Person

William Gowland was born in 1882. He lived with his parents, John Gowland and Elizabeth Gowland (nee Morley) and his sister Mary (Margaret) Ann, at Eden Back Row, Beamish. William’s mother died in 1884 when he was two years old. His father then moved away leaving William and his sister to be brought up by their paternal grandmother, Margaret Gowland.

In 1891 they lived in Eden Place. William and his sister Mary attended the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel and were members of the choir, together with Mary Henderson. By 1901 Margaret Gowland had moved, with her grandchildren, to 23 Eden Row and William was working as a putter (below ground).

William married Mary Henderson in 1903 when he was 21 years old. According to the 1911 Census they were living at 18 Eden Row, Beamish and had three young children: John (born 1904), Sarah (born 1908) and Arthur (born 1910). By this time William was employed as a coal miner/hewer. His grandmother, Margaret Gowland, with whom he lived for 19 years died in 1909.

Within twelve months of the loss of William’s mother his father, John, married his second wife, Sarah Helen Turnbull (Kay) at St Mary’s Church, Gateshead. John and Sarah had two children together but this marriage was not a success and in the same year that William was married , his father divorced Sarah on the grounds of adultery with Robert Carmichael at Dudley Farm, Annitsford. (Source: Morpeth Herald Saturday 1 August 1903, Civil Divorce Records Final Decree 8 February 1904).

John Gowland, while in his 50s, had 5 more children with Sarah A Simpson but didn’t marry Sarah until 1940 when he was 84 years old and Sarah was 61. John died in 1945 aged 89 years.

When the Great War started, William Gowland enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps and joined the 79th Field ambulance, under the command of the 26th Infantry Division. The 26th Division was established in September 1914 as part of Kitchener’s third New Army. They assembled and prepared in the Salisbury Plain area for 12 months. William landed with the 26th Division in France on 21 September 1915 and spent a short time west near the Western Front (near Amiens) before being redeployed to the Macedonian Front for the rest of the war.

Private William Gowland, as a member of the 79th Field Ambulance, together with members of the 78th and 80th Field Ambulances would have dealt with over 8,000 casualties of the 26th Division who were killed, wounded or missing, as well as many more who suffered from malaria, dysentery and other diseases. (The Long Long Trail. http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk)

Key battles include:
1916 Battle of Horseshoe Hill
1917 Battles of Doiran
1918 Battle of Doiran & the Pursuit of the Strumica Valley.

The Division became part of the Army of the Danube and then of the Occupation of Bulgaria. Demobilisation began in February 1919.
William Gowland completed his active service and returned to England. He died as a patient at Wharncliffe War Hospital, near Sheffield, on 20 April 1919. William died of rheumatic fever and endocarditis [infection of the heart lining].

William’s name appears alongside the names of around 200 other soldiers on the Roll of Honour which hung in the hospital chapel for many years. The Roll of Honour has now been removed and is in the care of the Sheffield History Society.

Wharncliffe War Hospital was one of many hospitals set up to deal with the overwhelming numbers of injured soldiers returning from the Great War. It was previously known as Wadsley Asylum, serving West Yorkshire. As a war hospital it had 2039 beds including 112 “shake-downs”. It’s role as a war hospital ended on 31 July 1920 by which time nearly 37,000 patients, including William Gowland, had been treated.
http://www.wharncliffewarhospital.co.uk

Mary Gowland, who was 40 years old when her husband died , received a war gratuity of £26 10s together with further payments of £12 18s 6d & £25 16s 10d.

William’s name also appeared on the war memorial in the Methodist chapel at Pit Hill (the former name for Beamish). The chapel, complete with the original war memorial, can now be seen in the pit village at Beamish museum.

He has a Commonwealth War Grave in the cemetery of St Paul’s Church, West Pelton.

Civil Parish: Urpeth

Birth date: 1882

Death date: 20-Apr-1919

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Eden Place, Beamish (1891 census)
23 Eden Row, Beamish (1901 census)
18 Eden Row, Beamish (1911 census)

Religion: Methodist

Employment: Coal miner
Putter, below ground (1901 census)
Hewer (1911 census)

Family: Grandmother – Margaret Gowland 1834 –
Father – John Gowland 1856 –
Mother – Elizabeth Morley 1856 – 1884
Sister – Margaret (Mary) Gowland 1878 –
Wife – Mary Henderson 1879 – 1960
Sons – John 1903, Arthur
Daughter – Sarah 1907

Military service:

Enlisted in the RAMC 79th Field Ambulance, as 37844 Private.
Landed in France on 21 September 1915 (www.wharncliffewarhospital.co.uk)
Died on leave at Wharncliffe War Hospital Sheffield 20th April 1919 (national army museum – UK army register of soldiers effects 1901 -29)

Medal(s): 1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal

Memorial(s): Wharncliffe Hospital, Sheffield roll of honour
War memorial in Pit Hill Methodist church now part of Beamish Museum
Commonwealth war grave, St Paul’s Churchyard, West Pelton

Gender: Male

Contributed by Tricia Bailey and Brenda Peppin