Person

Henry’s father William Beadle married Appleby girl Hannah Warwick in 1873. When Henry was born in 1881 they were living in Gamekeeper’s House at Marwood in Teesdale. They had eight children one of whom, Annie, died aged eight. By 1891 William was the gamekeeper on the estate of Staindrop vicar Rev H C Lipscomb and the family were living in Watcher House, Marwood. Ten years later, when Henry was 20, he was working as a cattle stockman for the Lowrey family at Marwood Grange.

In 1906 Henry married Elizabeth Pigg, a servant from Chester le Street, and at the next census he was working as a conveyor puller in a coal mine and living in Chopwell. By 1913 Henry was in Canada and was joined in Salford, Ontario by Elizabeth and their two sons in August 1913.

On 15 February 1915 labourer Henry enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at London, Ontario. He cited his experience of three years in the Northumberland Fusiliers and named his wife Elizabeth as his next of kin. She had returned to live with her mother in Catchgate near Annfield Plain. Henry became Private 54218 in the 18th Battalion. After initial training, he sailed for England at the end of April 1915 on board the SS Grampian. Based at West Sandling, Kent, Henry was promoted to Acting Corporal and with the rest of the Battalion arrived in Boulogne, France on 15 September 1915. He would have served through the autumn and winter on the front south of Ypres, Flanders, Belgium.

After two weeks leave in England in January 1916, Henry was in hospital with epididymitis for four weeks, and on rejoining his unit was promoted to full corporal. On the front line Henry received a “slight” gunshot wound to his legs on 24 June 1916 and was treated by No 5 Canadian Field Ambulance. When he returned to his unit he was promoted to Acting Sergeant for two weeks as Sgt Ross was in hospital. He was promoted to full Sergeant in August 1916.

On 15 September 1916, exactly one year since Henry had first arrived in France, he was killed in action at the Battle for Courcelette on the Somme. He was one of 93 men of the 18th Battalion killed that day. The final resting place of Private 54218 Beadle is not known but he is remembered on the Vimy Memorial, France and in St Mary’s Church, Barnard Castle.

Civil Parish: Marwood

Birth date: 25-May-1881

Death date: 15-Sep-1916

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: Gamekeeper’s House, Marwood, Barnard Castle (1881 birthplace)
Watcher House, Marwood, Barnard Castle (1891 census)
Marwood Grange, Marwood, Barnard Castle (1901 census)
33 Forth Street, Chopwell (1911 census)
Salford, Ontario, Canada (1915 enlistment papers)

Religion: Church of England

Employment: Farmworker / servant (1901 census)
Conveyor puller at coal mine (1911 census)
Labourer (1915 enlistment papers)

Family: Parents: William Beadle, Hannah Beadle nee Warwick
Siblings: John Beadle, Edith Beadle, Emily Beadle, William Beadle, Annie Beadle (died in infancy), Thomas Beadle, Annie Esther Beadle
Spouse: Elizabeth Beadle nee Pigg

Military service:

Northumberland Fusiliers (pre-war militia)
54218
Sergeant
18th Battalion (Western Ontario), Canadian Expeditionary Force

Memorial(s): Vimy Memorial , Pas de Calais, France
Screen 1914-18, St Mary’s Church, Barnard Castle.

Gender: Male

Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham