Person

Frederick William Snowball, the son of Joseph and Catherine Snowball, was born in Spennymoor in 1878. He had two brothers and three sisters and lived in the Whitworth area until he joined the army. On 1 July 1909 he married Emily Ward who was a widow with two children. He started work as an apprentice chemist but later joined his father’s printing business. He enlisted in the 18th Battalion (Durham Pals) Durham Light Infantry at Newcastle on 11 September 1916 and was killed in action at the Battle of Arras on 4 May 1917. His wife died in 1919 and his father was in dispute with the War Office for a considerable period as it said that his son’s medals had been sent to him in error and rightly belonged to the eldest son of Fred’s wife. He is commemorated on the Arras and Spennymoor Memorials, in the Durham Cathedral and Spennymoor Books of Remembrance and the Spennymoor Roll of Honour.

Civil Parish: Low Spennymoor

Birth date: 1877

Death date: 4-May-1917

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 10 & 11 Clyde Terrace, Whitworth, Spennymoor (1881 census)
16 Clyde Terrace Whitworth, Spennymoor (1891 census)
40 High Street Whitworth, Spennymoor (1901 census)
3 Horswell Gardens, Spennymoor (1911 census)
Horswell House, Spennymoor (British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920)

Employment: Apprentice Chemist (1901 census)
Printer (1911 census)
Compositor (British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920)

Family: Father: Joseph Snowball
Mother: Catherine Snowball (nee Dobbie)
Siblings: Jane Ann, Bertha, Joseph, John George & Edith Snowball
Wife: Emily Snowball (nee Barlow), (previously married to Fred Ward)
Stepchildren: James Barlow & Nellie Ward

Military service:

18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Regimental no.; 38949
Private

Medal(s): British War Medal
Victory Medal

Memorial(s): Arras Memorial, Bay 8
Durham Cathedral Book of Remembrance
Spennymoor Cenotaph
Spennymoor Town Hall 1914-18 Book of Remembrance
St Paul’s Church, Spennymoor 1914-18 Roll of Honour

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards