Afternoon all, am researching the chaps that fell in the Great War from my village (listed below), but am struggling to establish the fate and indeed the service of Thomas Henry Jackson - although I have a possible answer. Here are the facts I have gathered and I'm hoping one of the experts out there can put me out of my misery please!? War memorial - Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire. Men listed; Arthur George Bates - 1st Northants, L/cpl 16145, killed in action 24/11/1916 Samuel John Berkshire - Gnr 153rd Siege Battery, R.G.A., killed in action 15/08/1917 George Dickens - 6th K.O.R.L.R., Pte 8171, killed in action 05/04/1917 THOMAS HENRY JACKSON - ??????? Alfred Reader - Coldstream Guards, Pte 15047, killed in action 20/06/1916 Joseph Henry Robins - HMS Tiger, ABS 223859, killed in action 31/05/1916 Richard Stone - 5th Northants, Pte 20166, killed in action 20/09/1918 Francis Styan - 10th Lincolns, Pte 40576, killed in action 05/06/1917 Albert Tipler - 23rd Heavy Battery, Gnr 40653, killed in action 28/03/1918 Thomas Henry Jackson was not a local man (I don't think - haven't checked parish records yet) - cannot find any reference to him living in Ravensthorpe in the 1911 census, however a likely answer is a Thomas Henry Jackson who was born in Seagrave, Leicestershire who served as a private in the 13th Royal Sussex Regiment, number TF/201799 and enlisted in Northampton. My usual method of trawling the CWGC website and Ancestry has not turned up a positive answer yet. Can anyone help please or point me in the right direction? As always thanks. A frustrated Ant.
Hi Ant, Off to the local library with you and try checking the local papers for this guy. What you have to ask yourself is, 'why is he on my local memorial, there must be a link. If this fails, try checking the surname on BMD for your village. Next try the local elecroll roll and parish church records. Let me know how you get on as i am doing the same sort of project but in a much larger scale. Mike
Mike, yep - looks like a trip to the local records office is the next step. It's worth asking though as you never know what research has already been done or data bases put together. I'll let you know how I get on with Thomas Jackson - I'm hot on his trail!!! Thanks for your advise, Ant
Ant, He is one of a whole batch of men who have 4th Battalion RSR numbers, but who came from and enlisted in the Northamptonshire area. If you have access to SDGW, search Royal Sussex Regiment and service numbers TF/2701** Some of them were posted on to the Service Battalions by the looks of it. My grandfather (who was a Sussex man) started with the 4th but was later posted to the 12th and then the 11th. Phil
Ant, He must have some sort of connection with your village, i believe that he may have married a local girl and that is why he is listed on your memorial. I have several like this on the memorial i am researching and its like hitting a brick wall. If all else fails it maybe worthwhile putting an advert in the local library and local papers to see if anyone may remember him or have any information. Keep in touch and let me know how you get on. Mike
Phil/Mike, thanks both for your feedback - I'll post my findings when I'm happy I have nailed down the facts (as far as possible). Ant
Your more than welcome Ant, what are you going to do with your research when you have completed it? Mike
Once I'm happy that the facts are correct (as far as my knowledge of the war goes), I would like to sense check the individual histories with members of this and other forums (those far more knowledgeable than me!) with a view to share my findings with the local history groups and any others interested - I like the idea of bringing back to life the engraved names on the local memorials as a way of remembering those young men who did not make it through. This kind of research has unearthed the stories of my own family who I did not know existed (in one case) and given me an in-site into the stories of those I know were involved - I'd like to share this with others. I've unearthed lots of information on my family and 4 local villages (East Haddon, West Haddon, Guilsborough and my own village Ravensthorpe, Northants) - the daunting task is now putting it together in a readable format that people would be interested in. I'll get there one day Ant
Ant, The research i am doing covers around 300 casualties from both wars and i have given myself a publishing time of two years when a book will be published and the proceeds will be going to help serving forces personnel when they come back from active service. Not just the phyiscally wounded but also the mentally wounded. From first hand i have experienced that and suffered from what used to be called shell shock since 1992. After going through a lot of treatment which costs money i am going to do what i can to help others that have been in my situation. Good luck with your research and if you need help all you have to do is ask. Mike
Mike, thanks for sharing your thoughts - I'm sure your first hand experiences have given you the drive and determination to achieve your goal - my greatest respect to you. A very worthwhile cause by the way - it's a big shame that kind of help was not available for my great grandfather (he had his arm stump measured every year to see if it had grown so the authorities could reduce his pension, would you believe!) and his brothers and my 2 grandpas who served all the way through WW2. I am planning a trip to Kew to do some more research in the next month or so so likewise, if there is anything I you think I can do to support your project too, please let me know. Once again thanks and good luck too. Ant
I am fairly confident that I have found a link for your "Pte. TF/201799 Thomas Henry Jackson, son of Thomas and Sarah Ann Jackson" to the village of Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire. His parents are Thomas Jackson and Sarah Ann Barnett. They married: Source Free BMD Marriages Jun 1885 BARNETT Sarah Ann Rugby 6d 663 Jackson Thomas Rugby 6d 663 I used Free BMD and census records to find Sarah Ann Barnett Sarah Ann Barnett was born 1861, Lilbourne, Northamptonshire Her parents are Joseph and Ann Barnett. From census records I found that Sarah Ann Barnett had a sister Eliza Jane Barnett born Lilbourne. Eliza Jane married Caleb Sewel Lane Source Free BMD Marriages Mar 1885 >Barnett Eliza Jane Rugby 6d 497 >LANE Caleb Sewel Rugby 6d 497 The family were living in Ravensthorpe in 1911. So your soldier Thomas had an aunt in the village of Ravensthorpe. This links Thomas with Ravensthorpe.
