Walter Barlow was born around 1894 in Saltney. He was the child of William & Annie Barlow, and they were living at Princess Street (After Back Bridge St.) Saltney on the 1901 census. William, 55 was a General Labourer,and his place of birth was simply “England.” His wife Annie, 44 had been born in “Wales.” Their listed children were Ada, 22, single and a housemaid, Charles, 16 was an Assistant, William, 13 was a Brick Boy, Leonard, 11, Walter, 7 and Frank was 5. All the children had been born in Saltney, Flintshire. (The handwriting was very difficult to read on this census form so there may be some errors in my interpretation).
William & Annie both died. There are death certificates for William & Annie Barlow. (T he Reference numbers are (HAW/05A/27). William died in 1909 and Annie (HAW/01A/22), died in 1903. From Ancestry, it seems that they died on the same day but 6 years apart, 20th May.
On the 1911 census, most of the family were living with their elder brother John Barlow and his wife Ellen at 17, Victoria Road, Saltney, Chester. John, 35 was a Labourer at the Oil Works. His wife of 10 years Ellen was 29 and she had given birth to 4 children who were all still living. They were Rosina 9, James, 8, Annie, 7 and John 2. Also listed in the household were John’s brothers. They were all single and all Labourers. William, 26, in the Iron Works, Leonard, 24 in the Slab Works, Walter, 18 in the Oil Works and Frank, 16 in the Slab Works. There was a Boarder, John Flagnangan (sic) who was 26
UK, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 accessible on www.ancestry.co.uk confirms Walter’s regimental information and tells us that he enlisted in Chester. It states that he ‘died’ which meant that he died from a non military related cause – perhaps illness or an accident. His medal card also on ‘Ancestry’ details his medal entitlement.
I have found his Attestation Papers and they tell us that he enlisted when he was 18 years and 1 month old in 1911, his Regimental Number was 1339, Cheshire Regiment. He had an abscess in his L. Breast early in his Army Career on the 22nd May 1915 and he was a character as he was under “Confined to Barracks” a few times whilst “In the Field” and had to forfeit his liberty and cash on a few occasions, please contact me if you would like to learn more or his papers can be seen on Ancestry.co.uk. It also lists his siblings and their addresses and according to Family Trees on Ancestry the family were to suffer many deaths, it seems most of the siblings died young.
Sole Legatee was his brother Leonard, who was paid his War Gratuity of £24 on the 12th September 1919. There was a repayment (Recharge) to the Regimental Paymaster at Nottingham of £5 18s on the 18th January 1919. However this document adds some ambiguity on the date of death of Walter, he is said to have died on the 11th August, but I believe this to be a wrong transcription by Ancesty.co.uk, and it could indicate the 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen,( No 11 Stationary- Rouen Oct 14 – Mar 19; Duren Mar 19 onward, also see the photograph.) However it does tell us that he died of “Illness.”
Walter has an index card in the Flintshire Roll of Honour in The County Record Office in Hawarden (Index Card Saltney Ferry F3). It tells us that he died in Rouen Hospital on the 28th October 1918, His card, unusually, was not signed or dated.