read More World War 1 Graves Read More Worsley Worthies Vol 1 Read More Why St Mark's ? Read More The Lives of the First Seven Incumbents Read More Lord Egerton's Dream Read More English Country Churches Read More World War 2 Graves Read More Worsley Worthies Vol 2 Read More Salviati by R.S. Kovach Read More Home

Harry Sheldon , World War One , WW1 Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester UK Harry Sheldon HARRY SHELDON Corporal Army Service Corps, 1st Army Anti-Aircraft Workshops d. 17 October 1918 age 30 M2/019643 Harry Sheldon was born on the 11th February 1888 and was baptised at St. Stephen's, Hulme, on the 4 March 1888, the son of John James Sheldon (a shipwright) and his wife, Lucy (née Kelly). They were living at 6 Park View, Hulme. By the time he was 13, in 1901, the family had moved to 9 Catherine Street, Winton. Harry had 4 brothers and 2 sisters. By 1911, he and the family were living at 3 Catherine Street, Winton. He was a blacksmith. He married Gertrude Lomax in the fourth quarter of 1918. A TRAGIC HOMECOMING The Winton soldier who died last week within a week of his wedding was Corpl. Harry Sheldon, and not Pte. J. Sheldon, as reported in our last issue. Deceased, who enlisted in the M. T. Section of the A. S. C. in November 1914, had been in France for 3 years and 9 months, and on October 6th came to his home, 3 Catherine Street, Winton. He was married on October 12th, and died on the 17th from pneumonia. The funeral took place on Tuesday of last week in the churchyard at Worsley, in which village he was born and lived for many years, attending the Church Schools as a boy. Deceased was 30 years of age, and before enlisting worked for the Manchester Ship Canal Company at Mode Wheel. His brother, Pte. J. Sheldon, also enlisted in the early days of the war, and has been invalided and discharged. The family are well-known in Worsley and the Eccles district, and deep sympathy is felt for them and for Sheldon's young widow, whose father died on the day her husband was buried. [Local newspaper] Harry Sheldon was buried in the churchyard on 22 October 1918. His grave number is A 335. His abode at the time of his death was Alfred Street Military Hospital, Harpurhey. The officiating minister was Frank Summers, Curate at St. James's, Hr. Broughton. The cause of death is not known but may have been because of illness or war related wounds in the UK. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Information on St Mark's Church, Worsley, Manchester, UK, Church of England, Author Paul Speakman St Mark's Church Worsley The Burne Jones Window The West Window Peter Rasbotham Window The Pugin Glass Ellesmere Chapel Windows Pugin and Barry The Sebastopol Lace The Reredos The Memorial Tomb The Pulpit and Lectern The Nave The Ellesmere Chalice The Church Bells Kneelers The Visit of Queen Victoria Richard Knill Freeman Plan of the Church The Truth The Baptismal Window The St. Hilda Window The Angel Scrolls Powell glass Ellesmere Chapel The Ellesmere Clock The White Frontal Salvator Mundi The Choir Stalls The Baptismal Font The Choir The Organ A F Egerton Angels War Memorial James Attwood The Rectory Church Play 1983 Kinusaiga Home

Herbert Toft, St Mark's Church Worsley, Manchester, National Archives Lieutenant Herbert Toft National Archives Files 1/1 Back

Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. Norman Lingard, World War Two Norman Arthur Lingard NORMAN ARTHUR LINGARD Sgt. RAF.VR d. 28 March 1942 aged 27 1059599 NORMAN ARTHUR LINGARD was born in the first quarter of 1915. He was the son of Arthur and Betsy Lingard (née Beckett), of Worsley, who married in the middle of 1912. A memorial in the United Reformed Church on Worsley Road bears his name, together with five others who died in World War II. He was buried at St.Mark's on 1 April 1942. Norman Arthur Lingard was flying a Lancaster (serial number R5501, coded EM-G) when it collided with a Miles Master (DK973) during a daylight cross-country exercise. Both aircraft crashed at 1320 hrs on Canwick Hill, just to the east of Bracebridge Heath, 2 miles South of Lincoln. The crew of four, all members of 207 Squadron, were all killed: Sgt. N. A. Lingard; Sgt. D. A. Wood; Sgt. R. W. Cox; and Sgt. T. C. Massey. The pilot of the Miles Master, Lt. J. D. Linaker was also killed. The following account of the incident is recorded in chapter 5 of the book On the Wings of the Morning by Vincent Holyoak. This is a copy of the relevant chapter. For six weeks that it was stood down, 207 was busily engaged in converting on to the Lancaster. By the end of April, it could boast sixteen of the new type on strength with as many trained crews. In the meantime, the seemingly interminable circuits, night landings and cross-countries were not without their drama, with two aircraft being destroyed. The first and most tragic loss was that of 27-year-old Mancunian Sergeant Norman Lingard and his crew in Lancaster R5501 EM-G. Just after lunch on March 28, they were engaged in a daylight cross-country exercise south of Lincoln when Cranwell based Miles Master DK793 flown by a pupil pilot, Lieutenant Linaker, began to carry out a series of unauthorized feint attacks. Unauthorized aerobatics of any kind were expressly forbidden. Many a trainee had been killed showing off, and on one pass witnesses on the ground saw the Master slice into R5501’s tail section, both aircraft spinning out of control to crash on the Bracebridge Road. Lingard and fellow Sergeants Wood, Cox and Massey, along with the Master pilot were all killed instantly. Norman Lingard had already survived many operations as a second pilot and to die in such a way was particularly sad. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. James Kee, World War Two James Kee JAMES KEE Fg.Off. RAF d. 28 October 1941 aged 24 42713 Robert Kee was Vicar of St.John's, Mosley Common, from 1936 to 1962, and he officiated at several events at St.Mark's during the war years. JAMES KEE was his only son and was born to Janet on 21 July 1917 in Belfast, Co. Antrim, Ireland. After school, he went to Cambridge University where he was admitted as Pensioner at Trinity College on 1 October. There he gained his B.A. Hons. in 1939. Robert (born 1885) died in 1962 and his wife Janet died in 1968. Both are buried in the graveyard at St. Mark's, together with their son, James, in whose memory a special Commonwealth Graves headstone stands before the family monument. On 18 September 1939, he received his commission into the RAF (General Duties Branch) and joined 101 Squadron on a short service commission as a pilot. On 20 April 1941, he was promoted to Flying Officer. 101 sqn., (originally disbanded in 1919), was reformed in 1938 at RAF Bircham Newton (Norfolk) as a bomber squadron, flying the Bristol Blenheim. In 1941, the squadron was equipped with the Vickers Wellington, and the following year with the Avro Lancaste219 Squadron was reformed at RAF Catterick in October 1939 and soon became a night fighter unit when it became fully operational. By October 1940, it relocated to RAF Redhill (Surrey), and from there to RAF Tangmere, and converted to the Bristol Beaufighter. By this time James Kee had been redeployed to the squadron and the Beaufighter, which was used initially as a night fighter and in a ground attack role. It had a crew of two - pilot, and a navigator/radio operator.On 28 October 1941, James Kee and T. G. F. Dixon took off in their Beaufighter, possibly from Tangmere, on a dusk patrol. Soon after take-off, the plane crashed about four miles west of Merston (Sussex) in the evening. Both F/O J. Kee and Sgt. T.G.F. Dixon were killed. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Burials A-D St Marks Church, Worsley, Manchester. Civilian, Private Graves, Author Paul Speakman Private Graves A-D AGNEW Family ARMITAGE Mary ATHERTON William BALDWIN John BASSON Ronald ALDRED Edward ASHURST Thomas BECKTON Sarah BARNES Mary Ann BATLEY William ALLCOCK Thomas ATHERTON James BAIRSTOW Greenwood BARTON Henry de BATHE Cicely BAXTER George BENSON Henry BEECHEY Rev. St. Vincent BERRY Ellen BELL Robert BERRY John BERRY William (Swinton) BIRCH George BLACKLOCK Henry BOSCHETTI John BERRY William (Worsley) BIRKBY John BLACKLOCK William BOWERS James BINDLOSS William BIRLEY Hugh Rev. BLAIR Gordon BRADSHAW Thomas BRIGGS Thomas CHADWICK Thomas CHEETHAM Thomas CLARIDGE Thomas COOK Thomas COUPLAND Peter DARBYSHIRE Ellen DORNING Daniel BROCKBANK Thomas CHAPLIN George CHERRY William CLARKE Asenath CORBETT Charles CROOK John Lee DERBYSHIRE Heber DORNING Elias BROCKBANK Thomas Holland CHATWOOD Samuel CLARIDGE John CLARKE William COULES Reginald DAWSON Geoffrey DERBYSHIRE Family DOWNES John Home

Information on people connected to St Mark's Church, Worsley, Manchester, UK, Church of England, Author Paul Speakman People connected to St Mark's Church 1st Earl of Ellesmere Rev William H Baynes Bio Rev T H Davies Bio Rev W G Harland Bio Rev H D Knatchbull Bio Rev Thomas A Morley Bio Rev A W Sillitoe Bio Rev John H Watmough Bio 2nd Earl of Ellesmere Rev J B Cater Bio Rev G C Dickinson Bio Rev H R Hopwood Bio Rev Charles Lowe Bio Joan Pomfret Bio Rev H J Smale Bio Rev F J Wrottesley Bio 3rd Earl of Ellesmere R. Froude Coules Bio Rev Robert Harland Bio Rev B W Johnstone Bio Rev A W McLaren Bio Frederick James SHIELDS Rev Charles Spencer Bio Home

Outside St Marks Church, Worsley, Salford, Greater Manchester. Church of England Outside St Mark's Church Worsley Click on image to expand Home