Click on any image to enlarge and scroll through them all.
The following names appear on the Seaton Ross School Roll of Honour within St Edmund’s Church, in the Church Magazine notices 1914-1920 and in a previous Roll of Honour plaque in St Edmund’s which was present in 1995, but is now lost. Most of the information here is from Forces War Records and from the 1881-1911 Censuses both of which have minor errors with respect to ages and dates.
Information on John Henley and Henry Preston is courtesy of their living descendents and there are some photographs reproduced from Whitehead’s Almanac and Directory 1918. For many of the names there are clear associations with Seaton Ross, for others there is only one record for that name, for one or two the records are dubious. Finally, it is likely that not all from Seaton Ross who fell in the Great War are listed below.
Albert Bayston
Age: 36; Regiment: East Yorkshire Regiment; Rank: Serjeant (sic); Died: 16/04/1916, of wounds; Theatre of War: France and Flanders. Other: 1881 census has Robert Bayston as farm labourer at Seaton Ross with son Albert age 4 living at Thorganby Cottage. In 1911 census, Albert is listed age 32, a traction engine driver residing at Wrixell, his father Robert still registered at Seaton Ross. Later War Record shows parents Robert and Elizabeth Bayston, of Sutton, Hull; husband of Edith C. Bayston, of 4, Haworth Street, Newland, Hull.
Seth Brighton
Age: 40; Regiment: Royal Field Artillery, 24th Bde HQ; Rank: Driver; Died: 30/01/1919; Theatre of War: France; Other: Forces record states son of Mark and Elizabeth Brighton of Seaton Ross, husband of Sarah Brighton of Eyre Street, Newbridge, County Kildare. Closest census record is from 1881, son of Annie Blackburn, baptised in St Edmund’s Seaton Ross, living in South End.
Thomas Brighton
Age: 40; Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery; Rank: Gunner; Died: 19/02/1920; Theatre of War: ? Other: 1881 census has a Thomas son of Mark and Elizabeth Brighton at South End (c.f. Seth Brighton), age 17 in 1891 census and 29 in 1901 census where he is listed as a farm labourer.
Albert Edward Chapman
Age: 22; Regiment: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 45th Company; Rank: Private; Died: 20/08/1916[ Theatre of War: France; Other: Forces records state son of Mr and Mrs J Chapman, Seaton Ross. 1881 census shows a J J Chapman living in West End, Seaton Ross and in Northumbria in 1901.
Thomas Chapman
Age: ? Regiment: Northumberland Fusiliers; Rank: Private; Died: 14/11/1916, killed in action; Theatre of War: Flanders and France; Other: Born Seaton Ross, listed as living in Pocklington, only son of Mr Mrs Thomas Chapman.
Arthur Thomas Gell
Age: 23; Regiment: King’s (Liverpool Regiment); Rank: Private; Died: 20/10/1918, Killed in Action; Theatre: France and Flanders; Other. Forces record state residing in Everingham, enlisted at Beverly. 1901 census has birth of A T Gell registered in York in 1894, baptised at Stillingfleet in July if that year and who is aged 6 at the time of the census. Parents listed as James (agricultural labourer) and Ada living in Deighton, previously living in Bielby in 1891 census.
John Henry Henley
Age: 18; Regiment: West Yorkshire Regiment; Rank: Rifleman; Died: 18/03/1918 in training at Military Hospital, Rugeley Camp of scarlet fever; Theatre of War: n/a Other: John Henry Henley is the only service man buried in St Edmund’s churchyard with a Commonwealth Graves headstone.
And there is a testimonial from Holme on Spalding Moor School:
John Henley, a boy who attended this school and obtained a Senior Scholarship tenable at Beverly Grammar School three years ago has been successful in passing with honours in the Oxford Local Senior Examination. About a fortnight ago he had to join H.M. Forces and is present with the 7th West Yorks Regt, Clipston Camp, Notts………(and on 22nd March 1918) John Henley, a senior Scholarship winner in 1914, died in a military hospital in Staffordshire on Monday last and will be buried today at Seaton Ross: the children and teachers have sent a wreath as a token of respect and great sympathy. He was one of the finest boys I have ever had in my charge. (Holme on Spalding Moor School)
George Nicholson
Age: 36; Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery; Rank: Gunner; Died: 25/09/1917; Theatre: East Africa; Other. Forces record has George as husband of S. F. M. Nicholson, of 11, Kitchener St., Haxby Rd., York, England. Church Magazine October 1917 has an entry (see above – Thomas Chapman).
Bernard Pitts
Age: 20; Regiment: Royal Engineers; Rank: Sapper; Died: 28/10/1918, of wounds, awarded the Military Medal. The decoration was awarded to Bernard Pitts for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire or for individual or associated acts of bravery which were insufficient to merit the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
Conferment of the medal was announced in the London Gazette and Bernard Pitts earned the right to add the letters M.M. to his name. Theatre of War: France and Flanders; Other: Son of Mary and John Pitts, Allberries Farm, Foggathorpe.
James William Precious
Age: 26; Regiment: Royal Field Artillery; Rank: Gunner; Died: 10/11/1918, died of wounds; Theatre of War: France and Flanders[ Other: Forces record states husband of Mrs JA Precious of Chapel View, Scoles, Leeds. There is a birth of JW Fenton registered in 1893 at Pocklington. The 1911 census has JW Fenton age 17 born 1894 living at Melbourne and working as a farm wagoner to Henry and Sarah Pears,
Sydney Turton and Martin Turton
Martin Turton was born to George and Annie Turton, Seaton Ross, in 1896 (1901 census) and in the 1911 census is listed as a wagonner to George Hatfield at Dial Farm, Seaton Ross. Sydney Turton’s birth was registered in Pocklington in 1887. Martin survived the war, the fate of Sydney is unknown.
Thomas Chas Warner
There are 3 records for Thomas Warner in Forces War Records, but none seem to match. Other: 1881 census has a James Warner registered in Hull, a stableman with a son Thomas C Warner aged 3. James married Anne Elizabeth Bayston from Seaton Ross 21/1/1876.
Those who returned
Those who served in WW1 and who survived are commemorated on a plaque in St Edmund’s Church Seaton Ross: C Buxton, G Chapman, E Coulson, E Fenton, TW Ferguson, A Gardham, AK Guest, J Guest, JE Harrison, TG Harrison, T Hatfield, AW Humphries, D Johnson, Walter Lazenby, WM Lazenby, W MacGarr, A Pears, C Pears, G Pears, HJ Pears, H Preston, W Preston, F Slater, T Slater, AE Sanderson, M Turton, HJ Veater, S Walker.
Of these, we have contemporary photographs and letters of Henry Preston, courtesy of the Preston family.
Henry Preston joined the RAMC in 1915 and served in the Dardanelles army. The photo was taken at Abassia Barracks, Cairo, in 1916. Henry survived the war.
