Tuesday 13th April 1915

The funeral of Pte. John Robinson (see 12^th April), who had died in Folkestone on 9^th April, was held at the Parish Church in Gisburn. The event was reported in some detail in the Clitheroe Times (with additional detail also from reports in the Craven Herald and the West Yorkshire Pioneer),

“With feelings akin to consternation, the villagers heard on Friday afternoon that Mr. and Mrs. George Robinson, of the Poultry House, Gisburn, had received a telegram from the officer commanding 10^th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment saying their son, Private John Robinson, had died suddenly that morning. On several mornings last week letters were received from him by several of his friends, enclosing an excellent photograph of himself, and containing the news that he was well, though suffering slight inconvenience from his arm, natural to vaccination a few days before. It transpired, however, that he had a heart attack early on Friday morning and died immediately.

Private Robinson was only 20 years of age. For several years he was employed at the Gisburn Park Gardens, and left to assist his father who is gamekeeper to Lord Ribblesdale. He was the only Gisburn volunteer to join the company raised by Mr. (now Captain) H.G. Tunstill, for the West Riding Regiment, now in training at Folkestone. An inquest was held on Saturday, and from the evidence given it seems clear that Private Robinson’s heart was in poor condition and that the action of dressing on Friday morning brought on the heart attack. The verdict was, “death from natural causes caused by heart failure, due to the commencement of pneumonia”.

The body was conveyed to Gisburn on Monday and the interment, which was public, took place at the Parish Church on Tuesday, with military honours. A short service was conducted at the house by the Vicar, Rev. John Heslop, after which the remains were conveyed to the Church on a wagon. Crowds of people lined the street as the cortege passed along to the church; the procession being headed, from the lodge gates, by a detachment of men of the 16^th West Yorkshire Regiment, from Skipton, under the command of Captain Rhodes. The procession was an impressive one, the coffin being draped with the Union Jack, and was followed by the family and a large number of friends. There was a crowded attendance at the service in the Church and at the graveside. A full choral service was conducted by the Vicar of Gisburn, and, after the last rites had been performed by the Vicar the soldiers fired a volley over the grave and the ‘last post’ was sounded.

Owing to his fine disposition and his unassuming manner, Private Robinson was thought much of by his companions and the villagers, and everywhere in the village and district there have been expressions of sorrow and esteem. Amongst the large number of floral tributes was one from the Officers of ‘A’ Company, 10^th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment; another from the N.C.O.’s and men of ‘A’’ Company, 10^th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment. Also wreaths from the Vicar and members of St. Mary’s Parish Church choir and from the Gisburn Park Gardens and the Gisburn Estate Workpeople and one, “With deepest sympathy from Private W. Weymes (ASC), Private J. Weymes (6^th Loyal North Lancs) and other Pals at the Front”.

In the course of a letter to the deceased’s father, Captain Tunstill wrote, “Indeed scarcely can I say how much I personally deplore your son’s death. He was an excellent lad and bore a splendid character, there being absolutely nothing against him since the date of his enlistment”. Writing later, Captain Tunstill says, “Your son was much liked by both Officers and men, and the loss of such a fine lad can ill be afforded”. Tributes to his memory have also been received from Coy. Q.M. Sergt. G.R. Percy and Privates A. Bearpark, R. Hancock and G. Dale”.

 

 

It seems likely that Percy, Bearpark, Hancock and Dale had been the men billeted with Robinson in Broadmead Road, Folkestone, where he died. For Percy and Dale, see 9^th April; for Hancock, see 5^th January.

Arthur Bearpark had been born, brought up, and had lived all his life in Menston and was one of the recruits who become ‘adopted’ members of Tunstill’s Company in September 1914. Arthur was the eldest (b.1895) of the three sons of William and Annie Maria Bearpark. William was a well-known local figure who had worked for many years as a carpenter and joiner, most recently at the West Riding Pauper Lunatic Asylum in Menston; he was also secretary of the local bowling club. William and Annie had married in 1893 but Annie had died, aged just 29, in January 1900, leaving William to bring up their three sons. William then re-married, in 1908, to Ethel Anna Hill, who was originally from King’s Lynn, and together they had a son, Thomas Herbert Bearpark (b.1910). In 1914 Arthur had been working as an assistant on the W.H. Smith’s book stall at Menston Station.

 

Rev. Wilfred Leveson Henderson reported for duty as Church of England Chaplain to troops, stationed at Aberdeen (he was living at 45 Devonshire Road, Aberdeen). He would subsequently be posted to 69th Brigade and become Chaplain to 10^th Battalion.

Henderson was one of five children of William and Helen Henderson; William worked as a tanner and Wilfred was the fourth of their five children. He was born on 25^th January 1889 in Greenock, Renfrewshire. He had graduated, MA., from the University of Glasgow in 1909 and had then attended Edinburgh Theological College, before taking up a post as assistant curate at Dumfries in 1912.