Wigan Album

This was my Grandad. He was captured as a POW in 1916 according to the above records at Wigan museum. He was also permanently blinded in one eye due to a gas attack in WW1.

In the 1901 census he is listed as living on Queen Street near Wallgate and his home address during WW1 was down Miry Lane.

In the 1901 census his occupation was a coal hewer, which meant he worked down the pits at the coal face. His father was killed whilst working down a pit in Wigan in 1891.

What a loyal, and hard working man your grandfather was. He lived through some very difficult times. He deserved to have lived to that very good old age. May he "Rest in Peace."

WHAT A LEGEND AND A GENTLMAN GODBLESS

His son and my Dad died this year on the 16th. April 2014.

My Dad was a D-Day veteran being D-Day + 3. He just failed to live to see the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. He was 90, being born in 1923. My Dad was born down Miry Lane but died in Littleborough near Rochdale like my Grandad.

http://harry.barker.muchloved.com/frame.aspx

Just to add that my Grandad, even though he died in Rochdale, he is buried in Wigan. I cannot remember which cemetary. I have a vague very early memory of it being near a railway line.

Pete. His burial may be recorded in one of the cemetery indexes. Look at stuff, and then under the cemeteries listed.

Most of Wigan's Cemeteries are near railways! Thanks to Freda Chorlton's work their Indexes are all online - so you can find the family grave is in Gidlow Cemetery, in RC 19-548:

Barker, Elizabeth 65 yrs 17 Timbercliffe Summit, Littleborough 12-Apr 1949 Married
Barker, John 79 yrs 17 Timbercliffe, Summit >> 20-Jan 1961 Retired Loom Sweeper
Littleborough
Barker, Mary Jane 82 yrs Birch Hill Hospital, Wardle 10-Jan 1997 12, Shaw St. Hamer, Rochdale

Thank you Rev David Long. Those names and the addresses are absolutely spot on correct. I did not know my Aunt Mary was buried in Wigan. Her slightly younger sister Lily is buried at Rochdale Cemetary as is another sister who died only a few years ago. Thanks again for your post.

I have just found out via the 'International Red Cross' that my Grandfather was interned at Soltau POW camp in Germany . The German record also says he was shot in his right eye.

Coincidentally, I served on Soltau when in the Army in the 1970's, and lived in 'married quarters' just 5 miles away from Soltau at Bergen.

A small world, Peter.

According to the records my great Grandfather died in a pit accident in 1897. The record says the pit was called Crawford No1 pit. Looking around there seems to be two different locations around Wigan for Crawford No1 pit; Aspull, and Ashton in Makerfield. Can anyone please clear up which would have been my ancestors tragic pit ?

I have now found out that my Grandfather,John Barker, was treated at Reserve lazarett Munster lager for gunshot wounds prior to transfer to Soltau POW camp. It seems that lots of gunshot wound POWs were treated at Munster lazarett. A lazarett is a military hospital.

my Granddad also fought with the 9th. Loyal North. As far as I know he wasn't a POW but he was decorated twice DCM and MM for his "Courage and Bravery outstanding" at Ypres. He died in 1966 aged 74. He was wounded and this wound troubled him all through his life til the day he died. His name is Robert McSorley and he came from Warrington Road Lower Ince.... later to live in Farmer Street then Greenfield Avenue Higher Ince.

You should indeed be very proud of your Grandfather, Kathleen. I have seen the army record of his Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) which was only second to a VC. I have just read his citation that he was 13733 Lance Corporal R.McSorley "in charge of stretcher bearers who got out wounded comrades under heavy fire" near to the 26th January 1918 when the 9th LNL Battalion came out from the trenches for a rest. The citation continues "under continual and heavy fire he..... allowed them to get all the wounded men away to safety".The action took place at Beugnatre near BAPAUME,France.