Son of Frank & Mary Hodkinson, of Magazine House, Ewloe Green.
Frank is also listed on Buckley – St. Matthew’s plaque and Memorials in Northop Hall, Hawarden and Connah’s Quay.
Frank was born in Waverton, Cheshire in 1893. In the 1901 census he lived with his family at 6 Manor Cottage, Sealand, Flintshire. The family at that time comprised – Head of household Frank, aged 27 a cattleman on a farm. His wife Mary E was 25. They were both originally from Cheshire. Their children were Frank 7, Charles 5, Clara 2 and Arthur 2 months.
In the 1911 census the family lived at Magazine Cottage, Ewloe Green, Northop Hall. The father, Frank was 38 and was then employed as a colliery carter. His wife of 18 years Mary was 36. The family had grown and all 7 children still lived at home. Frank was 17 and was a carter underground, Charles was 15 and a pony driver underground, Clara was 12, Arthur 10, Albert 8, Agnes 5 and Ellie Mary was 2.
Frank’s parents were Frank Hodkinson and Mary Emily Thomas married in Chester in 1893. Frank junior is found in the school log book for Waverton Church of England Primary showing that he attended from 12 Jan 1898 to 8 Nov 1900, and that his birth was 26 September 1893. From census records we can see that the family moved from Waverton to Leeswood between 1899 and about 1900, then to Sealand and later to Ewloe Green between 1893 and 1896. Frank senior and Mary were both still living at Magazine House, Ewloe Green in 1939. Mary died in 1954 aged 77 and Frank in 1958 aged 84.
UK soldiers Died in The Great War 1914-19 tells us that he enlisted in Liverpool. His Commonwealth War Grave Certificate explains that he was an officer with Liverpool Police before he joined the army. His name is included on the Liverpool City Police Roll of Honour.
Frank’s service number 11018 indicates he joined in September 1914 (Britain declared war on 4 August). His Medal card shows that he entered France in December 1914. Two deaths from Scots Guards were recorded on 21 Aug 1915, Frank Hodkinson and James Mclay Blair both remembered at Vermelles British Cemetery in adjacent plots. No particular actions are recorded for the 1st Btn. Scots Guards before the Battle of Loos in September 1915 suggesting that Frank was killed in an isolated incident rather than a battle.
The UK, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 in which the army calculated what moneys were owed to deceased soldiers includes an entry for Frank Hodkinson. It tells us that the Sole Legatee was his mother Mary E. Hodkinson who was paid £1. 17s 1d on the 23rd November 1915 and his War Gratuity of £3. 0s 0d on the 29th July 1919.